Contested Grounds

The book puts the contemporary debate in historical and theoretical perspective by demonstrating the important, but overlooked, role that environmental factors have placed in historical developments and in earlier geopolitical theories. The contributors present diverse and often conflicting answers to three questions: What are the relationships between environmental change, degradation and protection and traditional natural security concepts and organizations? How useful are security concepts and organizations in mobilizing political responses to environmental problems? What role do environmental factors play in stimulating international conflict and cooperation?

In-depth case studies on transboundary resource issues are explored as well as the implications of Chinese environmental decay for political conflict, and the use of military satellites for environmental monitoring.

Contributors include Ken Butts, Simon Dalby, Daniel Deudney, Ronald J. Deibert, Michel Frederick, Jack Goldstone, Thomas Homer-Dixon, Miriam Lowi, Richard Matthew, and Eric Stern.]