David L. Downie is director of environmental studies and associate professor of political science at Fairfield University. The author or editor of a variety of publications, his most recent works include Climate Change: A Reference Handbook; The Global Environment: Institutions, Law and Policy; and Northern Lights against POPs: Combating Toxic Threats in the Arctic. Prior to joining Fairfield University in 2008, Dr. Downie spent 14 years at Columbia University where he taught courses in environmental politics and helped lead several educational and research programs.
Janet Welsh Brown is a former senior policy analyst at the World Resources Institute, former executive director of the Environmental Defense Fund, and a former member and chair of the board of directors of Friends of the Earth. She has taught a variety of courses in international relations and environmental politics at the University of Washington, the University of the District of Columbia, Howard University, and Sarah Lawrence College.