Globalization, Violence and World Governance

Surveying current international legal instruments and world governance regimes relevant to environmental justice, Westra (environmental law, U. of Windsor, Canada) finds them insufficient for protecting collective and community rights, partly because of the way rights are typically conceptualized as individual; partly because of lack of implementation and enforcement in international law; and partly because of imbalances of power between states, corporations, international institutions, and communities. She explains these failings of international environmental law and governance and their harmful impacts, both in terms of economics and in terms of the violence endemic to practices of exploitation, and assesses proposed institutional and legal reforms for addressing them, including de-emphasizing legal positivism in world environmental governance. A case study of the violation of Palestinian water rights by Israel is included as an illustration of the failings of international environmental governance. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Laura Westra, Ph.D. (1982) in Philosophy, University of Toronto, and Ph.D. (2005) in Law, Osgoode Hall Law School, currently teaches environmental law at the University of Windsor. She has published twenty-two monographs and collections on environmental justice and human rights issues and international law, and over 80 articles and chapters.