Suchergebnisse

Economic analysis is useful in pointing to policies to reduce the environmental degradation caused by transport, but other initiatives are sometimes required to combat and overcome some of the problems.

"Die Auseinandersetzung um die Umwelt wäre für alle Beteiligten ergiebiger, wenn die damit verbundene Terminologie sowie die von den Auseinandergehenden vertretene Politik eindeutig verstanden werden könnte. Die Definitionen der Grundkonzepte - Natur, Ökologie und Umwelt - müßten auf ihre wissenschaftliche oder bezeichnende Bedeutung, die einen spezifischen Werturteil der natürlichen Umwelt ausdrückt, beschränkt sein. Allzuviele Umweltdiskussionen sind durch das Fehlen einer scharfen Trennungslinien zwischen den wissenschaftlichen Aspekten von Umweltfragen einerseits und deren humanistischen oder wertbestimmenden Aspekten andererseits in Verwirrung geraten. Die Skala der Umweltschützer reicht von denen, die kosmetische Änderungen der Umwelt bewirken möchten, zu denen, die radikale Änderungen an der Natur der Gesellschaft oder dem Ablauf des technologischen Wandels erzwingen möchten. Schlüsselfragen in dieser breiten Palette sind wirtschaftlicher Natur, die das Ausmaß der damit verbundenen Gefahren betreffen und menschlich-soziologische Fragen, die sich mit dem Mensch-Natur-Verhältnis befassen. Es sind fünf alternative Politik-Konzepte erkennbar: Reform-Futurist, Radikal-Futurist, Nullwachstum-Humanist, spiritueller Antihumanist und ausgleich-suchender Pluralist. Derjenige, der Entscheidungen zu treffen oder Politik zu bestimmen hat, sollte sich innerhalb dieses Spektrums fest verankern. Auf diese Weise ist er in der Lage, wirksamere Koalitionen aufzubauen, und zwar indem er jede Identifizierung mit jenen Gruppen meidet, mit denen er sich grundsätzlich auseinandersetzt, und eine engere Zusammenarbeit mit Gleichgesinnten erreicht." (Autorenreferat)

The emergence of water markets has heralded the prospect of increased efficiency in the use of the resource for extractive purposes. However, water markets have not encompassed all elements of demand for the resource. Notably, demands for the environmental public goods provided by river flows have not been revealed in markets. State Governments have instituted regulations requiring 'environmental flows' to be quarantined from the market allocation process. This policy has triggered negative responses from irrigators and conservationists. Lobby groups have found that the process of determining environmental flows is a prospective site for rent seeking. To avoid policy being driven by rent seeking, information on the costs and benefits of environmental flows is useful. Whereas the costs of environmental flows are readily assessed through reference to market data on irrigators' surpluses foregone, the benefits must be estimated through the use of non-market, stated preference valuation techniques. These techniques - including contingent valuation and choice modelling - remain controversial. Some argue that they should not be used on ethical grounds. Others argue that they cannot be used on technical grounds. These arguments are discussed in this paper, using the context of the water policy debate. The evidence is that stated preference techniques are being used, and applications have been performed in Australia in the context of riverine health. However their use remains restricted relative to the scale of the Australian natural resource management task. Some possible explanations for this limited up-take are provided along with some suggested ways forward.

The emergence of water markets has heralded the prospect of increased efficiency in the use of the resource for extractive purposes. However, water markets have not encompassed all elements of demand for the resource. Notably, demands for the environmental public goods provided by river flows have not been revealed in markets. State Governments have instituted regulations requiring 'environmental flows' to be quarantined from the market allocation process. This policy has triggered negative responses from irrigators and conservationists. Lobby groups have found that the process of determining environmental flows is a prospective site for rent seeking. To avoid policy being driven by rent seeking, information on the costs and benefits of environmental flows is useful. Whereas the costs of environmental flows are readily assessed through reference to market data on irrigators' surpluses foregone, the benefits must be estimated through the use of non-market, stated preference valuation techniques. These techniques - including contingent valuation and choice modelling - remain controversial. Some argue that they should not be used on ethical grounds. Others argue that they cannot be used on technical grounds. These arguments are discussed in this paper, using the context of the water policy debate. The evidence is that stated preference techniques are being used, and applications have been performed in Australia in the context of riverine health. However their use remains restricted relative to the scale of the Australian natural resource management task. Some possible explanations for this limited up-take are provided along with some suggested ways forward.

It is noted that, before German unification in 1990, East Germany had some of the highest levels of harmful emissions in Europe; however, East Germany was also one of the first countries to officially respond to worldwide environmental pollution & destruction. Although extensive legislation was passed in the late 1960s & early 1970s to ensure the protection of the environment, by the mid-1970s East German policy, under Erich Honecker, shifted from a focus on protecting public resources such as air & water to increased spending on consumer goods & public welfare. Also, increasing reliance on lignite, the country's only abundant raw material for energy & export, had a devastating effect both on air quality & the landscape. The environmental movement was divided & largely ineffective until the Chernobyl disaster mobilized the various groups in 1986-1987, leading to the formation of the Umweltbibliothek "environmental library" in Berlin, which, in addition to uniting environmental groups, served as a base for political opposition. Some of the successes of these groups, both before & after unification, are discussed, as well as prospects for the survival of the former East German groups. J. Paul

Science-policy interface organizations and initiatives (SPIORG) are a key component of environmental governance designed to make links between science and society. However, the science­policy interface literature lacks a structured approach to explaining the impacts of context on and by these initiatives. To better understand these impacts on and interactions with governance, this paper uses the concept of the governance 'meshwork' to explore how dynamic processes – encompassing prior, current and anticipated interactions – co­produce knowledge and impact via processes, negotiation and networking activities at multiple governance levels. To illustrate the interactions between SPIORGs and governance meshwork we use five cases representing archetypal SPIORGs. These cases demonstrate how all initiatives and organizations link to their contexts in complex and unique ways, yet also identifies ten important aspects that connect the governance meshwork to SPIORGs. These aspects of the meshwork, together with the typology of organizations, provide a comprehensive framework that can help make sense how the SPIORGs are embedded in the surrounding governance contexts. We highlight that SPIORGs must purposively consider and engage with their contexts to increase their potential impact on knowledge co-­production and policy making.