"Schnaiberg and his coauthors reach across the generations with profound insight, demonstrated prescience, and a new vision of social justice.”
John Walton, Distinguished Research Professor, University of California
The Treadmill of Production
Injustice & Sustainability in the Global Economy
David Pellow
,
July 30, 2008

Schnaiberg's concept of the treadmill of production is arguably the most visible and enduring theory to emerge in three decades of environmental sociology. Elaborated and tested, it has been found to be an accurate predictor of political-economic changes in the global economy. In the global South, it has figures prominently in the work of structural environmental analysts and has been used by many political-economic movements. Building new extensions and applications of the treadmill theory, this new book shows how and why northern analysts and governments have failed to protect our environment and secure our future. Using an empirically based political-economic perspective, the authors outline the causes of environmental degradation, the limits of environmental protection policies, and the failures of institutional decision-makers to protect human well-being.