Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
of inclusiveness needed for the epistemic coalition to have sufficient authority.
The fact that environmental NGOs (ENGOs), intergovernmental and govern-
mental actors, the scientific establishment, and even some business groups are
in coalition can be a tremendously powerful influence. NGOs that have helped
create the climate change epistemic community have needed to move their own
terms of reference towards science and technical policy measures and responses,
and away from ethical and overtly political matters: such is the price of member-
ship of that coalition. This shut the door on the use of a range of potentially
useful concepts and devices such as global equity and North-South development.
(2001: 332)
Ulrich Beck and the risk society
Climate change brings with it significant risk, particularly for those living in low-
lying areas. The risks associated with GM and new developments such as nano-
technology are also hotly debated. In many ways, we seem to be living in a risk
society, so the concept of 'risk' has become of primary importance in the sustainability
debate. The work of the German sociologist Ulrich Beck (1992a, 1992b, 1996) has
been extremely influential in this field. Although only one of many risk-society
theorists, Beck has clearly identified significant issues that impact on environmental
management, risk assessment, ecological politics and policy making, public communi-
cation, citizenship, intergenerational ethics, economics and finance, and scientific and
technological innovation.
The key points of Beck's theory of risk include:
•
Although risks are as old as human society itself, there are some associated with
industrial society that are essentially new, such as nuclear power, chemical and
biotechnical production, and genetic modification - all products of techno-
industrial relations.
•
'People, firms, state agencies and politicians are responsible for risks' (Beck,
1992a: 98).
•
Since the middle of the twentieth century, industrial society has confronted the
'historically unprecedented possibility of the destruction through decision-making
of all life on this planet. This distinguishes our epoch not only from the early
phase of the industrial revolution, but also from all other cultures and social
forms, no matter how diverse and contradictory these may have been in detail'
(Beck, 1992a: 101).
•
A consequence is that political stability in risk societies comes from 'not thinking
about things'. The incalculability of consequences leads to a lack of accountability.
•
Lack of accountability leads in turn to 'organized irresponsibility', because mega-
hazards, in particular, undermine the four principles of the risk calculus, namely:
-
Damage may not be limited or contained, so monetary compensation is
inapplicable.
-
Precautionary
after-care is excluded from the worst imaginable accident as
the anticipation of effects is likely to be totally inadequate.
-
'Accidents' are not confined to time or place, and therefore lose meaning.
-
Standards of normality, measuring procedures and comparators are no longer
clear and distinct.
