Search results

Introduction: Should African philosophers care about the sub-Saharan environment? -- Peripherality and non-philosophy in African philosophy : Womanist philosophy, environmental philosophy and other provocations / Bruce B. Janz -- Gaia hypothesis from an African perspective / Alexander O. E. Animalu and Jeff Unaegbu -- How to ground animal rights on African values : a constructive approach / Thaddeus Metz -- An African account of the moral obligation to preserve biodiversity / Kevin G. Behrens -- Transformation of urban space in South-West Nigeria, 2011 to present : ethical issues in development and aesthetics / Olatunji A. Oyeshile -- Animal rights vs. animal care ethics : interrogating the relationship to non-human animals in Yorùbá culture / Ebunoluwa Olufemi Oduwole and Ademola Kazeem Fayemi -- Women and the environment in Africa / Workineh Kelbessa -- Women's identities in African environmental ethics : a conversational approach / Ademola Kazeem Fayemi and Oladele Abiodun Balogun -- Ohanife : an account of the ecosystem based on the African notion of relationship / Jonathan O. Chimakonam -- Hermeneutics of trees in an African context : enriching the understanding of the environment 'for the common heritage of humankind.' /Angela Roothaan -- Global warming as an ontological boomerang effect : towards a philosophical rescue from the African place / Victor C. A. Nweke -- Laudato Si and the ecological crisis / Ralph Okechukwu Madu -- Catalysing climate change action in Nigeria : moderate anthropocentrism and the African perspective of the cosmos / Ada Agada -- Zimbabwe's environmental crisis : questioning ubuntu? / Fainos Mangena -- Exploring the African traditional belief systems (totems and taboos) in natural resources conservation and management in Ghana / Francis Diawuo and Abdul Karim Issifu.

This article is about Bhutan's success in conserving natural resources and the environment through its organizational and public policy perspectives. At the same time, it analyses the weaknesses and strengths of Bhutan's policy and organizational management in environmental conservation. The integration of the sustainable development approach and the Mahayana Buddhism philosophy has led to the creation of the Gross National Happiness (GNH) which is an important concept that drives the Bhutan government to pay more attention to environmental protection. The close relationship between the Bhutanese and the environment is in accordance with the old beliefs and the influence of Buddhism has contributed to the successful implementation of the government's environmental policy. In addition, the driving force behind the environmental policy has been to design an organizational structure that promotes public participation in order to truly reflect the problem and contribute to sustainable solutions. Integrating indigenous ideas with international principles and building public participation, which indicates Bhutan's success in driving environmental policy, is an important finding of this work.

Concepts of environmental conservation and management are directly linked to the practice of development. Development has been seen as not only an instrument to increase production, but also to remove poverty. But anti-poverty schemes in India have not been sustainable and are conditioned by the kind of finance available for their implementation. Multi-lateral aid, in particular, appears to be faulty in conception itself. Schemes that were earlier developed by community organisations for their own survival have now paradoxically been turned around to fleece them. Financial institutions, governments, courts, and technocrats have appropriated the innovative ideas of sustainability and conservation invented by communities. The notion of participation has permitted governments to slowly retreat from their social responsibilities. Empowerment requires that communities be entrusted with actual power, but, in fact, the "rights" of people have been converted into "responsibilities" that they will have to undertake if they want a share in the proceeds. In addition, people have been denied access to resources and evicted from the commons. All these actions appear to be allied to the central theme of privatising public resources. This paradigm of conservation has been challenged by an equally powerful mode of protest that has unleashed public campaigns to protect the social ethic.

Funding for the protection of the environment has traditionally come from general tax revenues. Fish and wildlife habitat enhancement and endangered species protection are prominent examples of this phenomenon. In the past few years, however, several aspects of this situation have changed. First, as provincial governments have trimmed budgets, fewer funds are available for environmental conservation programs. Second, many jurisdictions have adopted a model by which private interests and/or users of the resource base help to fund these projects. Examples include the North American Waterfowl Management Program, land purchases by the Nature Conservancy, the Buck-for Wildlife project (in Alberta), and various other public-private joint ventures (Porter and van Kooten 1993). In many of these programs the private funding component is based on memberships or donations to private organizations (e.g. Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited). Thus, funding for conservation is relying more heavily on donations to environmental causes either through direct giving of funds or through memberships in organizations. For wildlife habitat management, a major environmental initiative, a third element of change is that traditional supporters - recreational hunters and anglers - are decreasing in number, particularly in Canada (e.g. Boxall et al. 1991). Traditionally, these supporters were responsible for much of the funding of wildlife conservation programs either through license sales, special 'check-offs' that accompany license sales, or through membership fees and donations to fishing and hunting related organizations. For example, Ducks Unlimited and Trout Unlimited began as hunting and angling organizations respectively and much of their funding has been based on contributions from hunters and anglers. With the numbers of hunters declining 17% over the last 10 years (Filion et al, 1993), and anglers also declining over the same period (e.g. 26% in Alberta), will this traditional funding base remain? This paper explores some determinants of private contributions to environmental conservation activities through an econometric analysis of donations and memberships relating to wildlife habitat protection and enhancement. We are interested in the factors affecting donations in part because we wish to determine if continuing declines in the numbers of hunters and anglers will affect the level of donations to conservation activities. We are also interested in understanding the relationships between income, marginal tax rates (the price of donations) and other variables on the propensity to donate. Given the increasing importance of private funding of wildlife programs, knowledge of these relationships will be important for public and private agencies involved in wildlife conservation.

