Thomas Dietz - Böcker

This book reviews and analyzes the period (roughly from the 1950s to the present) when the "environment" became an issue as important as economic growth, or war and peace; to assess the current situation, and begin planning for the challenges that lie ahead. Most people are aware of both the environmental destruction taking place around the world and of the specter of climate change. The devastation of New Orleans by hurricane Katrina illustrates the potential for disaster when climate change is combined with the mismanaged environmental policy. How did we get tot his point? What has been done and what can be done to avoid future environmental disasters? Thirty-two contributing chapter authors (among them, one of the principal drafters of the National Environmental Policy Act, Chief of the African Environment Division and the World Bank, Vice President of the Center for Conservation Innovation at the World Wildlife Fund, President of the Zoological Society of London, former President of the Ecological Society of America) use their unique, authoritative perspective to review the evolution of environmental science and policy in the past half century. Each author describes the evolution of environmental science and policy in the past half century and consider the challenges of the future. Although the authors of this book come from various fields, they have followed paths that have generally converged on the concept of sustainability. This book attempts to define what sustainability is, how we can achieve it, and what the prospects for sustainability in the future are.

Most literature on international arbitration is practice-oriented, technical, and promotional. It is by arbitrators and largely for arbitrators and their clients. Outside analyses by non-participants are still very rare.This book boldly steps away from this tradition of scholarship to reflect analytically on international arbitration as a form of global governance. It thus contributes to a rapidly growing literature that describes the profound economic, legal, and political transformation in which key governance functions are increasingly exercised by a new constellation that include actors other than national public authorities.The book brings together leading scholars from law and the social sciences to assess and critically reflect on the significance and implications of international arbitration as a new locus of global private authority. The views predictably diverge. Some see the evolution of these private courts positively as a significant element of an emerging transnational private legal system that gradually evolves according to the needs of market actors without much state interference. Others fear that private courts allow transnational actors to circumvent state regulation and create an illegitimate judicial system that is driven by powerful transnational companies at the expense of collective public interests. Still others accept that these contrasting views serve as useful starting points of an analysis but are too simplistic to adequately understand the complex governance structures that international arbitration courts have been developing over the last two decades. In sum, this book offers a wide-ranging and up-to-date analytical overview of arguments in a vigorous nascent interdisciplinary debate about arbitration courts and their exercise of private governance power in the transnational realm. This debate is generating fascinating new insights into such central topics as legitimacy, constitutional order and justice beyond classical nation state institutions.

Most literature on international arbitration is practice-oriented, technical, and promotional. It is by arbitrators and largely for arbitrators and their clients. Outside analyses by non-participants are still very rare. This book boldly steps away from this tradition of scholarship to reflect analytically on international arbitration as a form of global governance. It thus contributes to a rapidly growing literature that describes the profound economic, legal, and political transformation in which key governance functions are increasingly exercised by a new constellation that include actors other than national public authorities. The book brings together leading scholars from law and the social sciences to assess and critically reflect on the significance and implications of international arbitration as a new locus of global private authority. The views predictably diverge. Some see the evolution of these private courts positively as a significant element of an emerging transnational private legal system that gradually evolves according to the needs of market actors without much state interference. Others fear that private courts allow transnational actors to circumvent state regulation and create an illegitimate judicial system that is driven by powerful transnational companies at the expense of collective public interests. Still others accept that these contrasting views serve as useful starting points of an analysis but are too simplistic to adequately understand the complex governance structures that international arbitration courts have been developing over the last two decades. In sum, this book offers a wide-ranging and up-to-date analytical overview of arguments in a vigorous nascent interdisciplinary debate about arbitration courts and their exercise of private governance power in the transnational realm. This debate is generating fascinating new insights into such central topics as legitimacy, constitutional order and justice beyond classical nation state institutions.

There has been much polemic about affluence, consumption, and the global environment. For some observers, "consumption" is at the root of global environmental threats: wealthy individuals and societies use far too much of the earth's resource base and should scale back their appetites to preserve the environment for future generations and allow a decent life for the rest of the world. Other observers see affluence as the way to escape environmental threats: economic development increases public pressure for environmental protection and makes capital available for environmentally benign technologies. The arguments are fed by conflicting beliefs, values, hopes, and fears--but surprisingly little scientific analysis. This book demonstrates that the relationship of consumption to the environment needs careful analysis by environmental and social scientists and conveys some of the excitement of treating the issue scientifically. It poses the key empirical questions: Which kinds of consumption are environmentally significant? Which actors are responsible for that consumption? What forces cause or explain environmentally significant consumption? How can it be changed?The book presents studies that open up important issues for empirical study: Are there any signs of saturation in the demand for travel in wealthy countries? What is the relationship between environmental consumption and human well-being? To what extent do people in developing countries emulate American consumption styles? The book also suggests broad strategies that scientists and research sponsors can use to better inform future debates about the environment, development, and consumption.

