Download or read book Blue Geopolitics written by Vicenç Fisas Armengol and published by Pluto Press (UK). This book was released on 1995 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the formation of the United Nations in 1945 the world has changed dramatically. The intention of the original signatories was to protect future generations from the scourge of war, to reaffirm the faith in human rights and the dignity of the individual and to promote social progress. How has the UN matched up to these expectations? Is there a good argument that now, in the 1990s, the UN should undergo radical reform?
Download or read book Red and Blue Nation written by Pietro S. Nivola and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2008-04-01 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Brookings Institution Press and the Hoover Institution publication America's polarized politics are largely disconnected from mainstream public preferences. This disconnect poses fundamental dangers for the representativeness and accountability of government, as well as the already withering public trust in it. As the 2008 presidential race kicks into gear, the political climate certainly will not become less polarized. With important issues to address—including immigration policy, health care, and the funding of the Iraq war—it is critical that essential policies not be hostage to partisan political battles. Building upon the findings of the first volume of Red and Blue Nation? (Brookings, 2006), which explored the extent of political polarization and its potential causes, this new volume delves into the consequences of the gulf between "red states" and "blue states." The authors examine the impact of these political divisions on voter behavior, Congressional law-making, judicial selection, and foreign policy formation. They shed light on hotly debated institutional reform proposals—including changes to the electoral system and the congressional rules of engagement—and ultimately present research-supported policies and reforms for alleviating the underlying causes of political polarization. While most discussion of polarization takes place in separate spheres of journalism and academia, Red and Blue Nation? brings together a unique set of voices with a wide variety of perspectives to enrich our understanding of the issue. Written in a broad, accessible style, it is a resource for anyone interested in the future of electoral politics in America. Contributors include Marc Hetherington and John G. Geer (Vanderbilt University), Deborah Jordan Brooks (Dartmouth College), Martin P. Wattenberg (University of California, Irvine), Barbara Sinclair and Joel D. Aberbach (UCLA), Christopher H. Foreman (University of Maryland), Keith Krehbiel (Stanford University), Sarah A. Binder, Benjamin Wittes, Jonathan Rauch, and William A. Ga
Download or read book Illusions of Location Theory Consequences for Blue Economy in Africa written by Douglas Yates and published by Vernon Press. This book was released on 2021-01-05 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Illusions of Location Theory: Consequences for Blue Economy in Africa" questions the relevance of ‘location theory’ in explaining the coastal-hinterland continuum and the implications for the utilization of blue economy ecosystem in such a contested space in Africa. It pays more attention to territorial contestations, maritime disputes, vulnerabilities of landlocked states, and expansionist policies as displayed through spatial organizational regimes. These areas of investigation have previously been largely studied from the narrow perspective of ‘location’, unduly focusing on comparative advantages of ‘distance’, while neglecting the influence of ‘forces’ such as technology, ideology, and the power of mental mapping in spatial decision making. This volume puts forward the argument that the harmonious relationship between states, and efficient exploitation of the blue economy ecosystem in ways that promote peace between states, lies not only in the structural transformation of markets, but also in bridging the spatial and social divide between the coastal and hinterland societies. Thus, this work proffers possibilities for a holistic regime for managing Africa’s coastal-hinterland continuum through innovative strategies such as SMART blue economies and the infusion of the geopolitical dimension into the management of maritime and territorial diplomacy. The combination of theoretical and empirical analysis, buttressed by in-depth case studies of what works in the management of blue economy ecosystem and what does not work, make this volume ideal for researchers, students, and practitioners interested in African regional studies, African political economy, political geography, strategic military studies, governance of seas and oceans, and maritime science/diplomacy.
