Week 1
Global environmental politics Charting the domain Paul G. Harris
The global natural environment is facing an alarming decline, with
worsening environmental indicators across most regions. In many
developing nations, air and water pollution have reached critical levels,
forcing millions to live with contaminated resources. Regional issues, such
as acid rain in East Asia and the spread of the “Asian brown cloud,” have
cross-border impacts, with pollution now extending across the Pacific.
Overfishing has depleted ocean life, and pollutants from land have created
oceanic dead zones, with coral reefs shrinking and biodiversity at risk.
Climate change amplifies these issues, driving global temperatures up and
causing extreme weather, droughts, floods, and rising sea levels. These
shifts disproportionately affect poorer, low-lying regions that are least
equipped to respond. Habitat destruction and deforestation continue at an
alarming pace, especially in South America and Southeast Asia,
undermining biodiversity and natural resources crucial to environmental
stability.
The role of politics is pivotal; environmental challenges often result from
governments' failures to implement effective, sustainable policies, often
prioritizing economic interests over environmental concerns. However,
successful treaties—such as those protecting the ozone layer—
demonstrate that cooperation among states, along with efforts by NGOs
and some businesses, can yield positive environmental impacts. Effective
global environmental governance requires that these actors consistently
prioritize long-term environmental goals, integrating sustainability into
broader policy areas like energy, food security, and social justice. Global
environmental politics addresses these challenges by analyzing the global-
scale causes of ecological decline and developing collaborative solutions.
It emphasizes that addressing environmental problems requires multi-level
cooperation and policies that transcend national borders. As
environmental changes impact everyone—through air quality, water
security, and climate stability—understanding and engaging with
environmental politics is critical for fostering a sustainable future for all
societies and ecosystems.
Joachim Radkau Nature and Power
In de introducties bij de Japanse en Turkse edities van Nature and Power
bespreekt de auteur hoe een wereldwijde milieubenadering ons nieuwe
inzichten kan geven in de geschiedenis van beide landen. Hoewel Japan en
,Turkije geografisch en cultureel ver uit elkaar liggen, is er een opvallende
gelijkenis in hun geschiedenis. In Japan werd de late Edo-periode (17e tot
19e eeuw) door de hervormers van de Meiji-periode gezien als een tijd van
stagnatie en achteruitgang. Op een vergelijkbare manier beschouwden de
volgelingen van Kemal Atatürk de latere Ottomaanse periode als een
periode van verval.
Toch kunnen deze perioden vanuit een milieuperspectief anders worden
bekeken. Zo had Japan in de Edo-periode een geavanceerde rijstteelt en
waren er tekenen van duurzaam bosbeheer vanaf de 18e eeuw. De
historicus Conrad D. Totman toonde aan dat deze periode van bosbeheer
zelfs een nieuw inzicht biedt in de Japanse geschiedenis, waarbij duurzame
landbouw- en bosbouwtechnieken uit zowel het Westen als het Oosten in
het voor-moderne Japan lijken samen te komen.
Voor de Ottomaanse ambtenaren in Istanbul was de vruchtbare Nijldelta
een "paradijs op aarde," en ze zouden deze geoptimaliseerde irrigatie het
liefst ook in Anatolië toepassen. Toch, gezien de ecologische problemen
die grootschalige irrigatie in een droge regio met zich mee kan brengen,
was hun terughoudendheid hierin uiteindelijk gunstig. Volgens historicus
Alan Mikhail markeerde het rond 1800 opgezette project van een "tweede
Nijl" in Egypte, bedoeld als kunstmatige irrigatie, het begin van de
overgang naar modernisering onder westerse invloed en het verval van
een tot dan toe duurzaam economisch systeem.
Door te laten zien hoe de adoptie van moderne Westerse vooruitgangs- en
ontwikkelingsconcepten vaak mislukte of zelfs schadelijk was, kan een
milieuhistorische benadering niet-westerse landen helpen ecologische
lessen uit hun eigen geschiedenis te halen. In veel niet-westerse regio’s is
watervoorziening namelijk het belangrijkste milieuprobleem dat alle
andere uitdagingen overschaduwt.
