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About this episode

A presentation by Thomas Rudel, Professor in the Department of Human Ecology at Rutgers University.Part of the University of Chicago Program on the Global Environment's inaugural conference on the Social Life of Forests, held May 30-31, 2008.During the past twenty-five years protected areas have expanded considerably in extent throughout the world, but the agents and means of protection seem at first glance to be quite different from rich to poor nations. Local residents working in concert with local and state politicians provide the impetus for forest protection in the wealthy nations while international environmental NGOs working in concert with national politicians provide the impetus for forest protection in the poor nations. A comparative analysis of protected area expansion in two forested regions, the New Jersey Highlands in the northeastern United States and the Andean foothills of Ecuador, suggests that the above contrast is overdrawn. Although the political coalitions that accomplish protection differ in their composition between the two places, similar circumstances drive both processes and similar problems come with the expansion in protected areas.

• Category

  Learning

• Release Date

  May 31, 2008

• Runtime

  23:42