Environment and Society Notes
Inhoud
Lecture Introduction to Environment and Society – Adam Calo – 9 April 2024......................................1
Lecture 1 IPBES framework and global assessment – dr. Ingrid Visseren-Hamakers – 10 April 2024......2
Lecture 2 Philosophy of science and social scientific perspectives – Dr. Ingrid Visseren-Hamakers – 17
April 2024...............................................................................................................................................9
Lecture 3 – Environmental Narratives and Framing – Dr. Adam Calo – 23 April 2024...........................13
Lecture 4 Treadmill of Production and Ecological Modernization – Adam Calo – 7 May 2024.............19
Lecture 5 Environmental Worldviews and Degrowth – Querine Kommandeur – 14 May 2024............24
Lecture 6 Speaking with species: comprehending more-than-human-natures – Cebuan Bliss – 21 May
2024......................................................................................................................................................29
Lecture 7 Environmental governance, beyond the tragedy – Adam Calo – 28 May 2024.....................32
Lecture 8 The Practice, Politics and Poetics of Commoning at the Polder: Towards a Place- and
Practice-Based Theory of Transformative Change for Biodiversity and Justice – Tamalone van den
Eijnden – 4 June 2024...........................................................................................................................36
Lecture Introduction to Environment and Society – Adam
Calo – 9 April 2024
Environment and society are interlinked. You can’t study them separately. You must study their
interactions.
1
,The Nutmeg’s curse from Amitav Ghosh
“The modern era, it is often asserted, has freed humanity from the Earth, and propelled it into a new
age of progress in which human-made goods take precedence over natural products. The trouble is
that none of the above is true.”
Social scientific perspectives on environment and society
All social science perspectives engage with the concept of environment
This course provides some needed background in the philosophy of science that drive these
differing perspectives.
A selection of relevant approaches is offered:
o IPBES conceptual framework
o Environmental governance
o Framing of environmental issues
o Worldviews
o Theory of the commons
o Treadmill of production
o Ecological modernization
o More than human natures
Lecture 1 IPBES framework and global assessment – dr.
Ingrid Visseren-Hamakers – 10 April 2024
Brief history of global environmental and sustainable development policy
1948 IUCN
International Union for the Conservation of Nature
1962 Silent Spring (Rachel Carson)
1972 Limits to Growth (Club of Rome)
2
, There are environmental boundaries!
1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm)
Discussion of relation between progress and the environment
First time when environment and society is brought together on a conference
1970s Ramsar (1971), CITES (1973), CMS (1979)
CMS: brings specific countries together with a transnational shared habitat where migratory
species live to make together conservation policies
1987 Brundtland Report coined concept sustainable development
1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro: Agenda 21 action plan, “rio conventions” (UNFCCC, CBD,
UNCCD)
Concept of sustainable development used for the first time
Very productive meeting, created three conventions which are still here today
2000 MDGs with deadline for 2015 (only for developing countries)
Millenium Development Goals
Sustainable development is not only about helping developing countries to develop
sustainable, but also to clean up the acts in the North
2002 Rio+10 summit in Johannesburg: partnerships
2012 Rio+20 summit: agreement to develop SDGs
2015 SDGs for 2030 (for all countries)
All these things are still actual. There are yearly or e.g. three-yearly meetings to work on these
conventions.
The concept of sustainable development: different contributions
Late 1980s: the Brundtland commission (WCED) in Our Common Future, report on request of
the UN, both UNDP and UNEP, anticipating the 1992 Rio Summit
Defined as: ‘Sustainable development is a development which meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
It’s a system of goals and there must be worked on them together and not all separate. A policy can
contribute to several goals. Also important to look if the achievement of one SDG does not causes
another SDG to be not achieved. Look at trade-offs.
There are always things missing. For example the broader gender rights. And also animal rights for
the individual animal (the 18th SDG). Goal 14 and 15 are more about conservation goals and not really
about the individual animal. If you do not have this goal, the other 17 can be achieved with huge
animal harm, while if you include this goal, animal welfare is more taken into account in the
achievement of the other goals.
3
, You may be critical on the SDGs or other frameworks. They are man-made and can be made better.
The modern ‘limits to growth’: planetary boundaries approach (Rockstrom et al., 2009)
Really quantitative work. If you look at this, goals are certainly not made.
The OXFAM – Kate Raworth approach
Planetary boundaries or ‘environmental ceiling’ (= a safe space) is paralleled to ‘social foundations’ (=
just space): the doughnut.
There is a certain minimum for having food, etc. and a maximum: the planetary boundaries.
Huge shift, but also still this is all about human welfare. The welfare on non-humans and the intrinsic
value of nature are not included.
↓
Update: the ecocentric, compassionate and just doughnut economy: a loving society.
