Environmental Reform in the Information Age
The Contours of Informational Governance

This book examines how the information revolution has affected environmental policy and governance.

Arthur P. J. Mol (Author)

9780521182652, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 17 February 2011

354 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.47 kg

As the information revolution continues to accelerate, the environment remains high on public and political agendas around the world. These two topics are rarely connected, but information - its collection, processing, accessibility and verification - is crucial in dealing with environmental challenges such as climate change, unsustainable consumption, biodiversity conservation and waste management. The information society (encompassing entities such as the internet, satellites, interactive television and surveillance cameras) changes the conditions and resources which are involved in environmental governance: old modes and concepts are increasingly being replaced by new, informational ones. Arthur P. J. Mol explores how the information revolution is changing the way we deal with environmental issues; to what extent and where these transformations have (and have not) taken place; and what the consequences are for democracy and power relations. This book will appeal to scholars and students of environmental studies and politics, political sociology, geography and communications studies.

1. Introduction: new frontiers of environmental governance
Part I. Theory: 2. From information society to information age
3. Social theories of environmental reform
4. Informational governance
Part II. Praxis: 5. Monitoring, surveillance and empowerment
6. Environmental state and information politics
7. Greening the networked economy
8. Environmental activism and advocacy
9. Media monopolies, digital democracy, cultural clashes
10. Information-poor environments: Asian tigers
Part III. Conclusion: 11. Balancing informational perspectives.

Subject Areas: Environmental economics [KCN], Comparative politics [JPB], Sociology [JHB]