The "tragedy of the commons" is a central concept in human ecology and the study of the environment. It has had tremendous value for stimulating research, but it only describes the reality of human-environment interactions in special situations. Research over the past thirty years has helped clarify how human motivations, rules governing access to resources, the structure of social organizations, and the resource systems themselves interact to determine whether or not the many dramas of the commons end happily. In this book, leaders in the field review the evidence from several disciplines and many lines of research and present a state-of-the-art assessment. They summarize lessons learned and identify the major challenges facing any system of governance for resource management. They also highlight the major challenges for the next decade: making knowledge development more systematic; understanding institutions dynamically; considering a broader range of resources (such as global and technological commons); and taking into account the effects of social and historical context.This book will be a valuable and accessible introduction to the field for students and a resource for advanced researchers.

Many people believe that environmental regulation has passed a point of diminishing returns: the quick fixes have been achieved and the main sources of pollution are shifting from large "point sources" to more diffuse sources that are more difficult and expensive to regulate. The political climate has also changed in the United States since the 1970s in ways that provide impetus to seek alternatives to regulation. This book examines the potential of some of these "new tools" that emphasize education, information, and voluntary measures. Contributors summarize what we know about the effectiveness of these tools, both individually and in combination with regulatory and economic policy instruments. They also extract practical lessons from this knowledge and consider what is needed to make these tools more effective. The book will be of interest to environmental policy practitioners and to researchers and students concerned with applying social and behavioral sciences knowledge to improve environmental quality.

Federal agencies have taken steps to include the public in a wide range of environmental decisions. Although some form of public participation is often required by law, agencies usually have broad discretion about the extent of that involvement. Approaches vary widely, from holding public information-gathering meetings to forming advisory groups to actively including citizens in making and implementing decisions. Proponents of public participation argue that those who must live with the outcome of an environmental decision should have some influence on it. Critics maintain that public participation slows decision making and can lower its quality by including people unfamiliar with the science involved. This book concludes that, when done correctly, public participation improves the quality of federal agencies' decisions about the environment. Well-managed public involvement also increases the legitimacy of decisions in the eyes of those affected by them, which makes it more likely that the decisions will be implemented effectively. This book recommends that agencies recognize public participation as valuable to their objectives, not just as a formality required by the law.It details principles and approaches agencies can use to successfully involve the public.

Decisions by individuals, organisations, and nations shape the well-being of humans and other species, the environment, and sustainability. Decisions for Sustainability examines how we can make better decisions concerning our future. It incorporates sociological, psychological, and economic perspectives to highlight our strengths and weaknesses in decision-making, and suggest strategies to influence both individual and societal decisions. Sustainability challenges - from local land use and toxic contamination to climate change and biodiversity loss - illustrate how we can improve decision making and what factors lead to conflict. How we use science in the face of uncertainty is also examined, and a range of ethical criteria for good decisions are proposed. Emphasizing the need for diversity in decision making and clarifying the relationship between reform and societal transformation, this book provides a comprehensive view of what we know about decision-making, and how we can do better in the face of sustainability challenges.

Decisions by individuals, organisations, and nations shape the well-being of humans and other species, the environment, and sustainability. Decisions for Sustainability examines how we can make better decisions concerning our future. It incorporates sociological, psychological, and economic perspectives to highlight our strengths and weaknesses in decision-making, and suggest strategies to influence both individual and societal decisions. Sustainability challenges - from local land use and toxic contamination to climate change and biodiversity loss - illustrate how we can improve decision making and what factors lead to conflict. How we use science in the face of uncertainty is also examined, and a range of ethical criteria for good decisions are proposed. Emphasizing the need for diversity in decision making and clarifying the relationship between reform and societal transformation, this book provides a comprehensive view of what we know about decision-making, and how we can do better in the face of sustainability challenges.

This book compiles, discusses, and explains 126 key concepts relating to animals in sustainability in an easy-to-navigate A–Z format.Essential Concepts of Animals in Sustainability is a roadmap of concepts that trace the connections of the planet with all its inhabitants – humans, non-human animals, other organisms, and ecosystems. This book provides an interdisciplinary introduction, drawing on the social, ecological and physical sciences, to examine the place of animals as members of communities in relation to humans, other organisms and the physical environment. Entries address the important role individual animals and species play in ecosystem management and environmental well-being, as well as addressing negative impacts on the environment, such as the methane produced by cattle. The book also focuses on the philosophical and ethical arguments that support protecting animals from human exploitation, including questions around emotion and sentience. Overall, this book provides students with a clear picture of the animal question in sustainability and will demonstrate that the ability to coexist is essential to the entire biophysical world.This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of animal studies, zoology, conservation biology, environmental studies, ecosystem services, environmental humanities and sustainability.