Download or read book Global Maritime Geopolitics written by Hasret ÇOMAK, and published by Transnational Press London. This book was released on 2022-01-16 with total page 443 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: States must develop new approaches, maritime policies, strategies and tactics to cruise through the contemporary maritime politics. Soft power, as well as economic, commercial, and logistics factors are of critical importance in establishing marine power. It is critical to promote maritime-related products such as films, serials, literature and art, maritime journalism, and maritime photography as part of governmental policies. Marine and maritime security challenges are becoming more important in today’s world. As a result of all these developments, the preparation of a multidimensional and comprehensive work on the oceans and seas at the global level has been brought to the agenda. Our book has been written to elucidate these concerns and contribute to this important scholarly and policy field. This book can also be useful for wider audiences as a comprehensive volume on maritime geopolitics covering many cases from around the world and discussions from Turkish perspectives. CONTENTS PREFACE PART 1. ANTARCTIC AND ARCTIC MARITIME SECURITY INTERACTION WITHIN LIBERALISM, REALISIM AND CRITICAL THEORIES – Burak Şakir Şeker and Hasret Çomak Global Geopolitical Shift: Balance of Power in The Arctic – Ferdi Güçyetmez BALTIC STATES AND ARCTIC NEGOTIATIONS – Öncel Sençerman UNDERSTANDING THE ANTARCTIC BIODIVERSITY AND TURKISH CONTRIBUTION TO ITS PROTECTION – Bayram Öztürk and Mehmet Gökhan Halıcı PART 2. INDIAN AND PACIFIC OCEAN GEOPOLITICS SECURITIZATION PROCESS OF INDO-PACIFIC AND ASIA-PACIFIC THROUGH IR THEORIES WITHIN MARITIME SECURITY INTERACTION – Burak Şakir Şeker THE GEOPOLITICS OF INDO PACIFIC REGION – İnci Sökmen Alaca ASEAN AND ITS ROLE IN THE GEOPOLITICS OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC – Ahmet Ateş and Süleyman Temiz REGIONAL CHALLENGES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: THE COMPLEX REALITIES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC GEOPOLITICS – Amba Pande THE WIDER NORTH AND THE NEW GEOPOLITICS OF THE NORTH PACIFIC: CRYOPOLITICS – Ebru Caymaz and Fahri Erenel PART 3. MARITIME POLICIES OF GLOBAL AND REGIONAL ACTORS THE AFRICAN UNION’S MARITIME SECURITY STRATEGY AND ITS IMPACT ON CONTINENTAL PEACE AND STABILITY – Asena Boztaş and Huriye Yıldırım Çınar CONTEMPORARY GEOPOLITICAL ASPECTS OF THE ATLANTIC: ACTORS, ISSUES, AND COOPERATION – Ahmet Ateş THE GEOPOLITICAL SCENARIOS OF THE “QUAD” COUNTRIES, THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA AND INDIA – Duygu Çağla Bayram RUSSIAN NAVAL DOCTRINE AND RUSSIAN NAVY MODERNIZATION – Ahmet Sapmaz THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE CASPIAN SEA FOR REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ACTORS – Volkan Tatar MEDITERRANEAN GEOPOLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL BALANCE – Hüseyin Çelik EXISTING AND PROSPECTIVE CENTRAL PARADIGMS OF EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN ENERGY GEOPOLITICS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: DO / WILL ALL THE RELATED PARTIES SEEK FOR COLLABORATIONS OR CONFRONTATIONS? – Sina Kısacık TURKEY’S INTEGRATION OF ITS MIDDLE EAST – EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (ME-EM/MEM) AND CYPRUS (MEM-C) STRATEGIES IN ITS FOREIGN POLICY – Soyalp Tamçelik THE INFLUENCE OF SEA POWER AND TURKEY’S STRUGGLE IN THE BLUE HOMELAND – Doğan Şafak Polat THE GEOPOLITICAL REALITY OF THE ISLAND SEA – Hüseyin Çelik PART 4. MARITIME COMMERCE, ECONOMICS AND MARINE ENVIRONMENT A SHORT HISTORY OF MARITIME TRADE – Haldun Aydıngün AUTOMATION AND CYBERSECURITY IN MARITIME COMMERCE – Alaettin Sevim GEOSTRATEGIC AND GEOPOLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING MARITIME ECONOMICS – Murat Koray MARITIME SPATIAL PLANNING FOR GLOBAL COMMONS – Dinçer Bayer BLUE ECONOMY AND BLUE GROWTH FORA: A PRELUDE – İ. Melih Baş
Download or read book Blue Black Sea written by Giray Saynur Bozkurt and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2014-07-24 with total page 540 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents the opinions of experts and researchers from the Black Sea states with respect to history, security, politics, strategy, energy, and economy in the region, and explains various dimensions of the present international relations and problem areas from both theoretical and conceptual perspectives. Offering the reader a comprehensive approach that covers a wide range of affairs, it is hoped that this book will fill an important gap in international relations studies. While the added word “Blue” in the title indicates our shared aspirations for a clean and peaceful future, overall this book is intended to provide valuable academic assessments and share them with the wider world community, thus disseminating findings about the regional and global policies being pursued in the Black Sea region today.
