Democracy and Green Political Thought: Sustainability, Rights and Citizenship

The green movement has posed some tough questions for traditional justifications of democracy. Should the natural world have rights? Can we take account of the interests of future generations? Do we need to replace existing institutions to deal with the ecological crisis? But question have also been asked of the greens. Could their idealism undermine democracy? Can greens be effective democrats? In this book some of the leading writers on green political thought analyze these questions, examining the discourse of green movements concerning democracy, the status of democracy within green political thought and the political institutions that might be necessary to ensure democracy in a sustainable society. The debates are not simply about the compatability of democracy with green ideas but also about how best to define democracy itself. As the first book to focus on whether there is a distinctive green form of democracy, this book poses challenges to both committed greens and democratic theorists alike. Michael Kenny, Brian Doherty, Neil Carter, Andrew Dobson, Michael Saward, Robyn Eckersley, Mike Mills, John Barry, Wouter Achterberg, Marius de Geus, Peter Christoff