Funding for the protection of the environment has traditionally come from general tax revenues. Fish and wildlife habitat enhancement and endangered species protection are prominent examples of this phenomenon. In the past few years, however, several aspects of this situation have changed. First, as provincial governments have trimmed budgets, fewer funds are available for environmental conservation programs. Second, many jurisdictions have adopted a model by which private interests and/or users of the resource base help to fund these projects. Examples include the North American Waterfowl Management Program, land purchases by the Nature Conservancy, the Buck-for Wildlife project (in Alberta), and various other public-private joint ventures (Porter and van Kooten 1993). In many of these programs the private funding component is based on memberships or donations to private organizations (e.g. Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited). Thus, funding for conservation is relying more heavily on donations to environmental causes either through direct giving of funds or through memberships in organizations. For wildlife habitat management, a major environmental initiative, a third element of change is that traditional supporters - recreational hunters and anglers - are decreasing in number, particularly in Canada (e.g. Boxall et al. 1991). Traditionally, these supporters were responsible for much of the funding of wildlife conservation programs either through license sales, special 'check-offs' that accompany license sales, or through membership fees and donations to fishing and hunting related organizations. For example, Ducks Unlimited and Trout Unlimited began as hunting and angling organizations respectively and much of their funding has been based on contributions from hunters and anglers. With the numbers of hunters declining 17% over the last 10 years (Filion et al, 1993), and anglers also declining over the same period (e.g. 26% in Alberta), will this traditional funding base remain? This paper explores some determinants of private contributions to environmental conservation activities through an econometric analysis of donations and memberships relating to wildlife habitat protection and enhancement. We are interested in the factors affecting donations in part because we wish to determine if continuing declines in the numbers of hunters and anglers will affect the level of donations to conservation activities. We are also interested in understanding the relationships between income, marginal tax rates (the price of donations) and other variables on the propensity to donate. Given the increasing importance of private funding of wildlife programs, knowledge of these relationships will be important for public and private agencies involved in wildlife conservation.

Abstract
Using four national probability studies between the years 2010 and 2015, this study examines how religious beliefs help explain American support for or opposition to governmental efforts to protect the environment. We do so by investigating how race moderates this relationship. We find that religious beliefs associate with and likely inform the environmental policy attitudes of non-Hispanic Whites. We have less evidence that the same holds true for Hispanics and Blacks.

This article explores what the academic literature tells us about environmental conservation challenges in Myanmar, and what types of domestic and international mechanisms are suited to address those challenges. It begins by providing background information on rural energy use, environmental legislation, forestry, agriculture and the country's network of protected areas. It notes, for example, that the country's protected areas face environmental degradation caused by poverty, corruption, the expansion of agricultural land and population growth. It goes on to argue that planners in Myanmar can, however, utilize a variety of mechanisms to overcome these challenges. Policy-makers can enhance community involvement in protected areas and management schemes through ownership and engagement. They could integrate conservation efforts with income generation, provide education and awareness campaigns for those living near wildlife areas and expand the number and size of protected areas. They could, furthermore, increase penalties against illegal activities within protected areas, offer accelerated staff training and education programmes and similarly consolidate regulatory authority for environmental conservation. Even those outside of Myanmar can prevent environmental destruction. International planners could implement ecosystem payments schemes, involve Myanmar more concretely in the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) process, an international agreement launched in 2012, and expand Myanmar's participation in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Lastly, they could advocate international bans on exports of illegal products and strengthen capacity building efforts in the areas of forestry, land use and agriculture. (Contemp Southeast Asia/GIGA)