Download or read book A Blue New Deal written by Chris Armstrong and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2022-01-01 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An urgent account of the state of our oceans today--and what we must do to protect them "Provides a persuasive guide to recovery, and is an inspiring and invigorating read."--Phoebe Weston, The Guardian The ocean sustains life on our planet, from absorbing carbon to regulating temperatures, and, as we exhaust the resources to be found on land, it is becoming central to the global market. But today we are facing two urgent challenges at sea: massive environmental destruction, and spiraling inequality in the ocean economy. Chris Armstrong reveals how existing governing institutions are failing to respond to the most pressing problems of our time, arguing that we must do better. Armstrong examines these crises--from the fate of people whose lands will be submerged by sea level rise to the exploitation of people working in fishing to the rights of marine animals--and makes the case for a powerful World Ocean Authority capable of tackling them. A Blue New Deal presents a radical manifesto for putting equality, democracy, and sustainability at the heart of ocean politics.
Download or read book Concrete Revolution written by Christopher Sneddon and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2015-09-25 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Water may seem innocuous, but as a universal necessity, it inevitably intersects with politics when it comes to acquisition, control, and associated technologies. While we know a great deal about the socioecological costs and benefits of modern dams, we know far less about their political origins and ramifications. In Concrete Revolution, Christopher Sneddon offers a corrective: a compelling historical account of the US Bureau of Reclamation’s contributions to dam technology, Cold War politics, and the social and environmental adversity perpetuated by the US government in its pursuit of economic growth and geopolitical power. Founded in 1902, the Bureau became enmeshed in the US State Department’s push for geopolitical power following World War II, a response to the Soviet Union’s increasing global sway. By offering technical and water resource management advice to the world’s underdeveloped regions, the Bureau found that it could not only provide them with economic assistance and the United States with investment opportunities, but also forge alliances and shore up a country’s global standing in the face of burgeoning communist influence. Drawing on a number of international case studies—from the Bureau’s early forays into overseas development and the launch of its Foreign Activities Office in 1950 to the Blue Nile investigation in Ethiopia—Concrete Revolution offers insights into this historic damming boom, with vital implications for the present. If, Sneddon argues, we can understand dams as both technical and political objects rather than instruments of impartial science, we can better participate in current debates about large dams and river basin planning.
Download or read book Turkey s Naval Activism written by Serhat Süha Çubukçuoğlu and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-11-21 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the significance of Turkey’s Blue Homeland (Mavi Vatan) naval concept, which defines its maritime rights and interests in the surrounding seas – Aegean Sea, Black Sea, and the Mediterranean. The concept has a powerful socialized definition and a popular appeal across the political spectrum in Turkey with important implications for security in the wider Middle East. The book investigates the impact of geopolitics and domestic-political factors on the concept and uncovers motivations behind its trajectory since 2004 with a particular focus on the last several years, the period when Turkey’s naval assertiveness reached its peak following the failed coup attempt in 2016. Based on in-depth interviews with diplomats, naval officers, academics, and researchers in the field, the book takes the reader through a journey on how the Turkish government has reinforced an activist policy since 2016 due to pressures of regional insecurity, domestic coalition logrolling, and nationalist sentiment.
Download or read book The Blue Age written by Gregg Easterbrook and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2021-09-07 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The US Navy brought half a century of peace and free trade to the world’s waterways. But climate change and rising nationalism threaten to end this blue age. For decades, the Navy has stood sentinel over crucial waterways, ensuring safe passage of goods from nearly all nations. The result is the longest phase of peace on the waters since the Phoenicians, with rising living standards, more (total) jobs, and the dramatic decline of poverty in Asia. But these prosperous times could be at an end. Today China is building warships at an extraordinary pace. India, Japan, Vietnam, and Europe are responding with more fighting ships. What will result from China’s rising naval might, particularly in the South China Sea? As ocean resources are shaped by climate change and new discoveries, will the world share them or fight over them? What will happen if America turns against free trade? Without American investment, the world could see a rise of supply shortages and seagoing conflict that would dwarf the impact of the container ship stuck in the Suez Canal. Surveying naval history, economics, environmental threats, and great-power politics, The Blue Age makes an urgent argument about our oceans’ vital importance to the peace and prosperity of our global community.
