Showing papers in "Environmental Politics in 2011"
TL;DR: Thinking in systems as discussed by the authors is a primer for thinking in systems, by Donella H. Meadows and edited by Diana Wright, London, Earthscan, 2009, xiii++ 218 pp., index, £60.00 (hardback), ISBN 9781844077250, £14.99 (paperback), 978 978...
Abstract: Thinking in systems – a primer, by Donella H. Meadows and edited by Diana Wright, London, Earthscan, 2009, xiii + 218 pp., index, £60.00 (hardback), ISBN 9781844077250, £14.99 (paperback), ISBN 978...
1,281 citations
TL;DR: Bakker as mentioned in this paper discusses the governance failure and the world's urban water crisis, by Karen Bakker, New York, Cornell University Press, 2010, xvi++303 pp., index, £42.95 (hardback), ISBN 9780801447235, £16...
Abstract: Privatizing water: governance failure and the world's urban water crisis, by Karen Bakker, New York, Cornell University Press, 2010, xvi + 303 pp., index, £42.95 (hardback), ISBN 9780801447235, £16...
294 citations
TL;DR: This article found that women are more likely than men to favour environmental protection over economic growth, to pay extra tax to protect the environment and to believe global warming will pose a serious threat during their lifetime.
Abstract: Willingness to pay to address environmental problems is influenced by partisanship in Australia. Ceteris paribus, the support base of environmental concerns is generally much stronger among Labor and Green supporters, postmaterialists, those who engage in eastern spiritual practices and professionals. Women are more likely than men to favour environmental protection over economic growth, to pay extra tax to protect the environment and to believe global warming will pose a serious threat during their lifetime. Support for renewable energy is stronger among younger Australians, suggesting demand may increase with generational replacement. Political leaders influence public concerns over global warming and other environmental issues across the partisan divide, yet while political elites remain divided over the implications of climatic change, the shift in public opinion and behaviour necessary to avert such problems is unlikely to occur.
162 citations
TL;DR: The symbolic, theatrical and performative dimensions of global summits are rarely theorised, but their implications are profound, not only for responses to the ecological cr... as mentioned in this paper, but also for response to climate change.
Abstract: Global summits – such as the 2002 Johannesburg Summit and the 2009 Copenhagen COP15 – can be seen as theatrical techniques of environmental governmentality. Summits such as these, which do not produce new international agreements or strengthen environmental regimes, are commonly regarded as failures. However, they can also be viewed as moments of political theatre, performative enactments of legitimacy and authority, and sites for the communication of particular examples of responsible conduct. This political theatre is not a distraction from the real business of governing the global environment, but rather it is a primary technique of government at a distance. Summits function as ‘exemplary centres’ for a global audience, although their mobilisation of particular stages, scripts, casts and audiences remains open to subversion and conflict. The symbolic, theatrical and performative dimensions of summitry are rarely theorised, but their implications are profound, not only for responses to the ecological cr...
124 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the country's environmental policymaking process as well as the character and effects of the environmental regime that emerged in Chile's political economic model, and the associated environmental law and policy has, however, received little attention.
Abstract: As one of the earliest and deepest cases of neoliberal reform, Chile's political economic model has been the subject of extensive debate. The associated environmental law and policy that emerged in this context has, however, received little attention. The country's environmental policymaking process as well as the character and effects of the environmental regime that emerged are examined. Environmental policymaking has been tightly constrained by institutional and political arrangements that embody neoliberal principles such that legislation only advances when internal demands connect up with global forces. As a result, and despite many regulatory initiatives, the environmental regime expresses a strongly market-enabling quality instead of the market-regulating character commonly ascribed to environmental law and policy.
89 citations
TL;DR: The politics of EU renewable energy policy and legislation is analyzed and an apparent paradox investigated in this article, where the authors argue that the Commission´s preference for Tradable Green Certificates can primarily be attributed to its conformity with the market-oriented macro-discourse dominant in EU institutions, and shared by a substantial discursive issue network.
