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Environmentalism: The Second Wave

Environmentalism: The Second Wave. Mass movements and globalization. Prehistory of Global Environmental Politics. Growth in trade > expanded scope of probs. Ex: 1954 Conv. for Prevention of Oil Pollution Desire for “level playing field” Role of NGOs: bird protection societies

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Environmentalism: The Second Wave

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  1. Environmentalism: The Second Wave Mass movements and globalization

  2. Prehistory of Global Environmental Politics • Growth in trade > expanded scope of probs. • Ex: 1954 Conv. for Prevention of Oil Pollution • Desire for “level playing field” • Role of NGOs: bird protection societies • Role of technical experts • Revised through amendments • Economic expansion • 4-fold from 1960-1990

  3. The Rise of Environmentalism as a Mass Movement • Early roots • Romanticism: distrust of technology • Conservationism: end of frontier • 1960s • Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962) • U.S. bestseller, published in 15 countries • Atmospheric Test Ban Treaty (1963) • Vietnam War • Torrey Canyon oil spill (1967)

  4. The First Wave of the Second Wave (1965-79) • 1965-1970: Membership in ENGOs quadrupled • New U.S. ENGOs: EDF; NRDC • New intl. ENGOs: FOE; Greenpeace, WWF • Earth Day: April 22, 1970 • 20 million people participated • US EPA established December, 1970 • Bipartisan support • Focus: industrialized countries, pollution and wildlife issues • Environmental agencies set up in ICs

  5. Second Wave Environmentalism • Growth of affluence > nonmaterial values (?) • Visible and dramatic disasters • Counter-cultural rebellion • “Shrinking planet” • Economic & cultural interdependence • View of earth from space

  6. The Third World Challenge • Is environmentalism a new form of imperialism? • Population vs. consumption • Is there a “right” to development? • Must affluence precede environmentalism? • Poor people’s environmentalism • Chipko movement, Brazilian rubber tappers • Are the exploitation of people & nature separable? • Human rights & environment

  7. Internationalizing the Environment • U.N. Conference on the Human Environment • The Stockholm Declaration (1972) • Soft law • 26 principles as the basis for future agreements • Mostly vague, reflecting North-South conflict • Principle 21 Sovereign states have right to exploit their own resources, and responsibility not to cause environmental damage to other states • Cited in many treaties since • DCs emphasize first clause; IC emphasize second

  8. The Institutional Outcome: UNEP • Concerns: sovereignty, turf of other UN agencies • Headquarters in Nairobi • Plays a “catalytic and coordinating role” • Negotiating forum for many treaties • Helps disseminate scientific information • Close ties to NGOs • A weak international organization (IO) • Why?

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