Political Ecology and Environmentalism in Britain

Book excerpt: This collection of essays highlights the different dimensions of the contemporary British environmentalist movement from a multidisciplinary viewpoint. Beginning with an historical overview of the movement, the reader is then presented with an analysis of the politics of climate change from a political science perspective. This is followed by a sociological examination of climate change protesters and environmental activism among young people. The volume also includes an analysis of the ideological relationship between political ecology and the British Left, as well as a case study of environmentalism in Wales against the backdrop of devolution. The book is based on two distinct, yet complementary, perspectives: environmentalism and political ecology. What is this distinction and what is its significance? Answers to these questions and others can be found in these essays which are a must-read for both students and researchers interested in environmental politics in Britain and British area studies.