Living with Nature : Environmental Politics As Cultural Discourse

## Abstract The environmental politics of sustainable development has reached an impasse, despite the optimism that attended the ‘Earth Summit’ held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Notwithstanding wide recognition of the environmental crisis, environmental protection continues to be regarded as less important than economic competitiveness. Because of the failure of governments to reach a consensus on appropriate policy action, sustainable development has in practice served mainly to extend the technocratic approaches and solutions that have failed in the past. By examining this failed discourse of environmental policy, the contributors to this book call attention to our neglect of the underlying cultural dynamics of ecological politics. In providing a critical assessment of the ways in which today's economic and political institutions address environmental policy, this book brings into focus the socio–cultural dimensions of the environmental debate. How is our way of life implicated in the crisis? Are there implicit cultural politics at work in policy‐making? What role can science play in finding acceptable solutions? This book calls for a new balance between theoretical‐analytic assessment of the environmental crisis and a practical approach to policy that takes account of local circumstances, norms, and knowledge. The political challenge is to find ways of addressing humanity's wish to live together with nature. Despite the optimism of the `Earth Summit' held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the politics of environmental sustainable development has reached an impasse. Why do issues of environmental protection continue to take a back seat to economic competition, particularly in the international realm? Once the environmental problem was widely recognised, it was held that consensus could be reached. In practice, however, the development of sustainability had often continued to merely extend earlier technocratic practices and solutions, which fail to take into consideration the specific cultural questions. Living With Nature seeks to place the question of the dynamics of environmental crisis within a socio-cultural dimension of the existing economic and political institutions. The book argues for a need to find a new balance between a theoretical analysis of the debate and an appreciation of local circumstances, norms and knowledge. Politically, it implies an implicit understanding of the way in which we live together with nature. Despite the optimism of the "Earth Summit" held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the politics of environmental sustainable development has reached an impasse. Why do issues of environmental protection continue to take a back seat to economic competition, particularly in the international realm? Once the environmental problem was widely recognised, it was held that consensus could be reached. In practice, however, the development of sustainability had often continued to merely extend earlier technocratic practices and solutions, which fail to take into consideration the specific cultural questions. This text seeks to place the question of the dynamics of environmental crisis within a socio-cultural dimension of the existing economic and political institutions. It argues for a need to find a new balance between a theoretical analysis of the debate and an appreciation of local circumstances, norms and knowledge. Politically, it implies an implicit understanding of the way in which we live together with nature. Sustainable Development And The Crisis Of Nature On The Political Anatomy Of An Oxymoron / Wolfgang Sachs -- The North As/and The Other: Ecology, Domination, Solidarity / Yrjö Haila -- Nature In Spiritual Traditions: Social And Cultural Implications For Environmental Change / Carolyn Egri -- Engineering The Environment: The Politics Of Nature Development / Jozef Keulartz -- Eco-managerialism: Environmental Studies As A Power/knowledge Formation / Timothy Luke -- Mapping Complex Social-natural Relationships: Cases From Mexico And Africa / Peter J. Taylor -- Security And Solidarity: An Anti-reductionist Analysis Of Environmental Policy / Michael Thompson -- The Environment Of Justice / David Harvey -- Images Of Place In Green Politics: The Cultural Mirror Of Indigenous Traditions / Douglas Torgerson -- Partnership Ethics And Cultural Discourse: Women And The Earth Summit / Carolyn Merchant. Edited By Frank Fischer And Maarten A. Hajer. Includes Bibliographical References.

Despite the optimism of 1992's Earth Summit the politics of environmental sustainable development have reached an impasse. Why do issues of environmental protection continue to take a back seat to economic competition, particularly in the international realm? Living With Nature argues that in order to answer this question we must view the debate about environmental sustainability in terms of the basic cultural and political questions underpinning the dynamics of the environmental crisis.

This text aims to place the question of the dynamics of environmental crisis in a socio-cultural dimension of the existing economic and political institutions. It argues for a need to find a balance between theoretical analysis of the debate and an appreciation of local circumstances and knowledge