Major environmental degradation is a serious problem for China as the country's economy continues to grow at a phenomenal pace. In recent years environmental organisations have begun to emerge in China, and in some cases have had remarkable success in affecting policies which would have had significant adverse impacts on the environment. This book, based on extensive original research, adopts a multi-disciplinary research approach to examine environmental activism in China, focusing on four cities. It analyses the nature, characteristics, strategies, organizational modes and influence of what could be labeled a Chinese environmental movement in-the-making. In particular, this volume highlights the specificities of Chinese environmental activism in an increasingly globalizing world, along with a comparison to the environmental movement in Western Europe and North America.

Dr Lei Xie was appointed Lecturer in Politics at the University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus in September 2010. After receiving her doctoral degree from Environmental Policy Group at Wageningen University in 2007, she has worked as a Research Associate at Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter and Visiting Research Fellow at Department of International Politics, City University London. Dr. Xie's research focuses on transnational social movements, environmental politics and environmental communication.

Introduction. 1. Environmental Governance and NGOs: An Introduction to China 2. Analysing Chinese Environmental Movement Networks 3. Environmental Activism in Panjin, Liaoning Province 4. Environmental Activism in Beijing 5. Environmental Activism in Xiangfan, Hubei Province 6. Environmental Activism in Shanghai 7. Comparison and Conclusions