POLITICAL-GEOGRAPHY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

A new political geography has emerged that stresses the political conf lict behind the production of space. This orientation in the subdiscip line constitutes a turn away from traditional political geography, whe re the emphasis had previously been on the spatial distribution of pol itical phenomena. The ''new'' political geographic theory has been app lied to the study of environmental issues, turning the attention of sc holars to the political struggle behind the construction of nature as well as space. This article reviews how the new political geography of the environment (NPGE) perspective has impacted the study of such env ironmental phenomena as hazards, siting issues, human-land relationshi ps, resources, development, and international environmental governance . It concludes by suggesting how the NPGE perspective can inform pedag ogy in environmental education.