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This book discusses the immediate and severe threat posed by global climate change and the various obstacles that stand in the way of action. Judith Blau presents scientific evidence relevant to The Paris Agreement (COP-21): an international treaty that promises to strengthen the global response to climate change. As she reckons with the dangers of catastrophic planetary heating, Blau discusses the clash between the deeply ingrained American tradition of individualism and the collective action and acknowledgement of intertwined fate needed to address climate change. She acknowledges that America's capitalist bent stands in contrast to the idea of the "commons"-a concept that we need to embrace if climate change is to be mitigated. The volume also explains the foundations of international human rights standards as they relate to climate change. Drawing from guiding principles of human rights and equality, the book concludes hopefully-suggesting that the people of the world canmeet the challenge posed by climate change by at once acknowledging shared humanity and celebrating difference.
List of contents
1. Why Solidarity?.- 2. The Warming of the Planet.- 3. The Long, Long Road to Paris.- 4. The Puzzle.- 5. The Paradox of American Exceptionalism.- 6. Human Rights.- 7. Environmental Rights.- 8. The Context of Paris: The MDGs and the SDGs.- 9. The Global and Local Movements to Slow Global Warming.- 10. Solidarity Matters.
About the author
Judith Blauis Professor Emerita, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. She also served as President of the Southern Sociological Society, and is Founder and Director of the Human Rights Center of Chapel Hill & Carrboro.
Report
"This short book offers a succinct, readable overview of GCC and the framework of international human and environmental rights. ... The Paris Agreement may be more appealing to an advanced undergraduate readership, perhaps as a supplementary text for environmental sociology, political sociology, and/or social movements courses." (Alexander M. Stoner, Social Forces, Vol. 97 (01), September, 2018)
