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The Great Lakes face grave danger as pollution, over-extraction, invasive species, and wetland loss continue to intensify, exacting a devastating toll on the watershed. While beaches close and fisheries decline, private companies are eyeing these precious waters for increased exploitation, whether in the form of additional commercial bottled water export, mining, oil and gas exploration, or control of once public water services. Decades of organizing, advocacy, legal and treaty rights work have made tremendous headway against the threats to the Lakes. These campaigns have slowed the devastation, created higher barriers for abuse, and insisted on public interest in water decisions. But still, the threats to enclose, appropriate and exploit our Great Lakes escalate faster than ever. On the Commons asserts that the many problems we face will not be solved piecemeal or by efforts that focus solely on ecological degradation or social injustice. We will be stymied in creating the future we want if we continue to fight the attacks on the lakes one by one without also developing a transformative vision and ground-breaking strategy. What is called for is a game-changing plan. Our Great Lakes Water Commons Initiative acts as a game changer in multiple ways. First, the Initiative makes an explicit connection between social inequities, disregard of community participation in resource decisions and environmental damage in the Great Lakes region. Such a holistic view is critical to ensuring not only the health and well being of the Lakes, but also the people who live there. For example: When water use decisions are made without community agreement, community members are further excluded from their rightful role in governance and stewardship of vital resources. When water belongs to those who can buy it and not to our communities, the future of every living being is jeopardized. When financially strapped municipalities sell water rights and access rather than prior

What is a Commons-based society? Print A commons-based society refers to a shift in values and policies away from the market-based system that dominates modern society, especially over the past 30 years. The foundation of the market is narrowly focused on private wealth, while the commons is built upon what we all share-air, water, public spaces, public health, public services, the Internet, cultural endowments and much more. One of the most compelling ideas being raised today is the possibility of evolving from a market-based society to a commons-based society. The commons has always been an element of human civilization. But its central role in sustaining all societies has recently been rediscovered, inspiring new lines of thinking in fields ranging from high technology to public health to business. A commons-based society is one that values and protects commons assets, managing them for the benefit of everyone. Market-based solutions would be valuable tools in a commons-based society, as long as they do not undermine the workings of the commons itself.

the commons movement The commons is what we share together. From parks and clean water to scientific knowledge and the Internet, some things are no one's private property. They exist for everyone's benefit, and must be protected for future generations. A movement is emerging today to create a commons-based society. What is On The Commons? On the Commons is a citizens' network that highlights the importance of the commons in our lives, and promotes innovative commons-based solutions to create a brighter future.

The Geopolitics Of Natural Resources David L. Feldman Edited by David Lewis Feldman, Professor and Chair, Department of Planning, Policy and Design and Professor of Political Science, University of California, Irvine, US 2011 672 pp Hardback 978 0 85793 074 3 Hardback £215.00 on-line price £193.50 Qty Series: Elgar Mini Series Description 'An inspired anthology of classic and contemporary reading concerning geopolitics and the the commons, this book provides essential background for students and practitioners of natural resources governance.' - Helen Ingram, University of California, Irvine, US Contents 30 articles, dating from 1950 to 2005 Contributors include: T. Beatley, M. Cole, A. Dinar, P. Haas, T. Homer-Dixon, K. Jacobs, M. McGinnis, R. Mitchell, K. Lee, H. Vaux, Jr. Further information 'An inspired anthology of classic and contemporary reading concerning geopolitics and the the commons, this book provides essential background for students and practitioners of natural resources governance.' - Helen Ingram, University of California, Irvine, US This significant collection examines the diverse ways natural resources are managed and controlled and the controversies that arise regarding their use, allocation, and protection resulting from governance decisions and policies. Professor Feldman has selected seminal works which focus on several key issues, including the role of common property resources in questions of trans-boundary resource management, the diverse ways societies and interest groups accord value to resources and their use, and how resources are catalysts for both international conflict and cooperation. This authoritative volume will be of immense value to students, professionals and practitioners interested in the field of geopolitics and natural resources. Full table of contents Contents: Acknowledgements Introduction David Lewis Feldman PART I GEOPOLITICS AND THE COMMONS 1. Michael V. McGinnis (1995), 'On the Verge of