4
Inhoud
Lecture Introduction to Environment and Society – Adam Calo – 9 April 2024......................................1
Lecture 1 IPBES framework and global assessment – dr. Ingrid Visseren-Hamakers – 10 April 2024......2
Lecture 2 Philosophy of science and social scientific perspectives – Dr. Ingrid Visseren-Hamakers – 17
April 2024...............................................................................................................................................9
Lecture 3 – Environmental Narratives and Framing – Dr. Adam Calo – 23 April 2024...........................13
Lecture 4 Treadmill of Production and Ecological Modernization – Adam Calo – 7 May 2024.............19
Lecture 5 Environmental Worldviews and Degrowth – Querine Kommandeur – 14 May 2024............24
Lecture 6 Speaking with species: comprehending more-than-human-natures – Cebuan Bliss – 21 May
2024......................................................................................................................................................29
Lecture 7 Environmental governance, beyond the tragedy – Adam Calo – 28 May 2024.....................32
Lecture 8 The Practice, Politics and Poetics of Commoning at the Polder: Towards a Place- and
Practice-Based Theory of Transformative Change for Biodiversity and Justice – Tamalone van den
Eijnden – 4 June 2024...........................................................................................................................36
Lecture Introduction to Environment and Society – Adam
Calo – 9 April 2024
Environment and society are interlinked. You can’t study them separately. You must study their
interactions.
1
,The Nutmeg’s curse from Amitav Ghosh
“The modern era, it is often asserted, has freed humanity from the Earth, and propelled it into a new
age of progress in which human-made goods take precedence over natural products. The trouble is
that none of the above is true.”
Social scientific perspectives on environment and society
All social science perspectives engage with the concept of environment
This course provides some needed background in the philosophy of science that drive these
differing perspectives.
A selection of relevant approaches is offered:
o IPBES conceptual framework
o Environmental governance
o Framing of environmental issues
o Worldviews
o Theory of the commons
o Treadmill of production
o Ecological modernization
o More than human natures
Lecture 1 IPBES framework and global assessment – dr.
Ingrid Visseren-Hamakers – 10 April 2024
Brief history of global environmental and sustainable development policy
1948 IUCN
International Union for the Conservation of Nature
1962 Silent Spring (Rachel Carson)
1972 Limits to Growth (Club of Rome)
2
, There are environmental boundaries!
1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm)
Discussion of relation between progress and the environment
First time when environment and society is brought together on a conference
1970s Ramsar (1971), CITES (1973), CMS (1979)
CMS: brings specific countries together with a transnational shared habitat where migratory
species live to make together conservation policies
1987 Brundtland Report coined concept sustainable development
1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro: Agenda 21 action plan, “rio conventions” (UNFCCC, CBD,
UNCCD)
Concept of sustainable development used for the first time
Very productive meeting, created three conventions which are still here today
2000 MDGs with deadline for 2015 (only for developing countries)
Millenium Development Goals
Sustainable development is not only about helping developing countries to develop
sustainable, but also to clean up the acts in the North
2002 Rio+10 summit in Johannesburg: partnerships
2012 Rio+20 summit: agreement to develop SDGs
2015 SDGs for 2030 (for all countries)
All these things are still actual. There are yearly or e.g. three-yearly meetings to work on these
conventions.
The concept of sustainable development: different contributions
Late 1980s: the Brundtland commission (WCED) in Our Common Future, report on request of
the UN, both UNDP and UNEP, anticipating the 1992 Rio Summit
Defined as: ‘Sustainable development is a development which meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
It’s a system of goals and there must be worked on them together and not all separate. A policy can
contribute to several goals. Also important to look if the achievement of one SDG does not causes
another SDG to be not achieved. Look at trade-offs.
There are always things missing. For example the broader gender rights. And also animal rights for
the individual animal (the 18th SDG). Goal 14 and 15 are more about conservation goals and not really
about the individual animal. If you do not have this goal, the other 17 can be achieved with huge
animal harm, while if you include this goal, animal welfare is more taken into account in the
achievement of the other goals.
3
, You may be critical on the SDGs or other frameworks. They are man-made and can be made better.
The modern ‘limits to growth’: planetary boundaries approach (Rockstrom et al., 2009)
Really quantitative work. If you look at this, goals are certainly not made.
The OXFAM – Kate Raworth approach
Planetary boundaries or ‘environmental ceiling’ (= a safe space) is paralleled to ‘social foundations’ (=
just space): the doughnut.
There is a certain minimum for having food, etc. and a maximum: the planetary boundaries.
Huge shift, but also still this is all about human welfare. The welfare on non-humans and the intrinsic
value of nature are not included.
↓
Update: the ecocentric, compassionate and just doughnut economy: a loving society.
4
