In the Land of the Mermaid: How Culture, not Ecology, Influenced Marine Mammal Exploitation in the Southeastern Caribbean -- Conserving the Pines of Guadalupe and Cedros Islands, Mexico: An International Collaboration -- Biodiversity Conservation in Bolivia: History, Trends and Challenges -- Peasant, Environment and Maize “Modernization” -- Planting Trees, Building Democracy: Sustainable Community Forestry in Mexico -- Market-Based Policies for Pollution Control in Latin America -- A Deeper Solution for the International Commons -- Eco-Labeling in Latin America -- Public Prosecutors and Environmental Protection in Brazil -- Democracy By Proxy -- Economic Progress in the Countryside, Forests, and Public Policy -- Environmental Implications of Cuba’s Development Strategy during the Special Period.

This book is a non-technical interdisciplinary collection of 12 essays, each of which uses natural or social science methods. The essays analyze a representative set of environmental issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. They consider problems at international, regional, national, and local levels and examine current and historical environmental policy. The essays are organized according to theme and approach into five parts: -conservation challenges; -national policies, local communities, and rural development; -market mechanisms for protecting public goods; -public participation and environmental justice; -the effects of development policies on the environment. Contributors are researchers from Canada, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Audience This book serves as a reader for undergraduates or master’s students in interdisciplinary courses, a rich source of case studies for courses within one discipline, and an example of cutting-edge analyses for the educated reader interested in environmental issues in general or specific to the region.