Environmentalism and Political Theory

Dr. Anita Samal, Professor

Department of Political Science

Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Introduction:

Political theory and environmentalism are closely related. Political theory encompasses the study of power, governance, rights, justice, and the organization of societies. Environmentalism, on the other hand, focuses on the protection and preservation of the natural world, including ecosystems, biodiversity, and resources. The relationship between the two arises from the recognition that environmental issues are deeply intertwined with political and social structures. Political decisions and policies often have significant impacts on the environment, and environmental degradation can lead to social and political consequences.

Environmentalism and Political Theory represents the consolidation of a new field of political inquiry which has become an increasingly important component of political discussion and research all over the world.  The 1970s saw the emergence of climate change as a political issue worldwide. Climate change, which started in mid-70s, solely as a scientific issue, shifted its focus to a political concern towards the end of the century. For the first time a formal political discussion on global environment took place in June 1972 with the UN Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE) in Stockholm. To guarantee that environmental crises were addressed globally, many formal and informal attempts were made by the activists’ and the government simultaneously. Several International policies relating to climate change were initiated in order to develop cooperation and the establishment of international guidelines to reduce global warming.

Environmental Crisis and Global Climate Change:

The environmental crisis encompasses a range of issues including deforestation, loss of biodiversity, pollution of air, water, and soil, depletion of natural resources, and the degradation of ecosystems. These issues are often interconnected and have far-reaching consequences for both the environment and human well-being.

Global climate change, a significant aspect of the environmental crisis, refers to the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place. It’s primarily driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial processes, and agriculture, which release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat, leading to a warming planet and disrupting climate systems worldwide. The impacts of climate change are wide-ranging and severe, including more frequent and intense extreme weather events such as hurricanes, droughts, floods, and heatwaves, rising sea levels, loss of habitat for wildlife, disruptions to agriculture and food security, and threats to human health and livelihoods.

Environmental crisis and global climate change are pressing challenges facing humanity today. This indeed present profound challenges to political theory. These challenges stem from the fact that addressing these issues requires rethinking fundamental aspects of political philosophy and practice.

Environmental Crisis and Climate Change: Challenges to Political Theory:

Here are several key ways in which environmental crisis and climate change pose challenges to political theory:

• Environmental issues such as climate change are complex and interconnected, spanning geographical, social, economic, and political boundaries. Traditional political theories often prioritize human-centric concerns and compartmentalize issues, whereas environmental challenges demand a holistic and interdisciplinary approach.
• Climate change poses a significant ethical dilemma regarding intergenerational justice. The actions of current generations have profound and long-lasting consequences for future generations, yet political theory has struggled to adequately address how to incorporate the interests and rights of those who are not yet born into decision-making processes.
• Climate change is a global problem that requires coordinated action across nations. However, the principle of national sovereignty often clashes with the need for global cooperation. Political theories need to grapple with how to balance the rights and responsibilities of sovereign states with the collective need to address environmental challenges.
• Environmental degradation and climate change disproportionately affect marginalized and vulnerable communities, both within and across nations. Political theories must confront questions of distributional justice, including how to fairly allocate the costs and benefits of environmental policies and how to ensure that those who are most affected have a voice in decision-making processes.
• Many environmental challenges require long-term planning and policy interventions, yet political systems often prioritize short-term goals and electoral cycles. Political theories need to address the tension between short-term political incentives and the need for sustained, forward-thinking environmental policies.
• Climate change and other environmental issues involve the governance of global commons such as the atmosphere, oceans, and biodiversity. Political theories need to develop frameworks for effective and equitable governance of these shared resources, balancing the interests of different actors while safeguarding the common good.

Conclusion:

Environmental crisis and global climate change confront political theory with complex ethical, social, and practical challenges that require rethinking traditional concepts and developing new frameworks for governance, justice, and collective action. Addressing these challenges will require interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative thinking across the fields of political science, philosophy, economics, and environmental studies. It also requires collective action at local, national, and international levels.