Yasuní Green Gold


Book Description

The heart of the Amazon, the most biologically diverse forest on the planet which is also home to several indigenous tribes, sits on Ecuador's largest undeveloped oil reserves. The government of Ecuador has made an unprecedented proposal: Ecuador will not allow extraction of the oil fields if the world community can create a compensation trust to fund Ecuador's sustainable development into the future. Yasuni Green Gold documents and celebrates Ecuador's beauty and is a message to the world to close the region to the black gold of oil exploration.




The New Global Politics


Book Description

Over the past decade, there has been an unprecedented mobilization of street protests worldwide, from the demonstrations that helped bring progressive governments to power in Latin America, to the Arab Spring, to Occupy movements in the United States and Europe, to democracy protests in China. This edited volume investigates the current status, nature and dynamics of the new politics that characterizes social movements from around the world that are part of this revolutionary wave. Spanning case studies from Latin America, North and South Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and North America, this volume examines the varied manifestations of the current cycle of protest, which emerged from the Global South and spread to the North and highlights their interconnections – the globalized nature of these social movements. Analytically converging around Sidney Tarrow’s emphasis on protest cycles, political opportunity structures and identity, the individual chapters investigate processes such as global framing, internationalization, diffusion, scale shifts, externalizations and transnational coalition building to provide an analytic cartography of the current state of social movements as they are simultaneously globalizing while still being embedded in their respective localities. Looking at new ways of thinking and new forms of challenging power, this comprehensive volume will be of great interest to graduates and scholars in the fields of globalization, social movements and international politics.




Climate-Resilient Development


Book Description

The concept of resilience currently infuses policy debates and public discourse, and is promoted as a normative concept in climate policy making by governments, non-governmental organizations, and think-tanks. This book critically discusses climate-resilient development in the context of current deficiencies of multilateral climate management strategies and processes. It analyses innovative climate policy options at national, (inter-)regional, and local levels from a mainly Southern perspective, thus contributing to the topical debate on alternative climate governance and resilient development models. Case studies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America give a ground-level view of how ideas from resilience could be used to inform and guide more radical development and particularly how these ideas might help to rethink the notion of 'progress' in the light of environmental, social, economic, and cultural changes at multiple scales, from local to global. It integrates theory and practice with the aim of providing practical solutions to improve, complement, or, where necessary, reasonably bypass the UNFCCC process through a bottom-up approach which can effectively tap unused climate-resilient development potentials at the local, national, and regional levels. This innovative book gives students and researchers in environmental and development studies as well as policy makers and practitioners a valuable analysis of climate change mitigation and adaptation options in the absence of effective multilateral provisions.




Pachakutik


Book Description

This authoritative book provides a deeply informed overview of contemporary Indigenous movements in Ecuador. Leading scholar Marc Becker traces the growing influence of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) in the wake of a 1990 uprising, the launch of a new political movement called Pachakutik in 1995, and the election of Rafael Correa in 2006. Even though CONAIE, Pachakutik, and Correa shared similar concerns for social justice, they soon came into conflict with each other. Becker examines the competing strategies and philosophies that emerge when social movements and political parties embrace comparable visions but follow different paths to realize their objectives. In exploring the multiple and conflictive strategies that Indigenous movements have followed over the past twenty years, he definitively charts the trajectory of one of the Americas' most powerful and best organized social movements.




The Rough Guide to Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands (Travel Guide eBook)


Book Description

The new edition of The Rough Guide to Ecuador is a comprehensive guide to this culturally and ecologically diverse country, straddling both hemispheres. It includes in-depth information on Ecuador's varied wildlife and vibrant indigenous communities, plus coverage of some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in South America - from the Amazon rainforest to the heights of the Andes, via beautiful, sandy beaches. We cover all of Ecuador's highlights, from colonial cities to off-the-beaten track villages, snowcapped volcanoes to rolling cloudforests, plus details on the best festivals throughout the year. As well as coverage of mainland Ecuador - including in-depth chapters on the two main cities Quito and Guayaquil - we have a section dedicated to the Galápagos Islands, the world's best wildlife destination. With detailed, accurate maps, inspiring photography, insider reviews on the best hotels and restaurants and reliable transport and safety advice throughout, The Rough Guide to Ecuador will ensure you won't miss a thing during your trip.




The Rough Guide to Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands


Book Description

Now available in ePub format. The new, full-color Rough Guide to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands is the definitive travel guide to this captivating country. In-depth coverage of Ecuador's incomparable wildlife, vibrant indigenous cultures, and awe-inspiring scenery takes you to the most rewarding spots-from the Amazon rainforest to the heights of the Andes to glorious, laid-back beach resorts. Stunning color photography brings the land to life on the pages. Discover Ecuador's highlights, with expert advice on exploring the best colonial cities, participating in ancient festivals, scaling volcanoes and learning Spanish, straddling the Equator, and swimming with turtles, penguins, sea lions, and even sharks. The guide includes extensive coverage of the capital, Quito, and the Galápagos Islands, the world's premier wildlife destination. Easy-to-use maps, reliable advice on how to get around, and insider reviews of the best hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, and shops for all budgets ensure that you won't miss a thing. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands.




