Forgivingness, Pessimism, and Environmental Citizenship

Our attitudes toward human culpability for environmental problems have moral and emotional import, influencing our basic capacities for believing cooperative action and environmental repair are even possible. In this paper, I suggest that having the virtue of forgivingness as a response to environmental harm is generally good for moral character, preserving us from morally risky varieties of pessimism and despair. I define forgivingness as a forward-looking disposition based on Robin Dillon’s conception of preservative forgiveness, a preparation to be deeply and abidingly accepting yet expecting human error. As with other virtues, however, preservative forgiveness is available to some of us more than others; in the second half of this paper, I consider the deep challenge posed by rational pessimism, especially on the part of those who have been given many reasons not to hope for the very moral improvements for which they strive. I conclude that for those of us with the power roles and personal resources especially conducive to environmental activism, preservative forgiveness inclines us to remain engaged in environmental activism with fellow flawed human beings, recognizing our own mutual depredations while committing us to cooperatively respond.     

城市环境总体规划中的布局问题研究——以北京市丰台区为例

城市环境总体规划是对城市中长期环境管理的综合安排,是环境保护基础性的规划,其核心问题在于规模、结构和布局,即从城市环境、资源与生态约束角度为社会经济发展规划、城市总体规划与土地利用规划提出限制(环境、资源与生态红线),从环境承载力与发展生态适宜性分区角度为城市发展规划提出发展适度规模、结构与布局。在城市"多规融合"的实践过程中,城市环境总体规划,作为政府综合决策的重要支撑之一,可以为其他的规划编制提供约束条件以及土地供给能力测算值,使得各规划间能够相互支撑、相互融合,因此有必要先行。本文以北京市丰台区环境总体规划为例,从布局角度出发,基于区域土地资源供给能力对丰台区进行土地生态适宜性评价,并得到土地生态适宜性区划图,从而提出丰台区城市总体规划与土地利用规划的限制条件,为城市环境总体规划先行提供科学依据。     

国家环境经济政策进展评估2016

为了更好地为有关决策和政策制定提供定量化信息,提高政策设计和决策的科学性,本文采取实地调研法和政策分析方法,对2016年度我国重点环境经济政策的年度进展进行了系统评估,对年度环境经济政策实践进展总体状况进行了研判,并指出了下一步环境经济政策改革需要解决的关键问题。总体上看,环境经济政策的重要性成为社会各方的普遍共识,特别是绿色金融、生态补偿,环境税费等政策取得了阶段性突破,但是我国的环境经济政策体系仍不够完善,环境质量导向的环境经济政策体系还没有建立起来,因此,应积极推进环保投融资、生态环境补偿等环境经济政策的创新运用,为环境质量改善、生态文明建设提供长效机制保障。     

全球环境治理的制度困境与行动转向

在环境治理的问题上,20世纪人类社会所表现出来的是一种对契约、技术与制度的崇尚,反映了近代以来社会治理中的价值中立与道德祛魅精神。然而,随着环境危机事件的频发,特别是在环境以及生态问题构成了风险社会的一个重要维度的情况下,依靠契约、制度、技术的环境治理方案陷入低效甚至失灵的境地。人类命运共同体理念的提出,开拓了环境治理的新思路,让我们看到构建人与人、人与自然生命共同体的环境合作治理模式建立的希望。环境合作治理是一种可以将所有力量整合到合作行动体系中的治理模式,能够有效应对日趋恶化的环境问题,并将人类的生存与发展建立在环境友好的基础上。只有当环境治理采用了合作模式,才能在环境的维度上增强人类命运共同体的现实性。     

Between environmental and ecological democracy: theory and practice at the democracy-environment nexus