Download or read book Perspectives on the Blue Economy written by Vijay Sakhuja and published by Vij Books India. This book was released on 2017 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is a collection of short essays articles on the multidimensional aspects of the blue economy. It presents perspectives on the concept and the essential ingredients of the blue economy such as marine resources, maritime infrastructure and marine environment. International cooperative approaches to promote blue economy, the role of maritime governance and capacity building are discussed in the context of implementing the blue economy. The book also promotes the importance of sustainable utilization of the oceans which lies at the core of the blue economy.
Download or read book Geopolitics written by John Rennie Short and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-08-25 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this cogent introduction to the state of contemporary geopolitics, Short provides an understanding of the basic themes of geopolitics and an overview of geopolitical issues around the globe. His regional approach to the study of the power relations between states is framed by a discussion of critical and popular geopolitical analysis.
Download or read book Global Maritime Geopolitics written by Hasret Çomak and published by Transnational Press London. This book was released on 2022-01-16 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: States must develop new approaches, maritime policies, strategies and tactics to cruise through the contemporary maritime politics. Soft power, as well as economic, commercial, and logistics factors are of critical importance in establishing marine power. It is critical to promote maritime-related products such as films, serials, literature and art, maritime journalism, and maritime photography as part of governmental policies. Marine and maritime security challenges are becoming more important in today's world. As a result of all these developments, the preparation of a multidimensional and comprehensive work on the oceans and seas at the global level has been brought to the agenda. Our book has been written to elucidate these concerns and contribute to this important scholarly and policy field. This book can also be useful for wider audiences as a comprehensive volume on maritime geopolitics covering many cases from around the world and discussions from Turkish perspectives. CONTENTS PREFACE PART 1. ANTARCTIC AND ARCTIC MARITIME SECURITY INTERACTION WITHIN LIBERALISM, REALISIM AND CRITICAL THEORIES - Burak Şakir Şeker and Hasret Çomak Global Geopolitical Shift: Balance of Power in The Arctic - Ferdi Güçyetmez BALTIC STATES AND ARCTIC NEGOTIATIONS - Öncel Sençerman UNDERSTANDING THE ANTARCTIC BIODIVERSITY AND TURKISH CONTRIBUTION TO ITS PROTECTION - Bayram Öztürk and Mehmet Gökhan Halıcı PART 2. INDIAN AND PACIFIC OCEAN GEOPOLITICS SECURITIZATION PROCESS OF INDO-PACIFIC AND ASIA-PACIFIC THROUGH IR THEORIES WITHIN MARITIME SECURITY INTERACTION - Burak Şakir Şeker THE GEOPOLITICS OF INDO PACIFIC REGION - İnci Sökmen Alaca ASEAN AND ITS ROLE IN THE GEOPOLITICS OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC - Ahmet Ateş and Süleyman Temiz REGIONAL CHALLENGES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: THE COMPLEX REALITIES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC GEOPOLITICS - Amba Pande THE WIDER NORTH AND THE NEW GEOPOLITICS OF THE NORTH PACIFIC: CRYOPOLITICS - Ebru Caymaz and Fahri Erenel PART 3. MARITIME POLICIES OF GLOBAL AND REGIONAL ACTORS THE AFRICAN UNION'S MARITIME SECURITY STRATEGY AND ITS IMPACT ON CONTINENTAL PEACE AND STABILITY - Asena Boztaş and Huriye Yıldırım Çınar CONTEMPORARY GEOPOLITICAL ASPECTS OF THE ATLANTIC: ACTORS, ISSUES, AND COOPERATION - Ahmet Ateş THE GEOPOLITICAL SCENARIOS OF THE "QUAD" COUNTRIES, THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA AND INDIA - Duygu Çağla Bayram RUSSIAN NAVAL DOCTRINE AND RUSSIAN NAVY MODERNIZATION - Ahmet Sapmaz THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE CASPIAN SEA FOR REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ACTORS - Volkan Tatar MEDITERRANEAN GEOPOLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL BALANCE - Hüseyin Çelik EXISTING AND PROSPECTIVE CENTRAL PARADIGMS OF EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN ENERGY GEOPOLITICS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: DO / WILL