Acid Rain Science and Politics in Japan

Acid Rain Science and Politics in Japan
Author: Kenneth E. Wilkening
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2004-05-21
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780262265096

Acid Rain Science and Politics in Japan is a pioneering work in environmental and Asian history as well as an in-depth analysis of the influence of science on domestic and international environmental politics. Kenneth Wilkening's study also illuminates the global struggle to create sustainable societies. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 ended Japan's era of isolation- created self-sufficiency and sustainability. The opening of the country to Western ideas and technology not only brought pollution problems associated with industrialization (including acid rain) but also scientific techniques for understanding and combating them. Wilkening identifies three pollution-related "sustainability crises" in modern Japanese history: copper mining in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which spurred Japan's first acid rain research and policy initiatives; horrendous post-World War II domestic industrial pollution, which resulted in a "hidden" acid rain problem; and the present-day global problem of transboundary pollution, in which Japan is a victim of imported acid rain. He traces the country's scientific and policy responses to these crises through six distinct periods related to acid rain problems and argues that Japan's leadership role in East Asian acid rain science and policy today can be explained in large part by the "historical scientific momentum" generated by efforts to confront the issue since 1868, reinforced by Japan's cultural affinity with rain (its "culture of rain"). Wilkening provides an overview of nature, culture, and the acid rain problem in Japan to complement the general set of concepts he develops to analyze the interface of science and politics in environmental policymaking. He concludes with a discussion of lessons from Japan's experience that can be applied to the creation of sustainable societies worldwide.

Acidic Precipitation

Acidic Precipitation
Author: A.H.M. Bresser
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2011-11-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9781461389439

"awareness" of the world's citizens and encourage governments to devote more attention and resources to address this issue. The series editors thank the international panel of contributors for bringing this timely series into completion. We also wish to acknowledge the very insightful input of the following colleagues: Prof. A. L. Page of the University of California, Prof. T . C. Hutchinson of the University of Toronto , and Dr. Steve Lindberg of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. We also wish to thank the superb effort and cooperation of the volume editors in handling their respective volumes. The constructive criticisms of chapter review ers also deserve much appreciation. Finally, we wish to convey our appreciation to my secretary, Ms. Brenda Rosier, and my technician, Ms. Claire Carlson, for their very able assistance in various aspects of this series. Aiken, South Carolina Domy C. Adriano Coordinating Editor Preface to Acidic Precipitation, Volume 5 (Advances in Environmental Science) Acidification research has been ongoing for several decades. It was not until the 1980s, however, that scientists began to recognize the complex ity of the factors causing the decline in forest growth and deterioration of fish populations in acidified lakes. The general feeling, based on correla tive research, was that long-range transported air pollution was the main cause. Proof, however, was difficult to obtain because of complex interac tions of various stress factors including natural ones.

Environmental Politics in Japan, Germany, and the United States

Environmental Politics in Japan, Germany, and the United States
Author: Miranda A. Schreurs
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2003-03-13
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1139434926

A decade of climate change negotiations almost ended in failure because of the different policy approaches of the industrialized states. Japan, Germany, and the United States exemplify the deep divisions that exist among states in their approaches to environmental protection. Germany is following what could be called the green social welfare state approach to environmental protection, which is increasingly guided by what is known as the precautionary principle. In contrast, the US is increasingly leaning away from the use of environmental regulations, towards the use of market-based mechanisms to control pollution and cost-benefit analysis to determine when environmental protection should take precedence over economic activities. Internal political divisions mean that Japan sits uneasily between these two approaches. Miranda A. Schreurs uses a variety of case studies to explore why these different policy approaches emerged and what their implications are, examining the differing ideas, actors, and institutions in each state.

Science and Politics in the International Environment

Science and Politics in the International Environment
Author: Neil E. Harrison
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 410
Release: 2004
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780742520202

This book seeks to explain what 'science' and 'politics' are in the context of environmental policymaking & how the interplay of science & politics influences international environmental policy.

