Challenging the conventional wisdom that French environmentalism can be dated only to the post-1945 period, Caroline Ford argues that a broadly shared environmental consciousness emerged in France much earlier. Natural Interests unearths the distinctive features of French environmentalism, in which a large and varied cast of social actors played a role. Besides scientific advances and colonial expansion, nostalgia for a vanishing pastoral countryside and anxiety over the pressing dangers of environmental degradation were important factors in the success of this movement. Over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, war, political upheaval, and natural disasters—especially the devastating floods of 1856 and 1910 in Paris—caused growing worry over the damage wrought by deforestation, urbanization, and industrialization. The natural world took on new value for France’s urban bourgeoisie, as both a site of aesthetic longing and a destination for tourism. Not only naturalists and scientists but politicians, engineers, writers, and painters took up environmental causes. Imperialism and international dialogue were also instrumental in shaping environmental consciousness, as the unfamiliar climates of France’s overseas possessions changed perceptions of the natural world and influenced conservationist policies. By the early twentieth century, France had adopted innovative environmental legislation, created national and urban parks and nature reserves, and called for international cooperation on environmental questions.

Ralph Gomory and William Baumol adapt classical trade models to the modern world economy. In this book Ralph Gomory and William Baumol adapt classical trade models to the modern world economy. Trade today is dominated by manufactured goods, rapidly moving technology, and huge firms that benefit from economies of scale. This is very different from the largely agricultural world in which the classical theories originated. Gomory and Baumol show that the new and significant conflicts resulting from international trade are inherent in modern economies.Today improvement in one country's productive capabilities is often attainable only at the expense of another country's general welfare. The authors describe why and when this is so and why, in a modern free-trade environment, a country might have a vital stake in the competitive strength of its industries.

Originally published in 1983, U.S. Interests and Global Natural Resources explores the links between foreign policy and the global distribution of natural resources paying particular attention to the U.S. This collection of essays delves into the importance of factors such as differing economic development and political hostility could have on the provision of resources into the U.S and advises that nations identify their countries needs and establish policies to safeguard them. This title will be of interest to students of Environmental Studies and Policy makers.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, China's energy diplomacy has been expanding rapidly and the country is searching for energy resources worldwide. This movement has not only improved China's energy security and international relations, but also enabled the Chinese national oil companies (NOCs) to access new investment markets and implement development strategies. The Chinese government and the NOCs need each other's support to realise their respective interests. The interaction between the government and the NOCs will have a critical influence on China's energy diplomacy. The Domestic Dynamics of China's Energy Diplomacy explores the long-neglected domestic dynamics of China's energy diplomacy, in particular the interaction of national and corporate interests. It argues that the convergence of national and corporate interests is the key momentum of China's energy diplomacy. It observes that the government-NOC relationship has been evolving with China's economic and enterprise reform. Finally, it tests the empirical evidence of the domestic dynamics of China's energy diplomacy against the three mainstream international political economy theories, showing their merits and shortcomings in explaining the phenomenon, before providing an alternative conceptualisation of the movement.

Note: this is an abridged version of the book with references removed. The complete edition is also available on this website. This book offers a comprehensive, detailed account of the bilateral economic assistance of six major donor nations-the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Japan, and China-to the nations of Latin America. Focus is placed on assistance that is structured to meet basic human needs, enhance social equity, promote economic growth, preserve natural environments, and support political reform. It thus offers a basic foundation for understanding the nature, impact, and motivations of such assistance to Latin America. This study also offers a series of recommendations for reforming economic assistance to Latin America, with emphasis placed on improving the design, implementation, and oversight of development projects, enhancing coordination among aid institutions, ensuring local control and ownership of the development process, and empowering poor communities. When the poor are active participants in improving their communities, they gain the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to meet their own needs on a long-term basis. Since economic assistance will continue to be a major component of the foreign policies of donor states, it will be important to ensure that such assistance genuinely contributes to positive, meaningful, and lasting change in the region. Bilateral Aid to Latin America is an important volume for university libraries and research institutes. It will augment collections that focus on Latin America, international development, and economic assistance. The book would also be relevant for scholars and practitioners of Latin American development, as well as undergraduate and graduate courses on Latin America and international political economy.