Week 8 - 9 - IR and Sustainability

Question 1

What are the interpretations of human - nature relationship in the pre - industrial world?

Answer 1

1. Indigenous populations: deep philosophical/belief systems related to the importance of the balance with nature: generally linked to particular environmental conditions i.e. polar - fishing based, hunter - gatherer
2. Religion and Nature: God as part of nature and the foundation of life. Greek/Roman and late norse Gods i.e. God’s of sky, water, land, harvest…praise when things go well and appease when they go badly (sacrifice).Others such as Jains/Buddhist/Hindu view protection of life as living beings; this relates to the circle and cycle of life and reincarnation [non violence]
3. In a pre - industrial world, people could only do so much and this was because there was limited life i.e. the Black Death in the 1350s kills 30 - 50 % of the European population and technology was also limited

Question 2

What did the race to the Poles embrace?

Answer 2

It ultimately meant that no part of the Earth was unconquered and humanity was utilising its ingenuity and growing power

Question 3

What did the growth of urban populations lead to, in terms of pollution?

Answer 3

Sewage (polluting drinking water), chemical (with the growth of chemical industries) and most importantly smoke from the industries and coal

Question 4

What steps were taken to combat pollution?

Answer 4

• Creation of National Trust (1894), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (1889), the Sierra Club (1892)
• The creation of National Parks (particularly USA, Yosemite and Yellowstone)
• Early anti - pollution legislation in the 1890s on water and air pollution, linked to public health legislation and attempts to beautify urban areas (urban city movement UK 1898)

Question 5

What were growing International Movements and Institutions?

Answer 5

• Greenpeace, Friends of Earth, World Wildlife Fund
• 1988 International Panel on Climate Change
• 1992 UN Commission on Sustainable Development
• 1997 Kyoto Protocol
• Regional level (European Environment Agency 1993)

Question 6

What would a Realist Interpretation of Climate Change be?

Answer 6

It should be an individual state decision and this is because they are the most important actors. If the state can cheat on it - then they will cheat on it, and they will do this in an attempt to put the costs and circumstances onto somebody else. Individual states will want advantages of what they can do over everyone else

Question 7

What would a Liberal Interpretation of the Climate Change be?

Answer 7

It would be a cooperation between the States and this is observed through creating UN conferences and treaties

Question 8

What would a Constructivist Interpretation of the Climate Change be?

Answer 8

The most important actors are the norms and values that are prompted by the institutions i.e. United Nations and European Union. Therefore, if the norms can be changed then methods to improve Climate change can be fixed

Question 9

What problems could a Liberalist view of battling Climate Change have?

Answer 9

1. Not everyone will want to cooperate because it will not benefit them i.e US will not want to implement climate change reforms because it may limit their economy
2. Linked to the idea that the liberal view is based on economic capitalism which is based on never - ending expansion

Question 10

How is environmental activism becoming more reflected in politics?

Answer 10

There has been a rise of environmental activism and this has been accompanied by a rise of green and environmental parties i.e. the German Greens were the first national representation - had 5 - 10% of the vote.

There was also the creation of national environmental agencies (1970s and the Environmental Protection Agency and the Endangered Species Act in 1973)

Question 11

When did the interest in nature fade?

Answer 11

An interest in nature faded and this was because of War - both WWI and WWII. The depression in the 1930s took the focus off nature and this is because of new technologies in the 1950s and 1960s gives a growing sense of control of nature - this is the modernist nature

Question 12

What are the basic principles of the Modernist Nature Theory?

Answer 12

• No limits to human endeavour, unlimited energy
• Demonstrate the human power by controlling nature leads to culture of consumption and consumerism (no need to save energy)
• Linked to huge medical advances and life expectancy
• Link to capitalist development and mass production and mass consumption. There was obsolescence by general motors and this focused on the idea that cars will break down ‘earlier’ and through marketing, encourage people to buy, and therefore, mass consumption is increasing

Question 13

How could the Climate go wrong?

Answer 13

• Chemical Industry (DDT)
• Nuclear Waste
• Fossil fuel consumption skyrockets along with general consumption
• success of global capitalism
• rise of the global population