Publisher's Synopsis
Environmental concerns dominate political debates yet progress to their solution is frequently frustratingly slow, and too often environmentally-beneficial policies are diverted, obstructed or aborted for economic, social, political or cultural reasons. Improving the environment involves more than winning simple arguments: the committed environmentalist must understand the complex web of social interaction as well as the functioning of national systems.;In this essay, the author, an experienced writer on conservation and ecology, proposes a new framework for thinking about environmental issues and how to tackle them. Using original graphics, and a new typology, he identifies the nature, operation and interrelationship of barriers to environmental betterment, and illustrates this argument from real world examples including soil erosion, the ozone hole and pollution.;This is both an analysis of the current environmental crisis and an agenda for future action.