We are the Owners : Autonomy and Natural Resources in Northeastern Nicaragua

Although focused predominately on Miskitu politics, this chapter identifies various constraints to multi-ethnic self-determination, while noting barriers exist even among aid programs targeting political empowerment and community development. Nevertheless, I also explore examples of progress toward decentralization at regional and local levels regardless of an overall national context of political containment and economic exploitation

Guyana

Guyana\u27s low-elevation coast hosts the majority of its population. It is predicted to become one of the world\u27s top 10 most impacted nations from sea level rise in terms of the percentage of the population and extent of urban area implicated. Ranging from a low estimate of 16 percent to a high estimate of 103 percent, Guyana is expected to have one of the greatest losses in gross domestic product in the Caribbean as a result of climate change. One of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, Guyana remains reliant on foreign assistance to mitigate potential consequences. Researchers have demonstrated an urgent need to update flood control. Irrigation technologies also need rehabilitation. The name Guyana is Amerindian for Land of Water;\u27 but the country may be losing its fresh groundwater. It has been suggested that this may contribute to coastal subsidence

Vermont

Known as the Green Mountain State, Vermont underwent widespread reforestation following farm abandonment in the mid-1800s. In addition to the existence of several land trusts, the Green Mountain Club has protected more than 55 mi. (88 km.) along a hikers\u27 Long Trail. There is a strong state environmental movement, with local groups and chapters of national organizations. Vermont hosts one of the nation\u27s leading environmental law and policy programs at the Vermont Law School. The state government has invested in energy efficiency and joined regional efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Climate change and global warming concern Vermonters because of the economic revenue the state gains from nature tourism, particularly during the autumn foliage and winter skiing seasons

Venezuela

Venezuela is a major oil-producing state and a founding member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Its leaders resist global efforts to accelerate cuts in carbon dioxide emissions, and the country\u27s low-cost oil supply to Latin America and the Caribbean countries may stall regional transition to alternative energy sources. Venezuela has been criticized for encouraging energy inefficiency with oil subsidies, but new state environmental programs promote conservation

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy installations are expanding around the globe. Although there is excellent potential for achieving sustainability with multiple types of renewable energy, no energy source is a panacea. There are place-specific costs and benefits from every energy type, and the scale of production influences impacts. Industrial-scale renewable energy sources usually merge into existing energy grids and may often be connected to broader economic and political initiatives. Such as regional integration, development of new growth poles to stimulate economic expansion in areas without infrastructure, job creation, or trade expansion. With the exception of desert solar projects or initiatives in remote areas, most large-scale renewable energy projects tie onto existing electrical grids and infrastructures rather than transforming prevailing systems. To achieve energy sustainability broader changes are likely necessary. Renewable energy projects of all sizes are increasingly paired with efforts to promote energy conservation, improve efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increase energy access for the marginalized, and provide other social and ecological co-benefits

Indigenous Land Tenure Insecurity Fosters Illegal Logging in Nicaragua

Titling of Indigenous common-property lands in easternNicaraguais a necessary base for forest management. Titling alone will not be sufficient to assure sustainable practices, and the success of demarcation programmes rests on processes of negotiation leading up to tenure decisions; nevertheless, a review of decades of history in Indigenous territories suggests that key problems in forest resource administration are inextricably linked to tenure insecurities, as explorations of current resource disputes in seven villages demonstrate. Analysis also suggests that ineffective implementation ofNicaragua’s multiethnic autonomy fosters illegality and resource mismanagement. Fundamental structural changes to improve inclusion, accountability and transparency are necessary. Remediation also requires inclusive multiscale negotiations of land claims and participatory mapping to resolve tenure disputes

Climate Justice Advocacy

Creating international policy to combat climate change is one of the biggest public diplomacy challenges of our time. With slow progress in “state-led” forums such as the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), advocacy coalitions of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are pressuring decision-makers and working to build global awareness. The power of NGOs is soft since state actors set emissions targets; nonetheless, climate justice organizations persistently broadcast several important messages, including: 1) industrialized nations along with private sector polluters have an obligation to remedy ecological debt; 2) low-income and marginalized populations are most vulnerable to climatic variations, even though they are generally not high greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters, and; 3) current policy needs to protect the well-being of future generations. This article explores how civil society has been spurred into action by weak state commitments as well as how web-based, bottom-up, and network approaches to influence policy-makers and implement climate change mitigation can broaden our understanding of public diplomacy

Hydropower

Hydropower dates back to the use of waterwheels to grind grain in Greece over two thousand years ago. Modern hydropower is a mature industry that has been used to generate electricity since the 1880s by capturing flowing water with a dam or other diversion structure and channeling it through a waterwheel or turbine. According to a 2012 report by the International Energy Agency, internationally dams are responsible for the largest amount of power generation from a renewable source; yet they have come under scrutiny as a result of environmental and social impacts perceived to be unsustainable (McCully 2001). Specific impacts, and their severity, vary from project to project and are related to social, political, economic, historical, regulatory, and environmental conditions, which also influence benefits such as job creation or watershed management

Resources for the Future

Resources for the Future (RFF) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with headquarters in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1952 under the Truman Administration, RFF initially had a domestic focus, but has since shifted to include international affairs. With a variety of outlets for data dissemination, RFF provides intellectual leadership in environmental economics. Research methods are ·based in the social sciences and quantitative economic analysis, including cost-benefit trade-offs, valuations, and risk assessments. RFF. scholars compile core knowledge on a range of environmental topics, with the goal of contributing to scholarship, teaching, debate, and decision making. One major division of research is energy, electricity, and climate change

Justice and Equity in Carbon Offset Governance: Debates and Dilemmas

Trade-offs complicate development interventions so that benefits for one group or area often imply costs for another; large-scale projects deemed highly efficient in economic terms may generate harmful environmental or social externalities. This chapter explores issues of justice in carbon trading in terms of decision-making power and the subsequent distribution of positive and negative impacts. It explores whether offset governance can help resolve widespread problems, such as racial or income inequality and environmental injustice