Abstract: The politics of EU renewable energy policy and legislation is analysed and an apparent paradox investigated. The liberalising philosophy of the internal market inspired an electricity liberalisation law in the mid-1990s. Continued support for neoliberal instruments (especially in key departments of the European Commission) further bolstered Commission plans to introduce a quota and certificate scheme. Despite this support, such schemes were rejected by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers in the legislative process leading up to the renewable energy laws of 2001 and 2009. The article investigates this apparent paradox using an analytical research framework based on discursive institutionalism. Relying on textual analysis and extensive interviews, it argues that the Commission´s preference for Tradable Green Certificates can primarily be attributed to its conformity with the market-oriented macro-discourse dominant in EU institutions, and shared by a substantial discursive issue network. Th...
82 citations
TL;DR: In this article, four major framings of adaptation are identified: "planning", "economic risk", "vulnerability" and "existing measures", which are used to steer and guide public and environmental policy.
Abstract: Climate change adaptation strategies are emerging across Europe as societies attempt to adapt to the challenges of a changing environment. Social constructivist analyses of environmental policy – especially those emphasising ‘framing’ – can be very useful in teasing out the framings of policy problems such as adaptation. They can also shed light on the underlying assumptions that steer and guide public and environmental policy. Using the theoretical concept of framing to analyse adaptation policies across different scales of governance in four European countries – Sweden, Finland, the United Kingdom and Italy – and drawing on policy documents from those countries, as well as semi-structured interviews with practitioners, the development of adaptation policy processes and especially how adaptation has been defined within these processes are examined. Four major framings of adaptation are identified: ‘planning’, ‘economic risk’, ‘vulnerability’ and ‘existing measures’. These frames affect how adaptation is ...
77 citations
TL;DR: The relationship between expertise and politics has traditionally been described in terms of science speaking truth to power as discussed by the authors, and the concept of expertise and its politicisation in the context of contentious politics is elaborated.
Abstract: The relationship between expertise and politics has traditionally been described in terms of science speaking truth to power. Science strengthens governmental effectiveness and depersonalises power, linking legitimacy to the credibility of observation. The environment is a case in point: what we know about it is largely associated with science. Today, however, expertise is both increasingly sought and thrown onto the terrain of conflict. The politicisation of expertise breaks with the alleged alternative between democratic and technocratic policymaking. The concept of expertise and its politicisation in the context of contentious politics is elaborated. Three case studies show that expertise affects the discursive opportunity structure of controversies, that the ‘politics of facts’ intermingles in subtle ways with the politics of interests and values, and that there is no linear sequence between politicisation and depoliticisation.
76 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an examination of opposition to liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminals in the United States shows evidence of regional mobilization in the Gulf and West Coasts, but not in the Northeast.
Abstract: Only sometimes do environmental protests that begin as not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) objections to proposed facilities become translated into more universal not-in-anyone's-backyard (NIABY) mobilizations. An examination of opposition to liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminals in the United States shows evidence of regional mobilization in the Gulf and West Coasts, but not in the Northeast. Opposition to LNG facilities in the United States thus provides an opportunity to study often overlooked regional mobilization. A narrative of events in each region is provided, with special attention to the key mechanisms of frame bridging, relational diffusion, brokerage and certification. In the case of the Northeast, two contextual factors also appear to have impeded the development of more coordinated opposition to LNG.
70 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that direct democracy makes it difficult to implement far-reaching, but probably most effective climate change policies, while its direct and indirect impact on the policy-making process rather produces politics of small steps that are supported by a broad political elite.
Abstract: The search for and implementation of effective climate change policies is one of the crucial challenges of policy-makers. One strand of literature argues that domestic factors and in particular institutional prerequisites or veto points strongly influence the quality and pace of a country's policy innovation and adaptation. Focusing on a particular institutional veto point – direct democracy – how does direct democracy influence a country's adaptive capacity in the areas of climate change and, more precisely, what kind of climate change policies have the best chances to be accepted in citizen's direct decision-making? The analyses demonstrate that direct democracy makes it difficult to implement far-reaching, but probably most effective climate change policies, while its direct and indirect impact on the policy-making process rather produces politics of small steps that are supported by a broad political elite.
