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Environmental problems are pressing issues in all parts of the world and are high on many political agenda. But why do those problems exist; why are they getting worse; why is the state so frequently called upon to tackle them; and why does it so often fail? Some people in the world enjoy very high material standards of living, and very many more aspire to join them and to ensure such high standards for their children. This will increase pressure on the environment. Is such development sustainable; can the Earth cope? These questions are at the heart of the second edition of this book. In addressing them, the author's focus is not on the science of the environment, but rather on the science of society. Unless we appreciate how society works, this book asserts, and in particular how nations operate and the constraints within which they conduct their business, we cannot realistically tackle the fundamental issues of sustainable development. Solving current environmental problems and preventing the emergence of others can only be achieved by collective action, but the limits to this set by contemporary capitalism are many and they are tight.