Environmental Change and Globalization: Doubles Exposures

Environmental Change and Globalization: Double Exposures explores the connections between two of the most transformative processes of the twenty-first century: global environmental change and globalization. In the book, Leichenko and O'Brien present a conceptual framework for analyzing the interactions between these two processes, and they illustrate, through case studies, how these interactions create situations of "double exposure." Drawing upon prominent recent and current environmental events -- Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, recurring droughts in India, and the melting of the Arctic ice sheet -- the case studies each demonstrate a different pathway of interaction between globalization and environmental change. Through exploration of these pathways of double exposure, the book also shows how broader human security concerns including growing inequalities, growing vulnerabilities, and unsustainable rates of development are integrally connected to both processes of global change. The double exposure framework not only sheds light on the challenges raised by these processes, but also reveals possibilities for using the interactions to generate positive opportunities for action. The book ultimately challenges the ways that environmental change and globalization are currently viewed and addressed, revealing new openings for creating integrated responses. By drawing attention to double exposure, the book shows how it can create new types of synergies that enhance human security.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1. Double Exposure ; Chapter 2. Global Change Discourses ; Chapter 3. Double Exposure: A Conceptual Framework ; Chapter 4. Pathways of Double Exposure ; Chapter 5. Uneven Outcomes and Growing Inequalities ; Chapter 6. Changing Contexts and Emerging Vulnerabilities ; Chapter 7. Dynamic Feedbacks and Accelerating Changes ; Chapter 8. Double Exposure and Human Security ; Notes ; References

About the Author :
Robin Leichenko is Associate Professor and Graduate Director in the Department of Geography at Rutgers. Leichenko received a Ph.D. in Geography (1997) and an M.A. in Economics (1995) from Penn State University. Leichenkos research explores the social and economic effects of global change processes in cities and regions throughout the world. Leichenko has published numerous scientific articles on globalization and global environmental change. Karen OBrien is a professor of human geography at the University of Oslo, and Chair of the Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS) project of the IHDP. Her research focuses on climate change vulnerability and adaptation, and implications for human security. She was a lead author on the IPCC Fourth Assessment Working Group II Report on Climate Change Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation.

Review :
This book provides a powerful, structured, and refreshingly approachable account of how globalisation and global environmental change are reshaping the world ... as such, it is a very valuable addition to the literature and deserves to be widely read by scholars and students