65 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the role of social movements in the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies, including wind power, and found that social movements' involvement in eco-technological development and implementation may be understated by environmental modernisation theory.
Abstract: Ecological modernisation (EM) theory has involved a debate about the relative importance of concentrating on incorporating technological change into mainstream industry and, on the other hand, developing ‘reflexive’ capacities for debate involving social movements (SMs). However, such discussions may obscure the need to study the involvement of SMs in the development and deployment of ‘ecological’ technologies themselves. This issue is investigated through an analysis of renewable energy, principally wind power. SM involvement in eco-technological development and implementation may be understated by EM theory.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the relationship between the level of resilience and sustainability plans and policies found in 40 American urban areas and found that resilience is more likely to be present in a communitarian political culture.
Abstract: The relationship between the level of resilience and the level of sustainability plans and policies found in 40 American urban areas is examined. The resilience index reflects motivation, capacity and information; sustainability plans and policies are measured by a content analysis of city documents. The results show that: the presence of sustainability plans and policies is related to resilience, but not to aggregate measures of diversity, formal education or proportion of persons living in poverty; resilience has a significant impact on sustainability plans and policies even when controlling for diversity, education, poverty, and inequality; resilience is more likely to be present in a communitarian political culture; and resilience retains its impact on sustainability plans and policies even when controlling for type of political culture.
TL;DR: In this paper, the potential for ecological citizenship theory to incorporate a stronger cultural dimension through greater recognition of informal neighbourhood networks, centred on sustainable consumption, is examined when ecological citizens engage in an informal neighbourhood-based network, a virtuous circle ensues This reduces barriers to sustainable living in the neighbourhood, as
Abstract: Ecological citizenship is a normative theory that has been used to explain how some individuals lead sustainable lives within the constraints of late capitalism Bringing citizenship into the discussion of sustainability is generally viewed as valuable, though some perceive the individualistic orientation of ecological citizenship to be a weakness The varying capacities of individuals and groups to bring about social change have only recently entered discussion of ecological citizenship, largely neglecting the role of collective, cultural shifts in environmental politics Drawing on ecological citizenship theory and qualitative data, the potential for ecological citizenship theory to incorporate a stronger cultural dimension through greater recognition of informal neighbourhood networks, centred on sustainable consumption, is examined When ecological citizens engage in an informal neighbourhood-based network, a virtuous circle ensues This reduces barriers to sustainable living in the neighbourhood, as
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors adapted the Treadmill of production (TOP) theory and ecological modernization theory (EMT) to a middle-range theorization of energy politics, specifying the conditions that each theory would best apply to struggles over the energy system.
Abstract: Treadmill of production (TOP) theory and ecological modernization theory (EMT) are adapted to a middle-range theorization of energy politics, specifying the conditions that each theory would best apply to struggles over the energy system. It is hypothesized that EMT will prevail when there are high levels of public awareness of an issue, a record of past regulation, a threat of future regulation, and disunity of the business class; and that TOP power relations are more likely to prevail are low public consciousness, absence of past regulation, low threat of future regulation, and high levels of business unity. The usefulness of this contextualized approach is explored using a historical qualitative case study of the struggle in the United States to implement national mandatory and voluntary definitions of energy efficiency for home appliances. The implications of the findings are discussed in light of efforts to transform energy systems.
TL;DR: In this paper, two cases of products rejected after widespread resistance, recombinant bovine growth hormone (1999) and herbicide-tolerant Roundup Ready (RR) Wheat (2004), are revisited.
Abstract: Despite the government of Canada's close relationship with the biotechnology industry, critical social movement organisations have had a significant impact on the adoption of genetically modified organisms in that country. Two cases of products rejected after widespread resistance – recombinant bovine growth hormone (1999) and herbicide-tolerant Roundup Ready (RR) Wheat (2004) – are revisited. Informed by empirical research that brings to light new factors shaping the RR wheat outcome in particular, two theoretical arguments are advanced. First, in response to those critics of a neo-Gramscian framing of hegemony who see it as overly deterministic, these cases highlight just how deeply alliances with hegemonic ambitions may be forced to compromise. Second, these cases demonstrate that any study of civil society must still pay close attention to institutional and material ‘relations of force’ when seeking to explain the impact of social movements on environmental governance.
