One step forward, One step forward, two steps back: On two steps back: On the politics of the politics of sustainability in the sustainability in the United StatesUnited States

Sandy RikoonSandy Rikoon

University of MissouriUniversity of MissouriRikoonSandy@missouri.edu

Three Dimensions of Three Dimensions of PowerPower

1) Protection of subjective interests during direct conflicts over selected issues in public decision-making

2) Confining the scope of decision-making to only those issues that do not seriously challenge one’s subjective interests

3) Avoiding potential conflict by shaping people’s perceptions, beliefs and subjective interests via ideology and propaganda

The Modernization Project (1950-1980)Dominant political economy

Primacy of the state and state-regulated markets (Keynesianism)

Public SpendingSocial goals

Social contract and redistributionNational citizenship

Chief MechanismsPublic investmentImport substitution industrialization EducationLand reform

Strategies of Strategies of manipulationmanipulation

Misrepresenting and manipulating the Misrepresenting and manipulating the results of scientific researchresults of scientific research

Intimidating or threatening individual Intimidating or threatening individual scientistsscientists

Invoking existing rules or creating new Invoking existing rules or creating new procedures in the procedures in the political systempolitical system

invoking an existing bias invoking an existing bias of bias in the mediaof bias in the media

Level of Affluence (GNP/PCI)

High pollution

Low pollution

Industrialization

Kuznets CurveKuznets curve - An inverted U curve that shows increases in pollution during early phases of development, peaks at middle stages, and then declines as affluence continues to increase.

Does development cure Does development cure pollution?pollution?

10 Deep Sustainability 10 Deep Sustainability PrinciplesPrinciples

1.1. Seeks the well-being and flourishing of the Seeks the well-being and flourishing of the biological and physical environment (including biological and physical environment (including all species), human livelihoods, and the access all species), human livelihoods, and the access to adequate physical resources necessary for to adequate physical resources necessary for all human beings to live healthy lives. all human beings to live healthy lives.

2.2. Recognizes the diversity of cultural and social Recognizes the diversity of cultural and social lives and the ability of all humans to choose lives and the ability of all humans to choose the cultural and social norms relevant to their the cultural and social norms relevant to their lives. lives.

3.3. Requires humans to recognize systems of Requires humans to recognize systems of rights and responsibilities for all peoples. rights and responsibilities for all peoples.

Regulatory Mechanism Concept

Market Component

Role of the State

Green Taxes

Individuals or firms participate in “greener” behavior by avoiding more costly “brown” alternatives

Incentivized behavior

Sets and collects taxes

Cap and trade

Total amount of pollutant or other “bad” is limited and tradable; rights to pollute are distributed to polluters

Rewarding efficiency

Sets limits and enforces contracts

Green consumption

Individual consumers choose goods or services based on their certified environmental impacts, typically paying more for more benign commodities

Willingness to pay

Oversees and authenticates claims of producers and sellers

Three market-based solutions

10 Deep Sustainability 10 Deep Sustainability PrinciplesPrinciples

4.4. Promotes the principle of equality and the Promotes the principle of equality and the centrality of social justicecentrality of social justice

5.5. Promotes mitigation over adaptation, recognizing Promotes mitigation over adaptation, recognizing as well that human behavior is dynamic over time as well that human behavior is dynamic over time and space. and space.

6.6. Recognizes solutions must continuously be Recognizes solutions must continuously be reviewed and adjusted; adaptive co-management reviewed and adjusted; adaptive co-management in a key.in a key.

7.7. Promotes a cradle to cradle approach based on the Promotes a cradle to cradle approach based on the premise that it is the value of natural and human premise that it is the value of natural and human capital that makes a sustainable process. capital that makes a sustainable process.

10 Deep Sustainability 10 Deep Sustainability PrinciplesPrinciples

8.8. Values the democratic process and Values the democratic process and supports democratic governancesupports democratic governance

9.9. Recognizes that complex, self-Recognizes that complex, self-organizing, and living systems organizing, and living systems depend on their very complexity and depend on their very complexity and internal variety for long term viability. internal variety for long term viability.

10.10.Believes in appreciating quality of life Believes in appreciating quality of life rather than adhering to an rather than adhering to an increasingly higher standard of living.increasingly higher standard of living.

The social constructions of environmental problems: a “political ecological” approach

The Modernization Project (1940-1980?)Mobilizing tool

Nationalism (postcolonialism)Institutional developments

World Bank, IMF

From Development to GlobalizationThe Globalization Project (1990-present)Dominant political economy

Self-regulating markets (monetarism)Public/state downsizing

Chief MechanismsExport-orientationPrivatizationEntrepreneurialismPublic austerity

The Globalization Project (1990-present)Mobilizing tool

Markets and creditSocial goals

Private initiatives and global consumerismMulti-layered citizenship and recognition

Institutional developmentsNAFTA, WTOSAP (Structural Adjustment Policies)

PresentinPresenting g claimsclaims

How an issue is “framed” is very How an issue is “framed” is very important. What/who caused this important. What/who caused this situation? Is it serious? What are the situation? Is it serious? What are the harms, to humans or other species? Is harms, to humans or other species? Is the problem framed by its symptoms or the problem framed by its symptoms or underlying causes? Who stands to underlying causes? Who stands to benefit or lose by attention benefit or lose by attention

In many cases, what’s as important as In many cases, what’s as important as the validity of the claim is it’s viability to the validity of the claim is it’s viability to an audiencean audience

Four roles of science Four roles of science (Ozawa)(Ozawa)

Discoverer – uncovers conditions Discoverer – uncovers conditions worthy of public attention; pre-conflictworthy of public attention; pre-conflict

Mechanism of authority – providing the Mechanism of authority – providing the basis of public policy decisionsbasis of public policy decisions

Shield – providing a buffer for Shield – providing a buffer for unpopular decisionsunpopular decisions

Tool of persuasion – justifying or Tool of persuasion – justifying or legitimizing a particular legitimizing a particular argument/decision argument/decision

Success factorsSuccess factors

Framed as novel and Framed as novel and important in the mediaimportant in the media

Symbolic and visual Symbolic and visual dramatization dramatization

Economic incentives and Economic incentives and health outcomes for actionhealth outcomes for action

Institutional sponsorInstitutional sponsor

Ecological footprints suggest we are in a situation of overshoot

  1961 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2008

Global Population (billion)

3.1 3.3 3.7 4.1 4.4 4.8 5.3 5.7 6.1 6.5 6.7

Total Ecological Footprint

2.4 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.7 2.7

Cropland Footprint 1.1 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.6

Grazing Land Footprint

0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

Forest Footprint 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

Fishing Ground Footprint

0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

Carbon Footprint 0.3 0.5 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.4

Built-up Land 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

Total Biocapacity 3.7 3.5 3.1 2.9 2.6 2.4 2.3 2.1 2.0 1.8 1.8

Ecological Footprint to

Biocapacity ratio0.63 0.73 0.88 0.97 1.06 1.07 1.18 1.24 1.29 1.45 1.51

Ecological footprints, worldwide, 1961-2008