Introduction : The politics and foreign policy of global warming in East Asia

Governments of the world have been grappling with the problem of global warming for over two decades. Warming of the Earth's atmosphere is being increased by human activities — particularly the burning of coal, oil, and other fossil fuels — resulting in the emissions of carbon dioxide and other harmful “greenhouse gases” (GHGs). Global warming in turn is causing climate change, which is manifested in rising sea levels, droughts and floods, damage to agriculture, and harm to natural ecosystems and species. (See Chapter 2 for a discussion of global warming and climate change science and predicted impacts.) As the potentially severe adverse consequences of climatic changes have become more apparent and better understood, the efforts of governments and, increasingly, nongovernmental actors to mitigate and adapt to these consequences have increased.