The Right to Water: Politics, Governance and Social StrugglesEntradax  Farhana Sultana farhana@jonosc.com20:55 (21 horas atrás) para URBGEOG Hello everyone, Apologies for cross-postings and mass email, but a new book has just been published that may be of interest to folks on the list. Details of the book description, table of contents, and reviews are provided below, and as well as the link to the publisher's website for further information. Please feel free to circulate this email to other interested colleagues and institutions. Thanks! Best wishes,Farhana  "The Right to Water: Politics, Governance and Social Struggles" Edited by Farhana Sultana and Alex Loftus Earthscan (Taylor and Francis), UK, 2011 http://www.taylorandfrancis.com/books/details/9781849713597/  Description: The right to clean water has been adopted by the United Nations as a basic human right. Yet how such universal calls for a right to water are understood, negotiated, experienced and struggled over remain key challenges. The Right to Water elucidates how universal calls for rights articulate with local historical geographical contexts, governance, politics and social struggles, thereby highlighting the challenges and the possibilities that exist. Bringing together a unique range of academics, policy-makers and activists, the book analyzes how struggles for the right to water have attempted to translate moral arguments over access to safe water into workable claims. This book is an intervention at a crucial moment into the shape and future direction of struggles for the right to water in a range of political, geographic and socio-economics contexts, seeking to be pro-active in defining what this struggle could mean and how it might be taken forward in a far broader transformative politics. The Right to Water engages with a range of approaches that focus on philosophical, legal and governance perspectives before seeking to apply these more abstract arguments to an array of conc

"They asked the hard question as to whether, in fact, the new infrastructure meant to extract more water would, in the long run, actually ensure continuous and increased water supply. Rather than tap new surface and groundwater sources, they concluded that it made more economic and ecological sense to conserve water through cheaper system repair and watershed protection."

Land Use Policies For Sustainable Development Exploring Integrated Assessment Approaches Desmond McNeill , Ingrid Nesheim , Floor Brouwer Edited by Desmond McNeill, Centre for Development and the Environment, University of Oslo, Norway, Ingrid Nesheim, Centre for Development and the Environment, University of Oslo, Norway and Floor Brouwer, Senior Research Scholar, Research Unit on Environment, Nature and Landscape, LEI (Wageningen University and Research Centre), The Hague, The Netherlands 2012 320 pp Hardback 978 1 84980 292 5 Hardback $135.00 on-line price $121.50 Qty This book is also available as an ebook  978 1 78100 247 6 from - www.EBSCOhost.com www.myilibrary www.ebooks.com www.ebookscorporation.com www.dawsonera.com www.ebrary.com/corp/ www.books.google.com/ebooks Description 'The ever increasing competition for land, and the environmental pressures being placed on this most fundamental resource, call for a new approach to its governance. Based on case studies from around the world this book provides a comprehensive and unique insight into the development of sustainable land use policies in developing countries and heralds the need to integrate environmental, social and economic considerations for effective and sustainable governance.' - Lisa Emberson, University of York, UK Contents Contributors: A.M. Arbi, I. Bezlepkina, M. Bonin, F. Brouwer, M. Bursztyn, L. Chen, Y. Cissé, E. Coudel, S.A. Dalimunthe, N. Debortoli, N.I.S. Dewi, S. Feng, L.N. Gachimbi, P. Gicheru, H. Jeder, S. Kashyap, H. König, D. Lindoso, X. Ma, D. McNeill, S.N. Makokha, I. Nesheim, N. Novira, N. Ounalli, S. Patil, S. Purushothaman, F. Qu, T.S. Rahayu, P. Reidsma, S. Rodrigues-Filho, J. Schuler, M. Sghaier, X. Shi, J.-P. Tonneau, R. Verburg, J. Von Braun, J.W. Wamuongo, A.P. Wicaksono Further information 'The ever increasing competition for land, and the environmental pressures being placed on this most fundamental resource, call for a new approach to its governance.

Antes del diluvio, el ecosocialismo, la apuesta política actual Autor(es): Löwy, Michael Löwy, Michael. Nació en Brasil en 1938, hijo de inmigrantes judíos vieneses. Se graduó en Ciencias Sociales en la Universidad de San Pablo en 1960, y se doctoró en la Sorbona, bajo la dirección de Lucien Goldmann, en 1964. Vive en París desde 1969. Es director de investigación emérito en el Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Centro Nacional de Investigación Científica); fue profesor en la École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (Escuela de Altos Estudios en Ciencias Sociales). Sus obras han sido publicadas en 24 idiomas. Entre sus libros más recientes se encuentran Redención y utopía. El judaísmo libertario en Europa central (1988); Rebelión y melancolía. El romanticismo como contracorriente de la modernidad (1992); Walter Benjamin: aviso de incendio (2001); Kafka, soñador insumiso (2004); Sociologías y religión. Aproximaciones insólitas (2009); Ediciones Herramienta y El Colectivo publicaron, en 2010, su libro La teoría de la revolución en el joven Marx. Es miembro del consejo editor de la Revista Herramienta, donde ha realizado numerosas contribuciones. El ecosocialismo es una corriente política basada en una constatación esencial: la protección de los equilibrios ecológicos del planeta, la preservación de un medio favorable para las especies vivientes -incluida la nuestra- son incompatibles con la lógica expansiva y destructiva del sistema capitalista. La búsqueda del "crecimiento" bajo la égida del capital nos conduce, en efecto, a corto plazo -los próximos decenios-, a una catástrofe sin precedentes en la historia de la humanidad: el calentamiento global. James Hanson, climatólogo de la NASA, uno de los mayores especialistas mundiales en la cuestión del cambio climático -la administración Bush había intentado impedir, en vano, impedirle que hiciera públicos sus diagnósticos-, escribe esto en el p