The central argument of Nature and Power is that the relationship between
humanity and nature is complex, involving both cooperation with and
control over natural resources. The book explores how power dynamics
shape environmental history, with examples of governments using both
top-down and grassroots strategies to manage natural resources like
forests, water, and pasture. This management often reveals both success
and failure, as seen in attempts to balance human needs with
environmental sustainability. The book critiques oversimplified narratives,
such as Garrett Hardin’s "Tragedy of the Commons," and highlights
Elinor Ostrom’s findings that local governance can successfully
protect resources. However, global issues, like climate change and
deforestation, present challenges that require both local and centralized
efforts. Nature and Power suggests that environmental sustainability can
,be achieved through an informed balance of power at various levels.
Rather than adopting a strictly pessimistic or optimistic outlook, the book
promotes "possibilism"—a realistic approach that sees potential in
both individual action and institutional power for addressing
environmental challenges.
4.4.2 Understanding and Controlling the Environment in Modern History
(ca. 1800–1900) Hans Schouwenburg, Jiří Janáč, Sophie Lange, and
Juan Pan-Montojo
In the 19th century, Europe experienced a shift in how society perceived
and interacted with the natural world, largely due to the pressures of
resource scarcity, industrialization, and colonial expansion.
European thinkers began to view nature as an interconnected system that
needed careful management to ensure its sustainability. This era laid the
groundwork for modern environmental discourse by fostering ideas about
ecological limits, sustainable resource use, and the close ties between the
economy, society, and environment.
Dual Perspectives on Nature
Two main perspectives on nature emerged, described by environmental
historian Donald Worster as the imperial and arcadian traditions.
The imperial view, influenced by thinkers like Francis Bacon, saw
humans as rulers over nature, authorized to control and exploit
natural resources to benefit human progress. This approach
encouraged active state intervention in resource management,
laying the foundation for an industrial, human-centered approach to
nature.
In contrast, the arcadian view, inspired by naturalists like Gilbert
White, emphasized a humble, moral relationship with nature, where
humans were stewards rather than exploiters. This philosophy
gained momentum as industrialization revealed environmental
consequences, and it inspired early conservation movements.
Resource Management and Political Power
During this period, the conceptual divide between humans and nature
deepened, with science and technology often reinforcing the view of
nature as a resource to be controlled. Natural scientists in Europe
catalogued plants, animals, minerals, and territories, creating
, classifications like Carl Linnaeus’s Systema Naturae to categorize species.
This approach extended to chemistry with Antoine Lavoisier’s discovery of
elements like oxygen and carbon, which provided a new understanding of
natural processes and supported the industrial use of natural resources.
This scientific momentum spurred state-led efforts to manage and exploit
natural resources, especially forests. The high demand for timber led to
forestry sciences, starting with Hans Carl von Carlowitz’s Sylvicultura
oeconomica, which emphasized “sustainable” forestry practices. Forestry
officers were tasked with converting diverse forests into uniform tree
plantations, which improved fiscal revenues but often criminalized
traditional peasant practices and harmed local biodiversity.
Industrialization and Environmental Impact
The industrial revolution, marked by new energy sources like coal and
technological advances such as steam engines, significantly altered the
environment. The expansion of industries like British cotton factories,
German steel production, and chemical plants polluted rivers and air,
impacting both human health and ecosystems. Dense urban areas became
hotbeds for diseases, spurring advancements in public health, such as the
adoption of germ theory and the creation of sewer systems. Environmental
legislation, like Britain’s Alkali Acts, began addressing industrial pollution,
although similar laws emerged in other countries only after the 1918–1939
interwar period.
Conservation Movements and the Emergence of the Anthropocene
Concept
The environmental degradation observed in European colonies fueled
conservation efforts in places like India and South Africa, where forest and
wildlife reserves were established. These imperial conservation practices
later influenced conservation movements in Europe itself, where
urbanization and industrial pollution drove citizens to seek refuge in nature
and promote wildlife and landscape protection.
By the late 19th century, scientists were recognizing humanity's
influence on natural systems on a geological scale, foreshadowing the idea
of the Anthropocene—a proposed geological epoch where humans play
a dominant role in shaping the environment. Figures like Svante
Arrhenius even warned about the effects of industrial emissions on global
warming, and geologists later formalized this concept, debating whether
the Anthropocene began with colonialism, the industrial revolution,
or the post-1945 atomic era.
