The Politics of the Environment: Ideas, Activism, Policy.

Neil Carter. 2002. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 0 521 470374 (hc) ISBN 0 521 46994 5 (pb), approx. $105 (Hardcover), $35 (Soft cover) 361 pp.

The Politics of the Environment achieves its stated aim of providing an introduction to environmental politics. The book is structured around a framework based on Carter's conception of this wide-ranging subject. The framework has three components: political theories and ideas relating to the environment; political parties and environmental movements; and environmental policy making and implementation. These components are used to organize the book into its main parts and are appropriately reflected in its sub-title. The framework is appealing, moving from theory to the practical issues of activism and government policy.

Carter tackles the ideas component of the framework by examining ecologism. Ecologism was selected because there are claims that it has become a distinct political ideology (Dobson, 2000). A number of important ideas are addressed including the value of nature, the nature-human relationship and the main features of green political thought.

The activism component of the framework examines green agency and how a sustainable society might be achieved. The main forms of collective action, including green parties, mainstream parties and environmental groups, are examined. Necessary topics addressed include new social movements, political opportunity structures, institutionalization of the environmental movement and the recent resurgence of grass roots environmentalism.

The policy component of the framework focuses on the practical challenges facing governments with respect to environmental issues. The traditional policy paradigm, an alternative sustainable development policy paradigm, and international and national level policy making are discussed. Extensive territory is covered integrating information from a number of disciplines.

Each chapter starts with several key issues. Definitions and descriptions of key concepts are placed in boxes to highlight them and additional critical questions are posed throughout. For example, Chapter Six on Environmental Groups, part of the activism section of the book, defines and describes resource mobilization, a typology of environmental groups, the environmental justice movement, the repertoire of environmental protest, and the types of impact of environmental groups. Five questions highlighting key issues launch the chapter supported by four critical questions throughout. Questions include: How do groups exert influence? What impact have environmental groups had? Is it accurate to refer to a single environmental movement? Has the institutionalization of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth turned them into 'protest businesses'? Is a vibrant grassroots sector a sign of an effective environmental movement?

The book's format communicates information well, is informative and nurtures curiosity. More information on local level environmental group initiatives (e.g. community-based monitoring) would enhance the participatory democracy ideas presented in Part One and round out the discussions on sustainability. This is a minor point. The book presents extensive, clear, thoughtful information in a creative manner that is likely to inspire students and researchers, in particular researchers from other disciplines, to explore environmental politics further. The book is an excellent resource and one that I will return to frequently.

References

Dobson, Andrew. 2000. Green Political Thought, 3rd Ed., London: Routledge.

Reviewed by Graham S. Whitelaw, School of Planning, Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1.