TL;DR: In this article, the sociology of networks and flows is applied to the case of marine fish production and consumption in order to identify innovative governance arrangements that make global supply chains more sustainable.
Abstract: Consumers are increasingly concerned about the impacts of global food provision, but especially in the case of marine fish, their unease is complex, locally specific and still evolving. Responding to these apprehensions solely by promoting short local supply chains is restricted to niche markets and leaves other opportunities for increasing sustainability untouched. Additional, complementary strategies for the greening of food supply chains are examined. To analyse the interaction between local and global dynamics, the sociology of networks and flows is applied to the case of marine fish production and consumption in order to identify innovative governance arrangements that make global supply chains more sustainable. Certifying fisheries and the use of fish wallet cards by consumers are examples of new governance arrangements that connect sustainability concerns of consumers with production decisions made by distant actors. To improve the effectiveness of these arrangements, new roles are proposed for env...
TL;DR: In this paper, an analysis of policy development using a data-set covering 22 different environmental policy measures in 24 OECD countries from 1970 to 2005 is presented. But it is not clear whether globalisation leads to the convergence of policies or whether domestic responses to global challenges remain strongly influenced by existing domestic structures.
Abstract: A central issue of globalisation research is the question whether globalisation leads to the convergence of policies or whether domestic responses to global challenges remain strongly influenced by existing domestic structures. In the field of environmental policy, there is some analysis of the diffusion of policy innovations, but there is a lack of systematic knowledge as to whether this leads to policy convergence at a broad scale. To what extent does environmental policy convergence take place? The analysis of policy development uses a data-set covering 22 different environmental policy measures in 24 OECD countries from 1970 to 2005. It reveals increases in the similarity of individual policies across countries, in the homogeneity of their policy repertoires and, particularly, in the strictness of regulations, as well as processes of catching-up and overtaking among countries.
TL;DR: In this paper, three competing conceptions for allocating and distributing the burdens of climate change mitigation (cap-and-trade schemes, carbon emission taxes, and personal ecological space quotas) and their compatibility with principles of intra-and intergenerational justice are analysed and evaluated.
Abstract: Existing climate change mitigation policies are particularly concerned with the reconciliation of two seemingly conflicting aims: environmental protection and economic efficiency. The normative principles underlying these policies meanwhile focus on two central ideas: fair burden-sharing and agents' responsibility. However, both existing policy instruments and their supporting philosophical principles are highly problematic in terms of intergenerational justice and truly effective climate change mitigation. Three competing conceptions for allocating and distributing the burdens of climate change mitigation (cap-and-trade schemes, carbon emission taxes, and personal ecological space quotas) and their compatibility with principles of intra- and intergenerational justice are analysed and evaluated. None of the proposed instruments is able to satisfy the demands of effective mitigation and egalitarian justice on its own, which suggests that existing proposals for the distribution of emission rights and climat...
TL;DR: In this article, a partnership model of governance is suggested to guide climate change mitigation policies to ensure that the capacity of rural people and communities to adapt to significant change is enhanced rather than eroded.
Abstract: That climate change mitigation strategies may disproportionately affect rural people and communities is evidenced by the introduction of water mitigation policies in Australia. The significant consequences of water policy for irrigation farming families and communities in Australia's Murray–Darling Basin – the food bowl of Australia – are outlined. This policy emerges from a hierarchical model of governance and has resulted in uneven and perverse outcomes for people in rural areas. Lack of attention to metagovernance and a misplaced trust in the water market has left rural people and communities vulnerable to significant stress and disaffection, impacting on their resilience and adaptability to change. A partnership model of governance is suggested to guide climate change mitigation policies to ensure that the capacity of rural people and communities to adapt to significant change is enhanced rather than eroded.
