Politics of the Environment

Terms and Definitions to know for class

Risk Society

A society focused on identifying and managing risks created by modern industry

Individualism

The belief that individuals should make their own choices and focus on their own goals and needs free from government oversight

Reflexive modernity

When society recognizes and questions the negative consequences of its own progress and technology

Unbounded environmental risks

Environmental harm that can spread across large areas, crossing boundaries in the process

Bureaucracy

A system of government or organization that uses rules, procedures and appointed officials to make decisions

Tragedy of the commons

When people overuse a shared resource for personal benefits, resulting in the depletion or exploitation of the resources

Mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon

People agree to accept rules that limit everyone’s freedom in order to protect shared resources to benefit society.

Utilitarianism

The idea that the best decision is the one that creates the greatest overall good for the greatest number of people

Traditional Policy paradigm

An approach to making policies that relies on established rules, government authority, and conventional ways of solving problems

Technocentric outlook

The belief that technology and innovation can solve environmental problems

End-of-pipe solutions

Solutions that deal with pollution after it has already been created, instead of preventing its creation

Market capitalism

An economic system where private businesses compete to sell goods and services based on the functions of supply and demand

The invisible hand

Adam Smith’s idea that people pursuing their own self-interests in a competitive market can unintentionally benefit society as a whole

Property rights

The legal authority that individuals have over the resources they own

Isolationism

A policy of limiting foreign involvement or influences

Protectionism

A policy of shielding a country’s domestic industries from foreign competition by applying tariffs or restricting imports

Capital flight

When businesses move their investments out of less developed countries to seek the highest return possible