This work argues that current approaches to pollution not only fail to deal with the challenge of existing and novel types of pollution, but also fail to take into account our changing understanding of its international scale and effects. The authors assert that the new politics of pollution is best understood within the framework of social learning theory and that policy developments need to be seen as attempts on the part of governments to learn how to cope with environmental problems. The problem is examined in an international context - some particular countries cited are the United States, Britain, Germany and the Netherlands.