2 de 733     CFP: Beyond the Culture of Nature Entrada X   Responder Ruth Morgan ruthmorgan@mac.com para H-WATER mostrar detalhes 05:57 (2 horas atrás) From: "Wellock, Thomas" Date: 19 January 2012 7:26:42 PM Second Call for Papers: Beyond the Culture of Nature: Rethinking Canadian and Environmental Studies Location: The University of British Columbia, Vancouver campus (http://www.canadianstudies.ubc.ca/) Date: 29-30 September, 2012 Canadian and Environmental Studies are two fields in transformation.  Initiated in part as emancipatory projects in the 1970s, seeking to define subjects and articulate their meanings, the two fields have diverged and been complicated by shifting ideas about nation and nationalism on the one hand, and the environment and sustainability on the other.  Wilderness once stood as a central shared concern of the two fields, but constructivist critiques have highlighted its associations with race, gender, settler societies and social power, and the discourse of sustainability has transcended wilderness as a cultural and linguistic artifact, reliant on a binary vision of nature and culture.  This conference asks what has replaced the culture of nature that once provided common ground for Canadian and Environmental Studies?  How do area and interdisciplinary studies intersect, and with what benefits and problems?  Does a shared agenda remain?  This conference seeks to bring Canadian and Environmental Studies scholars together to discuss and debate the relations of their two fields and imagine the intertwined futures of Canadian and Environmental Studies. Possible conference themes include:        The place of nature in Canadian Studies        The place of Canada in Environmental Studies        What's left of wilderness and the culture of nature?        Understanding Canada, regions and places in a world of global flows and environmental processes

DIMENSIONS OF POLITICAL ECOLOGY: CONFERENCE ON NATURE/SOCIETY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY April 13 - 15, 2012 University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA Keynote Address: Julie Guthman (Department of Community Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz) Plenary Address: Erik Swyngedouw (Department of Geography, University of Manchester) Following the success of our inaugural conference, which included participants from 8 different countries, 25 states, 41 universities, and featured scholars from 17 different disciplinary affiliations, the University of Kentucky Political Ecology Working Group is now preparing for our 2012 conference. This three-day conference provides an opportunity to critically examine perspectives on human-environment relationships in their varied manifestations and to foster discussions among a diverse group of scholars. We encourage submissions from all individuals who are engaged in research on the ecological dimensions of political, economic, social, and scientific change research regardless of their topical, theoretical, or methodological frameworks, including but not limited to: Environmental justice Cultural ecology Ecological modernization Environmental history Environmental law Restoration ecology Political economy of nature Genetic technology Commons, enclosures, and land tenure Environmental risk Resource management and conservation Non-equilibrium ecology Landscape studies Environmental discourse and policy Feminist and heterodox approaches to environmental economics Sustainability Urban ecology Environmental sociology Food security and sustainable agriculture Critical science studies Knowledge Production By sharing their work, participants can anticipate receiving feedback on the socio-natural dimensions of their work from a specialized group brought together in an intimate setting and interact with scholars creating cutting edge political-ecological research. Presentation Formats * Paper presentation: paper se

