This book is a comprehensive, critical discussion of the new idea of environmental security. Jon Barnett looks at links between environmental degradation and national security. But the meaning of the concept is ambiguous, and an examination of its various interpretations and applications reveals much about the state of global environmental politics. Barnett argues that environmental security is ultimately driven more by the power of security-makers than by the need to address environmental problems. By systematically uncovering the deficiencies of existing discourses, he develops an...

The book advances knowledge about climate change adaptation practices through a series of case studies. It presents important evidence about adaptation practices in agriculture, businesses, the coastal zone, community services, disaster management, ecosystems, indigneous populations, and settlements and infrastructure. In addition to 38 case studies across these sectors, the book contains horizon-scoping essays from international experts in adaptation research, including Hallie Eakin, Susanne Moser, Jonathon Overpeck, Bill Solecki, and Gary Yohe. Australia's social-ecological systems have a...

Small Island Developing States are often depicted as being among the most vulnerable of all places to the effects of climate change, and they are a cause celebre of many involved in climate science, politics and the media. Yet while small island developing states are much talked about, the production of both scientific knowledge and policies to protect the rights of these nations and their people has been remarkably slow. This book is the first to apply a critical approach to climate change science and policy processes in the South Pacific region. It shows how groups within politically and...