Environmental DegradationWhy do we Care? (or do we?)

• Environmental problems are global • Biodegenerative activities of 7bn people• More contemporary crises are man made• Environmental insecurity -> economic uncertainty• Cute polar bears!

- They solicit different response - But both are endangered species- And tuna is more commercially useful

Tuna overfishing

• The was significant overfishing of tuna using purse nets• Environmentalist Activities went nowhere• …until environmentalist got a new ally• Dolphins were suffocated by beingContained in purse like submerged nets• NGOs did not go after tuna, rather focused on “protecting dolphins.”• Americans love their dolphins • American consumers boycotted tuna captured with purse nets• – the world followed

Transnational Advocacy Networks • “Mobilize information strategically to help create new issues

and categories […] and [to] gain leverage over much more powerful organizations and governments” (Karnst and Mingst 89).

TANs:• Promote norm convergence and harmonization• Pressure target actors to adopt policies• Monitor compliance/implementation

Global Climate Change (Warming)• Scientific Consensus = it is happening• Legitimate controversy: how much of it is human caused?• Pakistan: 1/5 Pakistan under water (310000 sq. miles); 2000

dead, total economic loss of $43 billion• Australia: 2/3 Queensland under water, highest ever recorded,

$30billion reduction in GDP• Brazil Flood – est. $2-11 billion

• Why should we care?

Politics of TANs• The Use of political framing:• Information politics• Symbolic politics• Leverage politics• Accountability politics