TL;DR: In this paper, an examination of climate and energy politics in the province of British Columbia, Canada is presented, showing both the complexity and importance of the political terrain activated by climate change: how societies reshape energy systems in response to climate change will have profound implications not only for their ecological impact but also for their political and social character.
Abstract: After struggling for decades to get climate change mitigation onto the political agenda, environmentalists now not only find themselves enmeshed in internal conflict over how to proceed, but also find these conflicts themselves functioning to delay or forestall necessary action. Reframing climate change as an energy systems – rather than an emissions reduction – problem allows us to see why these conflicts have arisen and what is at stake in them. This argument is illustrated through an examination of climate and energy politics in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Taking an energy systems perspective reveals both the complexity and importance of the political terrain activated by climate change: how societies reshape energy systems in response to climate change will have profound implications not only for their ecological impact but also for their political and social character.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyse the Swedish bioenergy policy process, which represents a positive case of multi-sector environmental policy integration, and argue that open actor access, use of environmental knowledge, monitoring mechanisms, and both environment-sectoral and inter-sesectoral policy coordination are conducive for multi-sectors environmental integration, which is also affected by external events.
Abstract: What institutional conditions seem relevant for multi-sector environmental policy integration (EPI) and its outcomes? Analysing the Swedish bioenergy policy process, which represents a positive case of multi-sector environmental policy integration, it is argued that open actor access, use of environmental knowledge, monitoring mechanisms, and both environment-sectoral and inter-sectoral policy coordination are conducive for multi-sector environmental policy integration, which is also affected by external events. To achieve outcomes from multi-sector environmental policy integration, monitoring mechanisms as well as inter-sectoral policy coordination are important.
TL;DR: In November 2007, the Labor party won a convincing victory and, in a symbolic break with the past, the new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, immediately announced his government's intention to sign the K
Abstract: In November 2007, the Labor party won a convincing victory and, in a symbolic break with the past, the new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, immediately announced his government's intention to sign the K
TL;DR: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has enjoyed stronger political support in Norway than in other countries as discussed by the authors, and the early start of the CCS debate created political path dependence effects, including recruitment of much of the environmental sector (government agencies and some NGOs) as CCS promoters.
Abstract: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has enjoyed stronger political support in Norway than in other countries. Early CCS initiatives were motivated by the challenge of reconciling relatively ambitious climate policy targets with growing emissions from Norway's offshore oil and gas operations, whose expertise and project opportunities formed the basis for these initiatives. The early start of the CCS debate created political path dependence effects, including recruitment of much of the environmental sector (government agencies and some NGOs) as CCS promoters. Paradoxically, the historical absence from Norway of fossil-based power generation also favoured CCS. Initiatives to add gas-fired generating capacity to Norway's previously emissions-free power supply created an entrenched conflict in which CCS became a politically necessary compromise. The more recent growth in political support for CCS in other countries may be explained by the fact that governments increasingly experience similar, politically difficul...
TL;DR: In this article, four main components of social capital are identified: social trust, institutional trust, social networks and compliance with social norms, and a theoretical analysis explores the links between these components and environmental behaviour and policy.
Abstract: Four main components of social capital are identified: social trust, institutional trust, social networks and compliance with social norms. A theoretical analysis explores the links between these components and environmental behaviour and policy in order to lay the ground for an investigation of the influence of social capital on the implementation of environmental policy. The influence of social capital on citizens' behaviour connected with two solid waste management policies is investigated empirically by means of a survey. The findings indicate some differentiation regarding the influence of the components of social capital upon environmental behaviour in the context of different environmental policies.
TL;DR: In this article, the existing models of tropical deforestation are assessed, and the problems involved in approaching the issue through the lens of governance reforms are examined. But despite the renewed interest in identifying the causes of deforestation because it contributes about 17% of the annual emissions of greenhouse gases.
