Environmental Change and Globalization: Double Exposures explores the connections between two of the most transformative processes of the twenty-first century: global environmental change and globalization. In the book, Leichenko and O'Brien present a conceptual framework for analyzing the interactions between these two processes, and they illustrate, through case studies, how these interactions create situations of "double exposure."
Drawing upon prominent recent and current environmental events -- Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, recurring droughts in India, and the melting of the Arctic ice sheet -- the case studies each demonstrate a different pathway of interaction between globalization and environmental change. Through exploration of these pathways of double exposure, the book also shows how broader human security concerns including growing inequalities, growing vulnerabilities, and unsustainable rates of development are integrally connected to both processes of global change. The double exposure framework not only sheds light on the challenges raised by these processes, but also reveals possibilities for using the interactions to generate positive opportunities for action.
The book ultimately challenges the ways that environmental change and globalization are currently viewed and addressed, revealing new openings for creating integrated responses. By drawing attention to double exposure, the book shows how it can create new types of synergies that enhance human security.