Global environmental politics Charting the domain Paul G. Harris
The global natural environment is facing an alarming decline, with
worsening environmental indicators across most regions. In many
developing nations, air and water pollution have reached critical levels,
forcing millions to live with contaminated resources. Regional issues, such
as acid rain in East Asia and the spread of the “Asian brown cloud,” have
cross-border impacts, with pollution now extending across the Pacific.
Overfishing has depleted ocean life, and pollutants from land have created
oceanic dead zones, with coral reefs shrinking and biodiversity at risk.
Climate change amplifies these issues, driving global temperatures up and
causing extreme weather, droughts, floods, and rising sea levels. These
shifts disproportionately affect poorer, low-lying regions that are least
equipped to respond. Habitat destruction and deforestation continue at an
alarming pace, especially in South America and Southeast Asia,
undermining biodiversity and natural resources crucial to environmental
stability.
The role of politics is pivotal; environmental challenges often result from
governments' failures to implement effective, sustainable policies, often
prioritizing economic interests over environmental concerns. However,
successful treaties—such as those protecting the ozone layer—
demonstrate that cooperation among states, along with efforts by NGOs
and some businesses, can yield positive environmental impacts. Effective
global environmental governance requires that these actors consistently
prioritize long-term environmental goals, integrating sustainability into
broader policy areas like energy, food security, and social justice. Global
environmental politics addresses these challenges by analyzing the global-
scale causes of ecological decline and developing collaborative solutions.
It emphasizes that addressing environmental problems requires multi-level
cooperation and policies that transcend national borders. As
environmental changes impact everyone—through air quality, water
security, and climate stability—understanding and engaging with
environmental politics is critical for fostering a sustainable future for all
societies and ecosystems.
Joachim Radkau Nature and Power
In de introducties bij de Japanse en Turkse edities van Nature and Power
bespreekt de auteur hoe een wereldwijde milieubenadering ons nieuwe
inzichten kan geven in de geschiedenis van beide landen. Hoewel Japan en
,Turkije geografisch en cultureel ver uit elkaar liggen, is er een opvallende
gelijkenis in hun geschiedenis. In Japan werd de late Edo-periode (17e tot
19e eeuw) door de hervormers van de Meiji-periode gezien als een tijd van
stagnatie en achteruitgang. Op een vergelijkbare manier beschouwden de
volgelingen van Kemal Atatürk de latere Ottomaanse periode als een
periode van verval.
Toch kunnen deze perioden vanuit een milieuperspectief anders worden
bekeken. Zo had Japan in de Edo-periode een geavanceerde rijstteelt en
waren er tekenen van duurzaam bosbeheer vanaf de 18e eeuw. De
historicus Conrad D. Totman toonde aan dat deze periode van bosbeheer
zelfs een nieuw inzicht biedt in de Japanse geschiedenis, waarbij duurzame
landbouw- en bosbouwtechnieken uit zowel het Westen als het Oosten in
het voor-moderne Japan lijken samen te komen.
Voor de Ottomaanse ambtenaren in Istanbul was de vruchtbare Nijldelta
een "paradijs op aarde," en ze zouden deze geoptimaliseerde irrigatie het
liefst ook in Anatolië toepassen. Toch, gezien de ecologische problemen
die grootschalige irrigatie in een droge regio met zich mee kan brengen,
was hun terughoudendheid hierin uiteindelijk gunstig. Volgens historicus
Alan Mikhail markeerde het rond 1800 opgezette project van een "tweede
Nijl" in Egypte, bedoeld als kunstmatige irrigatie, het begin van de
overgang naar modernisering onder westerse invloed en het verval van
een tot dan toe duurzaam economisch systeem.
Door te laten zien hoe de adoptie van moderne Westerse vooruitgangs- en
ontwikkelingsconcepten vaak mislukte of zelfs schadelijk was, kan een
milieuhistorische benadering niet-westerse landen helpen ecologische
lessen uit hun eigen geschiedenis te halen. In veel niet-westerse regio’s is
watervoorziening namelijk het belangrijkste milieuprobleem dat alle
andere uitdagingen overschaduwt.
