This book discusses climate change from an academic point of view centered on and from Latin America. Although climate change is a global issue, there has been a notable lack of input from the Latin American perspective, which means that many Latin American intellectuals often bring ideas, tools and potential solutions proposed by external, international research centers or organizations to the region. This book embraces a Latin American viewpoint to critically engage the problem and many of the concepts used in the analysis of climate change. The text emphasizes heterogeneity as an essential factor that cannot be absent in the analysis of how to understand and face the challenges posed by climate change. This heterogeneity refers not only to the magnitude of the impact that different regions will experience (including in their productive activities, ecosystems and social groups), but also to their contexts and capacities. Different countries' and regions' historical accumulated emissions—the primary cause of the current atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases—can inform current responsibilities, and their diverse productive structures will also contribute to different baselines in energy, agriculture and other sectors. Asymmetries in economic, technological and political capacities to face climate-related challenges will influence the social and economic costs of potential adaptation and mitigation measures. Using this conceptual approach, the book focuses on some of the main climate change-linked impacts expected in the region, such as effects on semi-arid ecosystems, and feasible, sector-specific adaptation measures. Furthermore, it contextualizes mitigation measures that appear on the international agenda (including the utilization of economic instruments to flexibilize the fulfillment of climate commitments) in the Latin American region. Socioeconomic and Geopolitical Aspects of Global Climate Change: An Intersectorial Vision from the South of the South offers socioeconomic and geopolitical analysis from the perspective of a region that is going to suffer impacts disproportionately greater than its historical and current responsibility in triggering this global environmental threat.

The international framework for a climate change agreement is up for review as the initial Kyoto period to 2012 comes to an end. Though there has been much enthusiasm from political and environmental groups, the underlying economics and politics remain highly controversial. This book takes a cool headed look at the critical roadblocks to agreement, examining the economics of climate change, the incentives of the main players (the US, EU, China) and examines the policies governments can put in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and ultimately shift our economies onto a low-carbon path. The volume brings together leading climate change policy experts to set out the economic analysis and the nature of the negotiations at Copenhagen and beyond. In addition to reviewing the main issues discussed above, a number of the articles question the basis of much of the climate change consensus, and debate the Stern Report's main findings. The book is in four parts. Following an overview of the main issues, the first part is a reassessment of the economics of climate change. This is fundamental to the rest of the volume, and it contains new material which goes well beyond what might be called the new conventional wisdom. The second part looks at the geography of the costs and benefits of climate change - the very different perspectives of Africa, China, the US and Europe. These chapters provide a building block to considering the prospects for a new global agreement - the very different interests that will have to be reconciled at Copenhagen and beyond. The third part looks at policy instruments at the global level (whereas much of the literature to date is nationally and regionally based). Trading and R&D feature in the chapters, but so too do more radical unilateral options, including geo-engineering. Part four turns to the institutional architecture - drawing on evidence from previous attempts in other areas, as well as proposals for new bodies.

This book provides an in-depth insight into the ecological perspective on a number of ongoing issues pertaining to security, the economy, the state, global environmental governance, development, and the environment. The chapters critically compare and analyze the role of global eco-politics in understanding and sorting out issues linked with climate change. Furthermore, it presents a contemporary and accessible description of why we need to embrace eco-politics in order to address the various ecological challenges that we face in the current changing climate scenario.

Following the publication in 2008 of the National Intelligence Assessment, National Security Implications of Global Climate Change to 2030, the National Intelligence Council (NIC) embarked on a research effort to explore in greater detail the national security implications of climate change in six countries/regions of the world: India, China, Russia, North Africa, Mexico and the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia and the Pacific Island states. In April 2009, CENTRA Technology, Inc., convened a group of regional experts to explore the socio-political challenges, civil and key interest group responses, government responses, and regional and geopolitical implications of climate change on Russia through 2030. The group of outside experts consisted of social scientists, economists, and political scientists. Although the targeted time frame of the analysis was to 2030, the perceptions of decisionmakers in 2030 will be colored by expectations about the relative severity of climate changes projected later in the century. The participants accordingly considered climate impacts beyond 2030 where appropriate. The panelists concluded that systemic state failures attributable solely to climate change to 2030 are not likely. However, climatic stress coupled with socioeconomic crises and ineffective state responses could generate localized social or governmental collapses and humanitarian crises. The effects of climate change in North Africa will exacerbate the region's existing challenges of insufficient water and food resources, low economic growth, inadequate urban infrastructure, and weak sociopolitical systems.

Climate Terror engages with a highly differentiated geographical politics of global warming. It explores how fear-inducing climate change discourses could result in new forms of dependencies, domination and militarised 'climate security'.

The implications of climate change for the environment and society depend on the rate and magnitude of climate change, but also on changes in technology, economics, lifestyles, and policy that will affect the capacity both for limiting and adapting to climate change. Describing Socioeconomic Futures for Climate Change Research and Assessment reviews the state of science for considering socioeconomic changes over long time frames and clarifies definitions and concepts to facilitate communication across research communities. The book also explores driving forces and key uncertainties that will affect impacts, adaptation, vulnerability and mitigation in the future. Furthermore, it considers research needs and the elements of a strategy for describing socioeconomic and environmental futures for climate change research and assessment. Describing Socioeconomic Futures for Climate Change Research and Assessment explores the current state of science in scenario development and application, asserting that while little attention has been given to preparing quantitative and narrative socioeconomic information, advances in computing capacity are making development of such probabilistic scenarios a reality. It also addresses a number of specific methodological challenges and opportunities and discusses opportunities for a next round of assessments.