The Global Commons
Environmental and Technological Governance

2. Edition March 2000
XXIV, 248 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Short Description
The global commons (oceans, Antarctica, outer space, and the atmosphere) present key problems for global environment management. This book applies "regime analysis" (political and institutional arrangements devised to regulate the human use of common property, trade, and other international interactions) to the question of how these areas, which are beyond national control, can be effectively sustained through international cooperation.
This new and updated edition is essential for those wanting to understand the limits to collective action on global environmental problems. It develops and applies the tools of regime analysis to the question of how the various global commons are, or fail to be, governed effectively.
Since the publication of the first edition of The Global Commons there have been many developments particularly in the area of climate change and sustainable development e.g. Agenda 21. This new edition has been extensively re-written and expanded to take into account recent developments and includes new conclusions on the connections between global and local commons. Involving the first systematic comparative analysis of governance regimes, the book covers:
* The Third Law of the Sea Convention, the deep seabed, whaling and marine pollution regimes
* Antarctica and the Madrid Protocol on Environmental Protection
* Outer space regimes for weapons, the operation of satellites and the emerging problem of orbital debris
* The global atmosphere, the Montreal Protocol for the protection of the stratospheric ozone layer and the developing climate change regime and the Kyoto Protocol.
The first edition received widespread praise eg "a comprehensive and incisive review of much relevant scholarship and case study material" (Area) and "a must for every reading list" (Progress in Human Geography) and this latest volume will also be invaluable for researchers and students of politics, environmental management, international relations and political geography.
Preface to the Second Edition
International Agreements on the Global Commons
Abbreviations and Acronyms
1 The Governance of the Commons
The Nature of the Commons
The Global Commons
The 'Tragedy of the Commons'
Governance and Regimes
Notes
2 Regime Analysis
Issue Areas
Actors
Principles and Norms
Decision-making Procedures
Rules
Regime Change
Notes
3 The Oceans
The Law of the Sea
Whaling
Marine Pollution
The Deep Seabed
Summary
Notes
4 Antarctica
The Antarctic Treaty System - A Single Regime
Principles and Norms
Organization and Procedures
Rules
Monitoring and Enforcement
Scientific Activity
Summary
Notes
5 Outer Space
The Space Commons and Space Law
Military Uses
Environment and Space Debris
Information Flow
Orbit and Spectrum
Summary
Notes
6 The Atmosphere
Stratospheric Ozone
Climate Change
Summary
Notes
7 Regime Effectiveness
Effectiveness as International Law
Effectiveness as Transfer of Authority
Effectiveness as Behaviour Modification
Effectiveness as Problem Solving
Regime Assessment
Notes
8 Explaining Regime Incidence and Change
Structural Explanations
Utilitarian Explanations
Plural Interests and Values
Changing Cognitions - Epistemic Communities
A Synthesis?
Notes
9 Conclusion
Global and Local Commons
Multi-layer Governance
Notes
References
Index