IPE – Green Critique IPE is about states and markets as is examined through the various perspectives; Liberalism -laissez faire, free markets; Economic nationalism – states, power and security; and the Structuralist perspective – capitalism pushing states and markets into class warfare. But it is easy to oversimplify IPE, an important intellectual movement aims to expand the field making it more inclusive of different ideas and therefore, keep it from being oversimplified.
This movement is formed through various critiques of IPE, some examples include feminism, green and post-modern analysis among many others. The mainstream perspectives capture the ideas that have been important historically to understand the issues that define IPE however, these further critiques highlight a broader field of issues relevant to IPE. The green critique is concerned about the balance of nature both on environmental issues and for IPE issues generally it reminds us of the importance of the natural and human environment in the world today.
Environmental issues are critical to the sustainability of resources and human life. This is perfectly depicted when considering the situation in china for example, there were two mining accidents in just under a week. A landslide in a gold mine in Tibet due to over mining and in the NorthEast of China a gas explosion at a coal mine claimed the lives of 28 men. These accidents occurred due to the lack of regulation and the corruption and bribery within the mining industry as well as, the exploitation of natural resources.
This highlights the lack of forethought for the future let alone the cost of human life, thus outlining the significance the green critique holds in IPE. Environmental issues have been an evident actor in IPE, for example, the UN framework convention on Climate Change (Kyoto Protocol) set binding regulations on industrialized countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases however, the US signed the agreement but has no intention to ratify the treaty given the country agreed to no binding targets, China made a voluntary pledge but it also is not binding.
This ties into the important focus of the green critique in the “think global, act local” movement, but as illustrated by the US and China the Kyoto protocol fails when it comes to the worst offending countries acting locally. The green critique has become a significant factor in IPE over recent decades, with major political focus on environmental issues such as the Ozone layer and the greenhouse effect. Al Gore, a former US Presidential candidate, has been an outspoken advocate for these issues as seen in the film documentary ‘An Inconvenient truth’ which campaigned to educate the global population.
