Liberation Ecologies

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the environment and the future of development continue to be issues of crucial importance. Most explanations of environmental crisis emphasize the role of population growth, thus focusing their attention on the poor. By comparison, Peet and Watts' innovative book elaborates a political-economic explanation drawing from the most recent advances in social theory. This new edition has been extensively revised to reflect recent changes in debates over the real definitions of 'development' and 'environment', and contains nine completely new chapters.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the environment and the future of development continue to be issues of crucial importance. Most explanations of environmental crisis emphasize the role of population growth, thus focusing their attention on the poor. By comparison, Liberation Ecologies elaborates a political-economic explanation drawing from the most recent advances in social theory. The new edition has been extensively revised to reflect recent changes in debates over the real definitions of 'development' and 'environment', and contains nine completely new chapters.

Michael Watts is Director of the Institute of International Studies, University of California at Berkeley.

Richard Peet is Professor of Geography, Clark University, Massachusetts.