Abstract: There is renewed interest in identifying the causes of deforestation because it contributes about 17% of the annual emissions of greenhouse gases. Despite considerable efforts, universal causes of tropical deforestation remain elusive. The existing models of tropical deforestation are assessed, and the problems involved in approaching the issue through the lens of governance reforms are examined. Although corruption continues to thrive, global and local economic incentives remain powerful motivating forces for deforestation. Because of the variation in regional and country causes, it may not be possible to derive a more unified theory, and general models of deforestation will continue to lack predictive value. Policies that demand reform in developing countries with high rates of deforestation will be ineffective unless they address the power, incentives and culture of local political elites.
TL;DR: The European Union is currently working on a achieving a target of 20% renewable energy by 2020, and has a policy framework in place that relies primarily on individual Member States implementing their own policy instruments for renewable energy support, within a larger context of a tradable quota system as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The European Union is currently working on a achieving a target of 20% renewable energy by 2020, and has a policy framework in place that relies primarily on individual Member States implementing their own policy instruments for renewable energy support, within a larger context of a tradable quota system. For 2050 the target is likely to be more stringent, given the goal of reducing European carbon dioxide emissions by 80% by then. Preliminary analysis has suggested that achieving the 2020 target through renewable power deployment will be far less expensive and far more reliable if a regional approach is taken, in order to balance intermittent supply, and to take advantage of high renewable potentials off the European mainland. Analysis based on modeling is combined with the results of stakeholder interviews to highlight the key options and governance challenges associated with developing such a regional approach.
TL;DR: In the context of oil resources, with their special geopolitical significance, relevance for the environment, and enclave character, the primary producers face even more challenges, especially if they are relatively new players and are buffeted by geopolitical power games.
Abstract: Resource-rich countries are plagued by macroeconomic crises known as ‘Dutch Disease’, which is associated with the inflation of local currencies on account of a large influx of foreign exchange and a dip in labor supply for non-traded goods. In developing countries, the historical context of state formation is often such that the revenues generated by natural resource exports bolster the stability of authoritarian regimes, and the dominant state actors consolidate their power by managing boom–bust cycles to avert crises. In the context of oil resources, with their special geopolitical significance, relevance for the environment, and enclave character, the primary producers face even more challenges, especially if they are relatively new players and are buffeted by geopolitical power games. Using Mexico, Venezuela and Angola as paradigmatic cases, the relevance of outside forces, domestic policies, and the opportunistic forms of engagement with external power chosen by local actors that produced tragic out...
TL;DR: The development of environmental security as an academic project is an important contribution in theorising the politics of global environmental change and shifting security contexts, but there are significant problems with the ways in which environmental issues have been incorporated into security discussions as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The development of environmental security as an academic project is an important contribution in theorising the politics of global environmental change and shifting security contexts, but there are significant problems with the ways in which environmental issues have been incorporated into security discussions. Approaches to theorising environmental questions in international politics in terms of environmental conflict or environmental security tend to reproduce a dualistic understanding of human relations to ‘the environment’ in which humans are either threatened by or pose a threat to ‘nature’. An approach in terms of ecological security does account for changes in the biosphere resultant from human endeavours and understands social relations as ecologically embedded, but it underplays the extent to which multiple and complex inequalities shape the environmental impact of different populations. Drawing on concepts from complexity theory, alongside different elements of political ecologism, it is argued ...
TL;DR: Actor-network theory and the notion of fluid technology are employed to account for the continuing and growing success of Swedish nuclear waste management (the so-called KBS Programme) as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Actor–network theory and the notion of fluid technology are employed to account for the continuing and growing success of Swedish nuclear waste management (the so-called KBS Programme). Rather than...
TL;DR: In this article, the role of environmental subconstituencies in determining the voting behavior of members of the US Congress is assessed using ordinary least squares and symmetrically censored least squares.
Abstract: The role of environmental subconstituencies in determining the voting behaviour of members of the US Congress is assessed. Using ordinary least squares and symmetrically censored least squares (a method especially appropriate for bimodal data), the impact of environmentally-concerned constituents, as measured by original data on environmental group membership, on congressional voting is quantified. In general, members of the US Congress vote more pro-environmental when they have more environmental group members in their districts, which may be representation or factionalism at work. Surprisingly, even though members of environmental groups are a traditionally Democratic constituency in the United States, both Democrats and Republicans are responsive.