Science and politics are closely connected in today's global environmental issues. Study of these reveals not only the urgent need for more effective cooperation among states and non-state actors, but also its limits, especially in light of the multiple uncertainties that surround scientific research and the complexities of governance. In this book, Robert Boardman explores the multiple relations between science and policy on global environmental and earth-systems issues. He also considers the governance challenges posed by scientific and related environmental developments To put these issues in perspective, Boardman traces important ideas in earth-system science, and governance and ethics, back to Enlightenment themes of the late 18th century. Key theories in international relations, including multilateralism and cosmopolitanism, are explored as ways to understand trends in global environmental governance. Boardman makes extensive use of current scientific research findings in geology, biology, and other fields, to develop a closely integrated comparative analysis of governance developments in relation to biological diversity, climate change, and geological hazards.