Environmental Governance: Reconnecting the Global and Local
| Published date | 01 March 2009 |
| Date | 01 March 2009 |
| Author | Robert Lee,Elen Stokes |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6478.2009.00453.x |
JOURNAL OF LAW AND SOCIETY
VOLUME 36, NUMBER 1, MARCH 2009
ISSN: 0263-323X, pp. 1±10
Environmental Governance:
Reconnecting the Global and Local
Robert Lee* and Elen Stokes**
GLOBALIZATION: THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTEXT
This volume, reflecting, as it does, on connections between global activity
and local effects, is produced in late 2008 and is set amidst turmoil in global
financial markets. As if further evidence were needed, recent months have
served as a reminder that, notwithstanding its promises, economic integra-
tion may come at a price, represented in the present climate by home
repossessions, loss of deposits or business failures. Although the global
integration of markets has allowed many economies to grow far more rapidly
that they would otherwise have done, leading indirectly to benefits such as
increased life expectancy, improved standards of living, and greater access to
foreign aid,
1
those benefits have not been costless nor are they evenly
distributed. In spite of hopes that globalization would promote growth and
stability, and eradicate poverty, there are many instances in which global-
ization can create disbenefits. As Joseph Stiglitz puts it, as well as generating
unprecedented prosperity, global market economies have also brought about
unprecedented poverty.
2
This, he argues, constitutes one of globalization's
many `broken promises'.
3
Simultaneously, globalization has positive and negative facets, and as
such, it may be characterized as both a highly desirable process,
4
and an
1
ß2009 The Author. Journal Compilation ß2009 Cardiff University Law School. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd,
9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA
*
ESRC Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and
Society (BRASS), Cardiff University, 55 Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, Wales.
LeeRG@Cardiff.ac.uk
** Cardiff Law School, Cardiff University, Law Building, Museum Avenue,
Cardiff CF10 3AX, Wales
StokesER@cardiff.ac.uk
1J.Stiglitz, Globalization and its Discontents (2002) 4±5.
2 id., p. 6.
3 id., ch. 2.
4See, generally, M. Wolf, Why Globalization Works (2005); J. Bhagwati, In Defense of
Globalization (2007).
To continue reading
Request your trial