This book compiles, discusses, and explains 126 key concepts relating to animals in sustainability in an easy-to-navigate A–Z format.Essential Concepts of Animals in Sustainability is a roadmap of concepts that trace the connections of the planet with all its inhabitants – humans, non-human animals, other organisms, and ecosystems. This book provides an interdisciplinary introduction, drawing on the social, ecological and physical sciences, to examine the place of animals as members of communities in relation to humans, other organisms and the physical environment. Entries address the important role individual animals and species play in ecosystem management and environmental well-being, as well as addressing negative impacts on the environment, such as the methane produced by cattle. The book also focuses on the philosophical and ethical arguments that support protecting animals from human exploitation, including questions around emotion and sentience. Overall, this book provides students with a clear picture of the animal question in sustainability and will demonstrate that the ability to coexist is essential to the entire biophysical world.This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of animal studies, zoology, conservation biology, environmental studies, ecosystem services, environmental humanities and sustainability.

This edited volume provides critical reflections on the interplay between politics and law in an increasingly transnationalized global political economy. It focuses specifically on the emergence and operation of new forms of governance that are developing through a variety of transnational contractual practices, institutions, and laws in multiple sectors and areas of economic activity. Interdisciplinary in nature, the volume includes contributions from law, political science, sociology, and international politics, with the focus on the political foundations of transnational contract being both original and path-breaking. Placing power at the center of the analysis, the volume reveals the heterogeneous landscape of contemporary law-making and the different kinds of politics giving rise to this form of global ordering. As the contributors note, this new form of governance requires a different type of political theory and legal theory, with the volume advancing understanding of the analytical, theoretical and normative dimensions of private transnational governance by contract, making a valuable contribution to new theory in law and politics. It will be of great interest to students and academics in law, political science, international relations, international political economy and sociology, as well as international commercial arbitration lawyers, trade and investment lawyers, and legal firms.

This edited volume provides critical reflections on the interplay between politics and law in an increasingly transnationalized global political economy. It focuses specifically on the emergence and operation of new forms of governance that are developing through a variety of transnational contractual practices, institutions, and laws in multiple sectors and areas of economic activity. Interdisciplinary in nature, the volume includes contributions from law, political science, sociology, and international politics, with the focus on the political foundations of transnational contract being both original and path-breaking. Placing power at the center of the analysis, the volume reveals the heterogeneous landscape of contemporary law-making and the different kinds of politics giving rise to this form of global ordering. As the contributors note, this new form of governance requires a different type of political theory and legal theory, with the volume advancing understanding of the analytical, theoretical and normative dimensions of private transnational governance by contract, making a valuable contribution to new theory in law and politics. It will be of great interest to students and academics in law, political science, international relations, international political economy and sociology, as well as international commercial arbitration lawyers, trade and investment lawyers, and legal firms.

Introduction to Social Statistics is a basic statistics text with a focus on the use of models for thinking through statistical problems, an accessible and consistent structure with ongoing examples across chapters, and an emphasis on the tools most commonly used in contemporary research. Lively introductory textbook that uses three strategies to help students master statistics: use of models throughout; repetition with variation to underpin pedagogy; and emphasis on the tools most commonly used in contemporary research Demonstrates how more than one statistical method can be used to approach a research question Enhanced learning features include a ‘walk-through’ of statistical concepts, applications, features, advanced topics boxes, and a ‘What Have We Learned’ section at the end of each chapter Supported by a website containing instructor materials including chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides, answers to exercises, and an instructor guideVisit www.wiley.com/go/dietz for additional student and instructor resources.

Introduction to Social Statistics is a basic statistics text with a focus on the use of models for thinking through statistical problems, an accessible and consistent structure with ongoing examples across chapters, and an emphasis on the tools most commonly used in contemporary research. Lively introductory textbook that uses three strategies to help students master statistics: use of models throughout; repetition with variation to underpin pedagogy; and emphasis on the tools most commonly used in contemporary researchDemonstrates how more than one statistical method can be used to approach a research questionEnhanced learning features include a 'walk-through' of statistical concepts, applications, features, advanced topics boxes, and a ‘What Have We Learned’ section at the end of each chapterSupported by a website containing instructor materials including chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides, answers to exercises, and an instructor guideVisit www.wiley.com/go/dietz for additional student and instructor resources.