The Global Casino: An Introduction to Environmental Issues, Fourth Edition

The Global Casino: An Introduction to Environmental Issues, Fourth Edition
Author: Nick Middleton
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 512
Release: 2013-11-26
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1444145290

he Global Casino is a compelling introduction to environmental issues which links the physical environment to its political, social and economic contexts. Case studies from around the globe are used to illustrate key environmental issues, from global warming and deforestation to natural hazards and soil erosion. The book highlights the underlying causes behind environmental problems, including human actions and emphasises the potential for solutions. In line with contemporary international trends, emphasis is placed on the critical concept of sustainable development. This new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated, with the introduction of new illustrative material and up-to-the-minute case studies on topics such as endangered deep-sea species, the global uptake of unleaded petrol, geothermal energy in Iceland, genocide in Rwanda and the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. Particularly useful features for students include points for discussion at the end of each chapter as well as a comprehensive glossary. The lists of key readings and websites, again linked specifically to the content of each chapter, have been fully updated and expanded. The Global Casino is the essential course companion for students of the environment, geography, earth sciences and development studies.

Beyond Resource Wars

Beyond Resource Wars
Author: Shlomi Dinar
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 351
Release: 2011
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0262014971

An argument that resource scarcity and environmental degradation can provide an impetus for cooperation among countries.

Regional Risk and Security in Japan

Regional Risk and Security in Japan
Author: Glenn D. Hook
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2015-05-20
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1317584864

Japan’s unusual position in the realm of international politics encapsulates a three-fold juxtaposition: both in and out of Asia, both occupied by and a close ally of the United States, and both a key trade partner and a strategic rival of China. Whilst international relations theory offers a number of ways to analyse these relations, this book instead utilizes the concept of risk to provide an innovative perspective on Japan’s relations with China, North Korea and the US. The book elucidates how risk, potential harm and harm are faced disproportionately by certain groups in society. This is demonstrated by providing an empirically rich analysis of the domestic implications of security relations with China, North Korea and the United States through the presence of US troops in Okinawa. Beginning with a theoretical discussion of risk, it goes on to demonstrate how the concept of risk adds value to the study of international relations in three senses. First, the concept helps to break down the boundaries between the international and domestic. Second, the focus on risk and the everyday directs us to ask basic questions about the costs and benefits of a security policy meant to secure the national population. Third, what implications do these two points have for governance? The question is one of governance as Japan’s externally oriented security policy produces domestic insecurity shared disproportionately, not equally, as this volume makes clear. Developing the theory of risk as a tool for understanding international relations, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of Asian politics, Japanese politics, international relations and security studies, as well as to policy makers and practitioners working in the field.

Governing the Air

Governing the Air
Author: Rolf Lidskog
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 385
Release: 2011
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0262016508

Experts offer theoretical and empirical analyses that view the regulation of transboundary air pollution as a dynamic process. Governing the Air looks at the regulation of air pollution not as a static procedure of enactment and agreement but as a dynamic process that reflects the shifting interrelationships of science, policy, and citizens. Taking transboundary air pollution in Europe as its empirical focus, the book not only assesses the particular regulation strategies that have evolved to govern European air, but also offers theoretical insights into dynamics of social order, political negotiation, and scientific practices. These dynamics are of pivotal concern today, in light of emerging international governance problems related to climate change. The contributors, all prominent social scientists specializing in international environmental governance, review earlier findings, analyze the current situation, and discuss future directions for both empirical and theoretical work. The chapters discuss the institutional dimensions of international efforts to combat air pollution, examining the effectiveness of CLRTAP (Convention for Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution) and the political complexity of the European Union; offer a broad overview and detailed case studies of the roles of science, expertise, and learning; and examine the "missing link" in air pollution policies: citizen involvement. Changing political conditions, evolving scientific knowledge, and the need for citizen engagement offer significant challenges for air pollution policy making. By focusing on process rather than product, learning rather than knowledge, and strategies rather than interests, this book gives a nuanced view of how air pollution is made governable.