Environmental Protection

Transcription

1 Environmental Protection Min Shu Waseda University 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 1

2 Outline of the lecture Environmental problems: from domestic to global International environmental regimes Domestic factors and epistemic community Economic development and environmental protection Group Presentations 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 2

3 Environmental problems What is the environment? The conditions under, or the context in, which people find themselves and lead their lives Natural environment, social environment, cultural environment The environment, problematized Excessive burden imposed on the natural environment Social problems like the income gap and gender inequality The disappearance of cultural diversity The features of (natural) environmental problems Directly related to our daily lives Externality of environmental problems (i.e., public goods) Difficult to identify responsibility: free-rider problems 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 3

4 Domestic environmental problems The exploitation of natural resources Overexploitation of forest, fishery and energy GHG emission resulting from the use of oil and natural gas (fossil fuels) Large-scale production and pollution Liquid waste from factories Noise, acid rain Side effects of clean energies Nuclear waste Headache and insomnia due to wind mills (Reported by Asahi Shimbun, 2009/01/18) 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 4

5 Domestic environmental problems Environment-induced health, social and political problems Minamata diseases (1953) Itai-itai disease (1955) Environmental problems and the poverty trap Darwin s Nightmare by Hubert Sauper Political conflicts due to the competition for natural resources Competition for resources (esp. water) between Darfur's Arab nomads and black African farmers was one of the key factors behind the conflict ( ) A recent film: Mad Max: fury road 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 5

6 Global environmental problems Ozone depletion Ozone: a layer of the atmosphere which can absorb harmful ultraviolet light and maintain earth ecological balance However, CFCs may react with and deplete the ozone layer 1987 Montréal Protocol on the ozone layer Global warming The rise of average temperature of atmosphere and ocean 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 6

7 Global environmental problems Global warming Possible impacts: Influencing weather, ecology, ocean surface and ocean current Water resources, agriculture and fishery Epidemic disease, food shortage and their consequences The 1997 Kyoto protocol to reduce the GHG emission The future of nuclear energy Environmental problems: from domestic to global The growing scale of environmental problems Possible solutions to global environmental challenges 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 7

8 International environmental regimes International regime international institutions A set of explicit or implicit principles, norms, rules, and decision making procedures expectation convergence Several international regimes focus on environmental problems Environment-related international treaties increased rapidly 1946 International Whaling Commission (IWC) 1973 CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) 1997 Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change However, the effectiveness of these regimes varies 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 8

9 International environmental regimes Effectiveness of international environmental regimes Depending mainly on the following factors problem-solving mechanism legal impacts/enforcement economic and political efficiency (explicit and implicit) norms Realism The influences of big countries Case 1: US s role in the Ozone Depletion Regime Case 2: EU s role in the Kyoto Protocol 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 9

10 International environmental regimes Liberalism Three important aspects Governmental interests, international contract (treaty), implementation capacity Regime-building and regime-management Plus, capacity building in developing countries Regime design Facilitating proper and efficient implementation Incorporating incentives to encourage self-reporting of the implementation outcomes 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 10

11 Domestic factors Domestic preferences for economic & social institutions Trust in the market mechanism State s role in social welfare provision/redistribution and environmental projection Two contrasting cases: Germany and US Domestic politics Public opinion Mass media coverage and pubic concerns Political parties Green Parties Mainstream parties policy on environmental issues Interest groups Environmentalist groups vs. enterprise/business interests 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 11

12 Epistemic community Epistemic community network of knowledge-based professionals in scientific and technological areas that have an impact on policy-making Major actors Scholars who share the expertise Policy-makers keen on environmental protection International environmental NGOs Examples Ozone depletion regime Epistemic community exists International whaling regime Scientific (commercial) whaling vs. a complete ban on whaling 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 12

13 Sustainable development Maslow s Hierarchy of Needs Physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, self-actualization Economic development and environmental protection Early stage of economic development: over-exploitation and environmental problems Late stage of economic development: main attention shifted to environmental protection Sustainable development 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 13

14 Developing vs. developed countries on environmental problems Developing and developed countries Different levels of industrialization, economic output, living standards, and technological sophistication Attitudes towards environmental problems Recognised by both developed and developing countries However, disagreeing on whether the priority should be put on economic development or environmental protection Dealing with the climate change Developed countries: obligations of developing countries Developing countries: responsibility of developed countries Technological transfer and capital assistance 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 14

15 The Fukushima nuclear accident The accident Huge tsunami hit the Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Plant on 11 March 2011 Explosion and meltdown occurred within days Immediate impacts The release of radioactive materials Power shortage increasing oil/gas import trade deficit Agriculture, tourism, the international image of Japan suffered Nuclear power reconsidered Safety standards, long-term cost, environmental implications Impact on the ongoing fight against global warming Reconsidering nuclear power in Japan and beyond 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 15

16 Group presentation Ch14: The Political Economy of the Environment Post-Fukushima debates on nuclear power: comparing Germany and Japan 2018/7/3 International Political Economy 16