Legacies of the Left Turn in Latin America


Book Description

Legacies of the Left Turn in Latin America: The Promise of Inclusive Citizenship contains original essays by a diverse group of leading and emerging scholars from North America, Europe, and Latin America. The book speaks to wide-ranging debates on democracy, the left, and citizenship in Latin America. What were the effects of a decade and a half of left and center-left governments? The central purpose of this book is to evaluate both the positive and negative effects of the Left turn on state-society relations and inclusion. Promises of social inclusion and the expansion of citizenship rights were paramount to the center-left discourses upon the factions' arrival to power in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This book is a first step in understanding to what extent these initial promises were or were not fulfilled, and why. In analyzing these issues, the authors demonstrate that these years yield both signs of progress in some areas and the deepening of historical problems in others. The contributors to this book reveal variation among and within countries, and across policy and issue areas such as democratic institution reforms, human rights, minorities’ rights, environmental questions, and violence. This focus on issues rather than countries distinguishes the book from other recent volumes on the left in Latin America, and the book will speak to a broad and multi-dimensional audience, both inside and outside the academic world. Contributors: Manuel Balán, Françoise Montambeault, Philip Oxhorn, Maxwell A. Cameron, Kenneth M. Roberts, Nathalia Sandoval-Rojas, Daniel M. Brinks, Benjamin Goldfrank, Roberta Rice, Elizabeth Jelin, Celina Van Dembroucke, Nora Nagels, Merike Blofield, Jordi Díez, Eve Bratman, Gabriel Kessler, Olivier Dabène, Jared Abbott, Steve Levitsky




The Rough Guide to Ecuador & the Galapagos (Travel Guide eBook)


Book Description

World-renowned 'tell it like it is' guidebook Discover Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands with this comprehensive, entertaining, 'tell it like it is' Rough Guide, packed with comprehensive practical information and our experts' honest and independent recommendations. Whether you plan to take in the colonial architecture of Cuenca or stroll along Guayaquil's Malecón 2000, relax in the spa town of Baños or climb a volcano, The Rough Guide to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands will help you discover the best places to explore, sleep, eat, drink and shop along the way. Features of The Rough Guide to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands: - Detailed regional coverage: provides in-depth practical information for each step of all kinds of trip, from intrepid off-the-beaten-track adventures, to chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas. Regions covered include: Quito, the northern sierra, the central sierra, the southern sierra, the Oriente, the northern lowlands and coast, Guayaquil and the southern coast and the Galápagos Islands. - Honest independent reviews: written with Rough Guides' trademark blend of humour, honesty and expertise, and recommendations you can truly trust, our writers will help you get the most from your trip to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands. - Meticulous mapping: always full-colour, with clearly numbered, colour-coded keys. Find your way around Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and many more locations without needing to get online. - Fabulous full-colour photography: features a richness of inspirational colour photography, including the vibrant colours of Otavalo market, stunning wildlife and captivating Andean mountains. - Things not to miss: Rough Guides' rundown of Quito, Guayaquil, and the northern and southern sierras' best sights and top experiences. - Itineraries: carefully planned routes will help you organise your trip, and inspire and inform your on-the-road experiences. - Basics section: packed with essential pre-departure information including getting there, getting around, accommodation, food and drink, health, the media, festivals, sports and outdoor activities, culture and etiquette, shopping and more. - Background information: comprehensive Contexts chapter provides fascinating insights into Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, with coverage of history, religion, ethnic groups, environment, wildlife and books, plus a handy language section and glossary. - Covers: Quito, the northern sierra, the central sierra, the southern sierra, the Oriente, the northern lowlands and coast, Guayaquil and the southern coast and the Galápagos Islands About Rough Guides: Rough Guides have been inspiring travellers for over 35 years, with over 30 million copies sold globally. Synonymous with practical travel tips, quality writing and a trustworthy 'tell it like it is' ethos, the Rough Guides list includes more than 260 travel guides to 120+ destinations, gift-books and phrasebooks.




Green Governance


Book Description

The vast majority of the world's scientists agree: we have reached a point in history where we are in grave danger of destroying Earth's life-sustaining capacity. But our attempts to protect natural ecosystems are increasingly ineffective because our very conception of the problem is limited; we treat 'the environment' as its own separate realm, taking for granted prevailing but outmoded conceptions of economics, national sovereignty and international law. Green Governance is a direct response to the mounting calls for a paradigm shift in the way humans relate to the natural environment. It opens the door to a new set of solutions by proposing a compelling new synthesis of environmental protection based on broader notions of economics and human rights and on commons-based governance. Going beyond speculative abstractions, the book proposes a new architecture of environmental law and public policy that is as practical as it is theoretically sound.




BBC Wildlife


Book Description