The central argument of Nature and Power is that the relationship between
humanity and nature is complex, involving both cooperation with and
control over natural resources. The book explores how power dynamics
shape environmental history, with examples of governments using both
top-down and grassroots strategies to manage natural resources like
forests, water, and pasture. This management often reveals both success
and failure, as seen in attempts to balance human needs with
environmental sustainability. The book critiques oversimplified narratives,
such as Garrett Hardin’s "Tragedy of the Commons," and highlights
Elinor Ostrom’s findings that local governance can successfully
protect resources. However, global issues, like climate change and
deforestation, present challenges that require both local and centralized
efforts. Nature and Power suggests that environmental sustainability can
,be achieved through an informed balance of power at various levels.
Rather than adopting a strictly pessimistic or optimistic outlook, the book
promotes "possibilism"—a realistic approach that sees potential in
both individual action and institutional power for addressing
environmental challenges.
4.4.2 Understanding and Controlling the Environment in Modern History
(ca. 1800–1900) Hans Schouwenburg, Jiří Janáč, Sophie Lange, and
Juan Pan-Montojo
In the 19th century, Europe experienced a shift in how society perceived
and interacted with the natural world, largely due to the pressures of
resource scarcity, industrialization, and colonial expansion.
European thinkers began to view nature as an interconnected system that
needed careful management to ensure its sustainability. This era laid the
groundwork for modern environmental discourse by fostering ideas about
ecological limits, sustainable resource use, and the close ties between the
economy, society, and environment.
Dual Perspectives on Nature
Two main perspectives on nature emerged, described by environmental
historian Donald Worster as the imperial and arcadian traditions.
The imperial view, influenced by thinkers like Francis Bacon, saw
humans as rulers over nature, authorized to control and exploit
natural resources to benefit human progress. This approach
encouraged active state intervention in resource management,
laying the foundation for an industrial, human-centered approach to
nature.
In contrast, the arcadian view, inspired by naturalists like Gilbert
White, emphasized a humble, moral relationship with nature, where
humans were stewards rather than exploiters. This philosophy
gained momentum as industrialization revealed environmental
consequences, and it inspired early conservation movements.
Resource Management and Political Power
During this period, the conceptual divide between humans and nature
deepened, with science and technology often reinforcing the view of
nature as a resource to be controlled. Natural scientists in Europe
catalogued plants, animals, minerals, and territories, creating
, classifications like Carl Linnaeus’s Systema Naturae to categorize species.
This approach extended to chemistry with Antoine Lavoisier’s discovery of
elements like oxygen and carbon, which provided a new understanding of
natural processes and supported the industrial use of natural resources.
This scientific momentum spurred state-led efforts to manage and exploit
natural resources, especially forests. The high demand for timber led to
forestry sciences, starting with Hans Carl von Carlowitz’s Sylvicultura
oeconomica, which emphasized “sustainable” forestry practices. Forestry
officers were tasked with converting diverse forests into uniform tree
plantations, which improved fiscal revenues but often criminalized
traditional peasant practices and harmed local biodiversity.
Industrialization and Environmental Impact
The industrial revolution, marked by new energy sources like coal and
technological advances such as steam engines, significantly altered the
environment. The expansion of industries like British cotton factories,
German steel production, and chemical plants polluted rivers and air,
impacting both human health and ecosystems. Dense urban areas became
hotbeds for diseases, spurring advancements in public health, such as the
adoption of germ theory and the creation of sewer systems. Environmental
legislation, like Britain’s Alkali Acts, began addressing industrial pollution,
although similar laws emerged in other countries only after the 1918–1939
interwar period.
Conservation Movements and the Emergence of the Anthropocene
Concept
The environmental degradation observed in European colonies fueled
conservation efforts in places like India and South Africa, where forest and
wildlife reserves were established. These imperial conservation practices
later influenced conservation movements in Europe itself, where
urbanization and industrial pollution drove citizens to seek refuge in nature
and promote wildlife and landscape protection.
By the late 19th century, scientists were recognizing humanity's
influence on natural systems on a geological scale, foreshadowing the idea
of the Anthropocene—a proposed geological epoch where humans play
a dominant role in shaping the environment. Figures like Svante
Arrhenius even warned about the effects of industrial emissions on global
warming, and geologists later formalized this concept, debating whether
the Anthropocene began with colonialism, the industrial revolution,
or the post-1945 atomic era.
