The relationship between social thought and earth processes is in its infancy. It is an oddly neglected part of the social sciences.

This exciting book offers to make good the defect by exploring how human induced changes impact upon planetary process. It provides a much needed in-depth inquiry into the volatile relationship between human life and the physical earth, considers the social and political implications of consistently thinking of the earth as a dynamic planet, asks what we can learn from natural catastrophes, and brings together an inter-disciplinary perspective using data from Sociology, Political Science, Philosophy and Earth / Life Sciences.

The result is a landmark work that will be of interest to readers across the Social Sciences and Humanities as well as Geography and Environmental Studies.