ALL THE RELATED PARTIES SEEK FOR COLLABORATIONS OR CONFRONTATIONS? - Sina Kısacık TURKEY'S INTEGRATION OF ITS MIDDLE EAST - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (ME-EM/MEM) AND CYPRUS (MEM-C) STRATEGIES IN ITS FOREIGN POLICY - Soyalp Tamçelik THE INFLUENCE OF SEA POWER AND TURKEY'S STRUGGLE IN THE BLUE HOMELAND - Doğan Şafak Polat THE GEOPOLITICAL REALITY OF THE ISLAND SEA - Hüseyin Çelik PART 4. MARITIME COMMERCE, ECONOMICS AND MARINE ENVIRONMENT A SHORT HISTORY OF MARITIME TRADE - Haldun Aydıngün AUTOMATION AND CYBERSECURITY IN MARITIME COMMERCE - Alaettin Sevim GEOSTRATEGIC AND GEOPOLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING MARITIME ECONOMICS - Murat Koray MARITIME SPATIAL PLANNING FOR GLOBAL COMMONS - Dinçer Bayer BLUE ECONOMY AND BLUE GROWTH FORA: A PRELUDE - İ. Melih Baş
Download or read book Sea Power written by Admiral James Stavridis, USN and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-06-05 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From one of the most admired admirals of his generation—and the only admiral to serve as Supreme Allied Commander at NATO—comes a remarkable voyage through all of the world’s most important bodies of water, providing the story of naval power as a driver of human history and a crucial element in our current geopolitical path. From the time of the Greeks and the Persians clashing in the Mediterranean, sea power has determined world power. To an extent that is often underappreciated, it still does. No one understands this better than Admiral Jim Stavridis. In Sea Power, Admiral Stavridis takes us with him on a tour of the world’s oceans from the admiral’s chair, showing us how the geography of the oceans has shaped the destiny of nations, and how naval power has in a real sense made the world we live in today, and will shape the world we live in tomorrow. Not least, Sea Power is marvelous naval history, giving us fresh insight into great naval engagements from the battles of Salamis and Lepanto through to Trafalgar, the Battle of the Atlantic, and submarine conflicts of the Cold War. It is also a keen-eyed reckoning with the likely sites of our next major naval conflicts, particularly the Arctic Ocean, Eastern Mediterranean, and the South China Sea. Finally, Sea Power steps back to take a holistic view of the plagues to our oceans that are best seen that way, from piracy to pollution. When most of us look at a globe, we focus on the shape of the of the seven continents. Admiral Stavridis sees the shapes of the seven seas. After reading Sea Power, you will too. Not since Alfred Thayer Mahan’s legendary The Influence of Sea Power upon History have we had such a powerful reckoning with this vital subject.
Download or read book Blue Economy and Ocean Sustainable Development in a Globalised World Social Political Economic and Environmental Issues written by Ibukun J. Adewumi and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2023-12-05 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the last decade, the concept of a Blue Economy has ignited a deep theoretical debate. Ranging from the integration of the triple bottom line of sustainability to the optimization of profit from ocean exploitation, the meaning of the term blue economy differs considerably between epistemic communities and even more so among national and regional policies. There is a general sense of the opportunity to realise enhanced social and economic benefits from the sustainable utilisation of their ocean and coastal resources under the umbrella framework of blue economy. Blue economy is gaining traction already as a significant component of national policies, even in spite of a clear conceptualization of the term. Many countries are now preparing national policies towards realising their blue economy ambitions, utilizing the concept as they see fit. Likewise, multilateral and regional organisations are developing guidelines, and providing investment in new research, technologies, and financing tools that promote blue economy. Critical challenges abound, in particular in less privileged countries. These include the gap in research capabilities, governments prioritizing social wellbeing and economic profit in contrast to environmental protection, the identification of new and emerging areas of ocean economic activity that are both socially and ecologically sustainable and holds viable business models that can attract private investment.
