Jennifer Clapp and Peter Dauvergne, Paths to a Green World: The Political Economy of the Global Environment.

Jennifer Clapp and Peter Dauvergne, Paths to a Green World: The Political Economy of the Global Environment. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2005. $25.00 papercover.

A great deal has now been written about the impact of globalization on economic and social conditions. For example, the literature on globalization has dealt in depth with the way currency speculation and the flow of finance capital has created economic difficulties for a governments around the world. A good deal has also been written about the effects of globalization on employment and incomes. Although some scholars have speculated on the way globalization has contributed to environmental problems, the subject has been neglected and there is a need for a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between globalization and environmental sustainability.

In this book, Clapp and Dauvergne rise to the challenge and provide one of the first detailed assessments of the relationship between globalization and the environment. The book examines different aspects of this complex relationship and specifically address issues such as trade, investment, financing, wealth and poverty. The authors discuss each of these issues in great depth and provide a helpful account of different perspectives on the way the environment has been affected by economic globalization. Their analysis is facilitated by identifying four major normative perspectives or what the authors call "world views" on environmental issues. These are market liberalism, institutionalism, bioenvironmentalism and "social green" thinking. The book begins by defining these perspectives and then traces the history of each perspective. The perspectives are then applied to provide a succinct analysis of the policies and prescriptions each offers for improving environmental conditions. For example, the diverse positions of market liberals, institutionalists, bioenvironmentalists and social greens on world trade, investment and financing are examined and contrasted. The book also provides a comprehensive discussion on the nature of globalization. Another helpful chapter describes the evolution of environmental thinking with reference to globalization and development, and provides a chronological overview on the major international meetings that have been held to discuss the environment.

This is an extremely readable book which is packed with detailed information. It will be a major resource for anyone wanting to have information about efforts to deal with environmental issues at the global level. One of the book's great strengths is its balance. Different points of view are represented and arguments for and against different perspectives are elaborated. Although some scholars may view the division of environmental thought to into four categories as somewhat limiting, it summarizes complex and sometimes heated controversies into a manageable commentary. The authors are to be commended on a major accomplishment and their book should be widely consulted.