Book description
Increasing evidence of the irreparable damage humans have inflicted on
the planet has caused many to adopt a defeatist attitude toward the
future of the global environment. Local Environmental Movements: A
Comparative Study of the United States and Japan analyzes how local
groups in both Japan and the United States refuse to surrender the Earth
to a depleted and polluted fate. Drawing on numerous case studies,
scholars from around the world discuss efforts by grassroots
organizations and movements to protect the environment and to preserve
the landscapes they love and depend upon. The authors examine citizen
campaigns protesting nuclear radiation and chemical weapons disposal.
Other groups have organized to protect farmlands and urban landscapes to
groups that organize to preserve steams, wildlife habitats, tidal flats,
coral reefs, National Parks, and biodiversity. These small groups of
determined citizens are occasionally successful, demonstrating the power
of democracy against seemingly insurmountable odds. In other cases, the
groups failed to bring about the desired change. This book explores the
distinctive leaders, the relevant laws and regulations, local politics,
and the historical and cultural contexts that influenced the goals and
successes of the various groups. The contributors conclude that there is
no one single environmental movement but many, and the volume emphasizes
grassroots movements and advocacy groups that represent local
constituencies. By studying these groups and their respective
challenges, Local Environmental Movements highlights the common themes
as well as the distinctive features of environmental advocates in the
United States and Japan. Over decades, these groups' have nurtured
environmental awareness and promoted the concept of sustainable
development that respects the need for both environmental protection and
cultural preservation. Pradyumna P. Karan, professor of geography at
the University of Kentucky, is the author of Japan in the Twentyfirst
Century: Environment, Economy, and Society. Unryu Suganuma is associate
professor of geography at J. F. Oberlin University in Tokyo and the
author of Sovereign Rights and Territorial Space in Sino-Japanese
Relations.