Download or read book Geopolitics written by Francis P. Sempa and published by Transaction Publishers. This book was released on 2002 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Writers, observers, and practitioners of international politics frequently invoke the term "geopolitics" to describe, explain, or analyze specific foreign policy issues and problems. Such generalized usage ignores the fact that geopolitics as a method of understanding international relations has a history that includes a common vocabulary, well-established if sometimes conflicting concepts, an extensive body of thought, and a recognized group of theorists and scholars. In Geopolitics, Francis P. Sempa presents a history of geopolitical thought and applies its classical analyses to Cold War and post-Cold War international relations. While mindful of the impact of such concepts as "globalization" and the "information revolution" on our understanding of contemporary events, Sempa emphasizes traditional geopolitical theories in explaining the outcome of the Cold War. Using the work of Halford Mackinder, James Burnham, Nicholas Spykman, Alfred Thayer Mahan, and others, he shows that, even though the struggle between the Western allies and the Soviet empire was unique in its ideological component and nuclear standoff, the Cold War fits into a recurring geopolitical pattern. It can be seen as a consequence of competition between land powers and sea powers, and between a potential Eurasian hegemonic power and a coalition of states opposed to that would-be hegemony. The collapse of the Soviet empire ended the most recent threat to global stability. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, no power or alliance of powers poses an immediate threat to the global balance of power. Indeed, the end of the Cold War generated hopes for a "new world order" and predictions that economics would replace geopolitics as the driving force in international politics. However, as Sempa points out, Russian instability, the nuclear dimension of the India-Pakistan conflict, and Chinese bids for dominance have turned the Asia-Pacific region into what Mahan called "debatable and debated ground." Russia, Turkey, Iran, India, Pakistan, China, Japan, the Koreas, and the United States all have interests that collide in one or more of the areas of this region. The timeliness and deep historical perspective of Sempa's analysis will remind statesmen, strategists, and interested citizens that the current world situation will not last forever. The defeat of one would-be hegemonic power is likely to be followed by a new challenger or challengers to current stability in the international system.
Download or read book Dark Skies written by Daniel Deudney and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-03-02 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Space is again in the headlines. E-billionaires Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are planning to colonize Mars. President Trump wants a "Space Force" to achieve "space dominance" with expensive high-tech weapons. The space and nuclear arms control regimes are threadbare and disintegrating. Would-be asteroid collision diverters, space solar energy collectors, asteroid miners, and space geo-engineers insistently promote their Earth-changing mega-projects. Given our many looming planetary catastrophes (from extreme climate change to runaway artificial superintelligence), looking beyond the earth for solutions might seem like a sound strategy for humanity. And indeed, bolstered by a global network of fervent space advocates-and seemingly rendered plausible, even inevitable, by oceans of science fiction and the wizardly of modern cinema-space beckons as a fully hopeful path for human survival and flourishing, a positive future in increasingly dark times. But despite even basic questions of feasibility, will these many space ventures really have desirable effects, as their advocates insist? In the first book to critically assess the major consequences of space activities from their origins in the 1940s to the present and beyond, Daniel Deudney argues in Dark Skies that the major result of the "Space Age" has been to increase the likelihood of global nuclear war, a fact conveniently obscured by the failure of recognize that nuclear-armed ballistic missiles are inherently space weapons. The most important practical finding of Space Age science, also rarely emphasized, is the discovery that we live on Oasis Earth, tiny and fragile, and teeming with astounding life, but surrounded by an utterly desolate and inhospitable wilderness stretching at least many trillions of miles in all directions. As he stresses, our focus must be on Earth and nowhere else. Looking to the future, Deudney provides compelling reasons why space colonization will produce new threats to human survival and not alleviate the existing ones. That is why, he argues, we should fully relinquish the quest. Mind-bending and profound, Dark Skies challenges virtually all received wisdom about the final frontier.
Download or read book Geopolitics written by Bert Chapman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2011-04-07 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This concise introduction to the growth and evolution of geopolitics as a discipline includes biographical information on its leading historical and contemporary practitioners and detailed analysis of its literature. An important book on a topic that has been neglected for too long, Geopolitics: A Guide to the Issues will provide readers with an enhanced understanding of how geography influences personal, national, and international economics, politics, and security. The work begins with the history of geopolitics from the late 19th century to the present, then discusses the intellectual renaissance the discipline is experiencing today due to the prevalence of international security threats involving territorial, airborne, space-based, and waterborne possession and acquisition. The book emphasizes current and emerging international geopolitical trends, examining how the U.S. and other countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, India, and Russia, are integrating geopolitics into national security planning. It profiles international geopolitical scholars and their work, and it analyzes emerging academic, military, and governmental literature, including "gray" literature and social networking technologies, such as blogs and Twitter.
