Making states biodegradable: Ecological activism and world politics

We live in a world of global ecological problems. Ozone depletion, the greenhouse effect and massive extinction of species represent dangers which threaten all who live on earth. In this dissertation I study the way transnational ecological activist groups work to alleviate these problems. In particular, I examine how Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and World Wildlife Fund change human behavior throughout the world to protect the environment.;The main theme of the dissertation is that transnational ecological groups are changing human practices, not by manipulating the mechanism traditionally used by states--policies, military force, trade restrictions and laws--but by discovering and utilizing alternative forms of governance. They are finding reins of power that exist in the cultural, social and economic realms of global collective life and using these to alter human behavior. They are engaged in something I call "world civic politics.".;By describing and explaining this type of politics, I take issue with a fundamental premise of international relations theory. Most students of international relations believe that governments are the only mechanisms able to command widespread authority on the planet, and thus that only governmental action can solve global problems. By studying the work of transnational ecological groups, I show that this is an erroneous assumption and, that by subscribing to it, observers and practitioners of international relations compromise their understanding of political reality and limit their ability to respond to global problems.;Most studies of global eco-politics focus on nation-states. They investigate the way states set up commissions, formulate treaties and pass laws to alleviate worldwide ecological threats. In this dissertation I point out that there are significant obstacles inherent in the state-system which prevent these efforts from addressing successfully global ecological dangers. In fact, the dysfunctional character of the state-system motivates me to look beyond states for promising initiatives and actions. I focus on activist groups because they enjoy a unique purchase point on world politics. This enables them to work in the service of the environment in ways which, while not providing solutions to global ecological threats, greatly contribute to any set of solutions human beings may find.