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Summary
Summary
Vast areas of valuable resources unfettered by legal rights have, for centuries, been the central target of human exploitation and appropriation. The global commons -- Antarctica, the high seas and deep seabed minerals, the atmosphere, and space -- have remained exceptions only because access has been difficult or impossible, and the technology for successful extraction has been lacking. Now, technology has caught up with desire, and management regimes are needed to guide human use of these important resource domains.
In The Global Commons , Susan Buck considers the history of human interactions with each of the global commons areas and provides a concise yet thorough account of the evolution of management regimes for each area. She explains historical underpinnings of international law, examines the stakeholders involved, and discusses current policy and problems associated with it.
Buck applies key analytical concepts drawn from institutional analysis and regime theory to examine how legal and political concerns have affected the evolution of management regimes for the global commons. She presents in-depth case studies of each of the four regimes, outlining the historical evolution of the commons -- development of interest in exploiting the resource domain; conflicts among nations over the use of the commons; and efforts to design institutions to control access to the domains and to regulate their use -- and concluding with a description of the management regime that eventually emerged from the informal and formal negotiations.
The Global Commons provides a clear, useful introduction to the subject that will be of interest to general readers as well as to students in international relations and international environmental law, and in environmental law and policy generally.
Author Notes
Susan Buck is Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of Environmental Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Before earning her Ph.D. in public administration at Virginia Tech, she supervised the Wetlands Research Laboratory at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. In addition to Understanding Environmental Administration and Law, she has written The Global Commons (Island Press, 1998),co-authored a text in public administration, and contributed numerous articles and book chapters on environmental policy and law. She is currently working on a book on federal-state relations in wildlife management. Dr. Buck lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Reviews (2)
Choice Review
The four resource domains--Antarctica, the oceans (living and mineral resources), the atmosphere, and outer space--make up the "global commons" examined by Buck. The strength of her work is the detailed but concise exposition of the history of international law regarding these domains, which defy the conservation practices of other domains (such as lakes, forests, prairies, etc.) because they are open to access by any and every country. Buck describes well the difficulties of sustainable management in such multiuser environments, with enough honesty to merit the appellation "scholar" and not "partisan." This book is not a reference tool for the latest status of scientific knowledge of these unique environments; rather, it is a historical survey of attempts to manage them and an overview of the international legal rights and responsibilities now in force. Seen in this light, the book succeeds. A list of acronyms (which proliferate in international law), a chronological list of treaties, a brief glossary, and extensive references add to the value of this work as a resource. For general readers; upper-division undergraduates through professionals. J. Nabe SUNY at Stony Brook
Choice Review
The four resource domains--Antarctica, the oceans (living and mineral resources), the atmosphere, and outer space--make up the "global commons" examined by Buck. The strength of her work is the detailed but concise exposition of the history of international law regarding these domains, which defy the conservation practices of other domains (such as lakes, forests, prairies, etc.) because they are open to access by any and every country. Buck describes well the difficulties of sustainable management in such multiuser environments, with enough honesty to merit the appellation "scholar" and not "partisan." This book is not a reference tool for the latest status of scientific knowledge of these unique environments; rather, it is a historical survey of attempts to manage them and an overview of the international legal rights and responsibilities now in force. Seen in this light, the book succeeds. A list of acronyms (which proliferate in international law), a chronological list of treaties, a brief glossary, and extensive references add to the value of this work as a resource. For general readers; upper-division undergraduates through professionals. J. Nabe SUNY at Stony Brook