Well-functioning contract law is a crucial prerequisite for economic development. However, even though international trade has increased enormously in recent decades, we still know little about the contract enforcement mechanisms that exist in today's globalised markets. The aim of this work is to shed light on the governance of complex cross-border contracts by developing a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding the relevance of both formal and informal institutions. This framework is then applied to an empirical study of cross-border software development contracts. Combining a unique data set of 41 qualitative expert interviews with statistical data and surveys, the author demonstrates that state contract laws show fundamental signs of dysfunction across borders. Companies engaged in globalised exchange therefore rarely use this mechanism. Even the European Union's supranational enforcement order is, in practice, insignificant. Against all expectations, international commercial arbitration also turns out to be limited in its ability to provide a workable legal infrastructure for global commerce. With global trade lacking a reliable formal legal order, companies have reacted by creating their own informal governance structures. This book explains how complex exchange in global markets has emerged in the absence of a global legal order.

Well-functioning contract law is a crucial prerequisite for economic development. However, even though international trade has increased enormously in recent decades, we still know little about the contract enforcement mechanisms that exist in today's globalised markets. The aim of this work is to shed light on the governance of complex cross-border contracts by developing a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding the relevance of both formal and informal institutions. This framework is then applied to an empirical study of cross-border software development contracts. Combining a unique data set of 41 qualitative expert interviews with statistical data and surveys, the author demonstrates that state contract laws show fundamental signs of dysfunction across borders. Companies engaged in globalised exchange therefore rarely use this mechanism. Even the European Union's supranational enforcement order is, in practice, insignificant. Against all expectations, international commercial arbitration also turns out to be limited in its ability to provide a workable legal infrastructure for global commerce. With global trade lacking a reliable formal legal order, companies have reacted by creating their own informal governance structures. This book explains how complex exchange in global markets has emerged in the absence of a global legal order.

Thomas Dietz untersucht die Auswirkungen der ökonomischen Globalisierung auf die für eine positive wirtschaftliche Entwicklung so wichtige Funktion des Staates, Verträge in ökonomischen Austauschprozessen wirksam durchzusetzen. Dabei gelangt er zu dem Ergebnis, dass die Globalisierung zu einem Auseinanderfallen der wirtschaftlichen und rechtlichen Räume führt. Die staatlichen Gerichte und Zwangsvollstreckungsorgane hinterlassen im grenzüberschreitenden Wirtschaftsverkehr ein normatives Vakuum, das von privaten Governance-Mechanismen gefüllt wird. Die Funktion, Verträge wirksam durchzusetzen, wird auf den internationalen Märkten zunehmend von den Marktteilnehmern selbst übernommen. Dabei werden sie unterstützt von der rasanten Entwicklung im Bereich der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie. Das Internet hat zur Entstehung einer virtuell integrierten Weltökonomie geführt, in der sich komplexer Tausch auch ohne eine staatliche Weltprivatrechtsordnung entwickelt.

Dieses Buch bietet eine Einführung in die Grundlagen des industriellen Robotereinsatzes und vermittelt Praxiswissen im Hinblick auf Planung, Umsetzung und Betrieb von Robotersystemen. Roboter haben sich als zuverlässige Werkzeuge in der Automatisierung bewährt. Sie sind in vielen Industriebereichen für die wirtschaftliche Produktion unentbehrlich. Die erweiterten Einsatzmöglichkeiten verursachen allerdings auch einen erheblichen Integrationsbedarf auf dem Weg vom »nackten« Roboter zu einer maßgeschneiderten Roboterlösung. Zur Auswahl der passenden Roboterlösung und zur effektiven Kommunikation mit Lieferanten und Kunden sind technisches Basiswissen, die Grundbegriffe der Robotik und ein umfassender Marktüberblick unverzichtbar. Die Autoren vermitteln praxisnah die notwendigen Grundlagen, um informierte Entscheidungen bei der Umsetzung von Robotersystemen zu treffen.

Das Buch befasst sich mit den Ergebnissen der ersten Förderphase der Produktionsforschung am Forschungscampus ARENA2036. Schwerpunkte liegen hierbei im Aufbau und Betrieb einer wandlungsfähigen Forschungsproduktion. Hierzu gehört die Betrachtung neuer Konzepte und Technologien in den Bereichen der Montage, Produktionssteuerung, Produktions-IT und Logistik.Die im Projekt entwickelten Lösungsansätze werden im Kontext einer realen Forschungsproduktion diskutiert und anhand eines Anwendungsfalls der Türenvormontage evaluiert und validiert.