"Standards govern the design, operation, manufacture, and use of nearly everything that mankind produces.  There are standards to protect the environment and human health and safety, and to mediate commercial transactions.  Other standards ensure that different products are compatible when hooked together. . . Standards generally go unnoticed.  They are mostly quiet, unseen forces, such as specifications, regulations, and protocols, that ensure that things work properly, interactively, and responsibility.  How standards come about is a mystery to most people should they even ponder the question."  (Global Standards - Building Blocks for the Future, Office of Technology Assessment, U.S. Congress (March 1992)) "Standards, in one form or another, have always underpinned trade and business. Standards, including codes of practice and guides as well as formal standards, support compatibility and drive down costs through use of common parts, specifications and methods.  They can also help open markets, create new industries and realize the potential of new technologies.  Standards are so much a part of our daily routine that we use them without even being aware of doing so, and without giving thought to how they are created or the benefits they provide."  (United Kingdom National Standardization Strategic Framework, Foreword (2003))     For more than 20 years, it was my privilege to represent and advise groups of engineers on questions of policy and law as they traveled the world negotiating global standards for their respective corporations.  It never ceased to amaze me how these bright, talented individuals collectively determined the future of their respective corporations and entire industries, as ambassadors of technology, when they participated in the development of global technology standards.  This experience has had a profound effect on my awareness and respect for the development of global standards, participants in the develop

The paper first reveals the relevance of ecological economics in the time of a triple crisis-ecological, social and economic-and promotes it as a distinct paradigm comprised of two interconnected and interdependent aspects: the qualitative framework within which it operates; and the quantitative models and techniques it uses to observe ecosystem resilience, measure progress towards sustainability and evaluate policies. While acknowledging the progress that has so far been made, the paper argues that divergences in understanding the meaning and content of ecological economics hinder its effectiveness and influence on real-world policy making, and calls for a unified framework as a common ground that would strengthen the field and direct research. The implication of this position then follows, pointing out what has so far been missing from the ecological economics' analysis and what should be done for it to become a more problem-oriented and policy-relevant alternative.

Raising cattle in the feedlot industry is a constant challenge. In tough times, the return on an animal can be just a few dollars per head ECOLOGIST GREEN DIRECTORY Rathbone Greenbank "Understanding social, ethical and environmental issues is integral to Rathbone Greenbank Investments' approach..." read more More articles about food & farming | foston | industrial farming | animal welfare | nocton | smithfield food | soil association Related Articles Common infections will be 'untreatable' if antibiotic misuse continues Monsanto, Bayer and Dow face trial for 'systematic human rights abuses' The hidden costs of gold: mercury poisoning blights mining communities Durban climate change conference: is it time to forget about 2 degrees of warming? Durban climate change conference: 'Sideline the UN' says leading academic Photo Special Revealed: the secret horror of the world's 'mega' factory farms Matilda Lee 9th November, 2011 As the UK grapples with the arrival of 'mega' farms like Nocton and Foston, a shocking new book, CAFO, reveals the cruelty and vast scale of the global meat and dairy industry CAFO or 'Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation' is the acronym used to describe the industrial farming model that America has perfected and is currently exporting abroad. CAFOs have taken farming to a frightening new level of 'efficiency'. By concentrating farm animals in the smallest space possible, to gain weight as quickly as possible and at the least cost, CAFOs deny the most basic rights of an animal as a living being. Doug Tompkins, whose Foundation for Deep Ecology published the book, argues in the forward that CAFOs should be renamed for what they really are: industrial animal concentration camps. After reading this book, it's hard not to agree. Shock, horror, and disgust are just a few of the feelings you get flicking through the 450 behind-the-scenes images, but the fact is that we are all connected to CAFOs. Already the majority of animal products

Using planetary science to shape economics By Oliver Greenfield - Green Economy Coalition - September, 2011 Six big ideas for a green infrastructure capable of protecting people and future generations Economic theory (and common sense) tells us that when something is valuable, and it is free, its use tends to infinity - this explains why trees, biodiversity, freshwater and atmospheric space for carbon are all being used 'like there is no tomorrow'. It also assumes that when something is exhausted (or too expensive), a substitute is almost certain to be found. Economic theory then takes this substitution concept up to a macro level and thinks of the 'trade-off' between environment and economy. The logic is that we can have 'more environment' if we are prepared to put up with 'less economy', or we can have 'less environment' if we want a bigger economy. The traditional economic world view that dominates the political spectrum is based on infinite resources, substitution, and ultimately this trade-off between environment and economy. If the rationale behind our economic system is based on some of these assumptions, then it seems fitting for us to explore whether the planet can indeed support these assumptions. Let us take a quick journey into planetary science. Back to basics Gravitational forces, generated both by the earth orbiting the sun and the moon orbiting the planet, create movement and flow of magma, collision of tectonic plates and surfacing of minerals. These minerals are weathered and distributed across the earth's surface, primarily by water. The constant heating and cooling created by the earth's rotation accelerates the chemical reactions between newly released minerals (soils and rocks) and atmospheric gases. These chemical reactions are the pool from which life emerged, creating single cells capable of using minerals and energy from the sun to photosynthesise; generating proteins for their own growth, and respiring to br