Beyond Resource Wars ? Scarcity, Environmental Degradation, and International Cooperation : MIT Press : 9780262515580 : 026251558X : 12 Apr 2011 : An argument that resource scarcity and environmental degradation can provide an impetus for cooperation among countries.Common wisdom holds that the earth's dwindling natural resources and increasing environmental degradation will inevitably lead to inter-state conflict, and possibly even set off ?resource wars.? Many scholars and policymakers have considered the environmental roots of violent conflict and instability, but little attention has been paid to the idea that scarcity and degradation may actually play a role in fostering inter-state cooperation. Beyond Resource Wars fills this gap, offering a different perspective on the links between environmental problems and inter-state conflict. Although the contributors do not deny that resource scarcity and environmental degradation may become sources of contention, they argue that these co