Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
6
Public participation in ecological
governance
6.1 Introduction
I have already noted the importance of nurturing positive public atti-
tudes towards ecological governance if its objectives are to be advanced.
1
On a basic level, it is vital that individual decisions and the project for
ecological stress reduction as a whole should be seen as a legitimate
action of government if the signi
cant intrusions that this would have on
most aspects of economic and social life are to be accepted. On a deeper
level, a cultural shift is needed from a society in which citizens consis-
tently prioritise their own interests whether or not this would be at the
expense of the environment, and participate sporadically in politics
through voting, to one in which they have a de
ned role in political
decision-making and make positive choices themselves to live in ways
that place less stress on ecosystems.
Reforms to governance and the creation, for example, of new environ-
mental taxes would have some in
uence on how people behave by
limiting options available to them or steering their strategic choices.
2
Public education might also be used to persuade individuals to abandon
or modify harmful practices.
3
However, there is strong doubt that
extraneous governmental action would result in the widespread internal-
isation of environmental considerations and acceptance of the moral
rightness of protecting ecosystems that would be necessary if an ecolog-
ical transition is to be pursued as a long-term objective.
4
In view of
this, attention has been given in green political thought to whether
