Summary

Coming to grips with today's environmental policy challenges is no small feat. What are the major environmental policy changes under the George W. Bush administration, and how do they compare with policies of previous administrations? What are the merits--and limits--of recent market approaches to environmental regulation and management? How can students best understand the concept of "acceptable risk" and other scientifically-based decision making tools with regard to the regulation of toxic substances? Rosenbaum's classic, comprehensive text--now in a totally revised sixth edition--offers definitive coverage of environmental politics and policy, lively case material, and a balanced assessment of current environmental issues.

This new sixth edition presents a sharper, more systematic picture of the actors, institutions, and processes involved in environmental policymaking, giving students a solid foundation for understanding our most pressing environmental concerns. In addition, Rosenbaum provides in-depth coverage of emerging environmental issues, such as sustainable development and transboundary policymaking, and pays special attention to the interrelation of science and politics and to the economic issues associated with environmental regulation.

New coverage includes:

• Crisp analysis of the Bush administration's most significant environmental decisions, with particular attention to the conflict between conservative and environmentalist approaches to ecological issues.


• Streamlined discussion of the policy process, key institutions and actors, and issues common to environmental policy problems.


• Greater emphasis on the strategic role of science in various aspects of environmental policymaking.


• Updated discussion of the political impacts of technical decisions, especially with respect to risk analysis.


• Extended coverage of the emerging politics of transboundary environmentalism, including ecosystem management, sustainable development, climate warming, and acid rain.


• Balanced discussion of petroleum consumption and its environmental impact and greater attention to the politics of energy conservation, including regulatory and technological approaches.


• New and revised tables and figures capturing key environmental data.