ABSTRACT

Concepts of ecological and environmental democracy seek to reconcile two normative ideals: ensuring environmental sustainability while safeguarding democracy. These ideals are frequently conceived as being in conflict, as democracy is perceived as too slow and cumbersome to deliver the urgent large-scale collective action needed to tackle environmental problems. Theories addressing the democracy-environment nexus can be situated on a spectrum from theories of ecological democracy that are more critical of existing liberal democratic institutions to theories of environmental democracy that call for reforming rather than radically transforming or dismantling those institutions. This article reviews theoretical and empirical scholarship on the democracy-environment nexus. We find continued theoretical and empirical diversity in the field, as well as vibrant debates on democratising global environmental politics, local material practices, and non-human representation. We argue for stronger dialogue between environmental political theory and empirical, policy-oriented research on democracy and sustainability, as well as further exploration of complementarities between ecological and environmental democracy. We identify four main areas of challenge and opportunity for theory and practice: public participation and populism; technocracy and expertise; governance across scales; and ecological rights and limits.     

Environmental Ethics: Should We Preserve the Red Herring and Flounder?

Based on a survey of some popularintroductory anthologies and texts, I arguefrom my experience as a philosopher oftechnology that environmental philosophy mightbe conceived by some researchers in the fieldin terms of an overly narrow theoreticalfoundation. Many of the key figures in thefield take as a basic assumption that theenvironmental crisis is fundamentally bestexplained in terms of some failing in themetaphysical outlooks of most people. However,philosophers of technology typically present atleast two additional types of generalexplanation of the crisis. Environmentalethicists might benefit from consideration ofthese alternative ways of explaining the rootcauses of the ecological crisis.     

Radical Hope for Living Well in a Warmer World

Environmental changes can bear upon the environmental virtues, having effects not only on the conditions of their application but also altering the concepts themselves. I argue that impending radical changes in global climate will likely precipitate significant changes in the dominate world culture of consumerism and then consider how these changes could alter the moral landscape, particularly culturally thick conceptions of the environmental virtues. According to Jonathan Lear, as the last principal chief of the Crow Nation, Plenty Coups exhibited the virtue of “radical hope,” a novel form of courage appropriate to a culture in crisis. I explore what radical hope may look like today, arguing how it should broadly affect our environmental character and that a framework for future environmental virtues will involve a diminished place for valuing naturalness as autonomy from human interference.     

浅谈生态道德观对环境科学发展的指导

针对环境科学的特点,立足于长远发展,从生态哲学角度分析了生态道德观对环境科学技术的重要价值。分析认为应用生态的观点来学习和研究环境科学,才能达到最大程度防治的目的;合理融入生态观念的环境治理技术有利于经济发展;生态道德观是环境科技工作者必备的品质和环境科学发展的动力。通过这三个方面的分析得出环境科学技术的发展必须以生态道德观为指导的结论。另外本文从纵向和横向分析了生态道德观在指导环境科学技术发展过程中存在的问题并提出了相应的措施和建议。     

Vegetarianism, Sentimental or Ethical?

In this paper, I provide some evidence for the view that a common charge against those who adopt vegetarianism is that they would be sentimental. I argue that this charge is pressed frequently by those who adopt moral absolutism, a position that I reject, before exploring the question if vegetarianism might make sense. I discuss three concerns that might motivate those who adopt vegetarian diets, including a concern with the human health and environmental costs of some alternative diets, a concern about inflicting pain on animals, and a concern with the killing of animals. While I argue that vegetarianism does not make sense in some situations, I hope that this paper shows that there are many good reasons why the adoption of vegetarian, and—even more so—vegan diets might be appropriate in some situations. In carving out this position, I focus primarily on the question whether a morally relevant distinction between the killing of plants and the killing of animals should be made. I engage primarily with the views of two of the most prominent authors on this issue, arguing that neither Peter Singer nor Tom Regan provide a satisfactory account on the ethics of killing nonhuman organisms. Two views are challenged in particular, the view that relatively simple animals such as molluscs, as well as plants, lack awareness, and the view that animals without a preference to continue living stand to lose little or nothing by being killed. I provide some evidence to support the claim that many share my view that it is more problematic to kill animals than to kill plants, before analyzing why some suppress the negative feelings they associate with killing animals. By exploring these issues I hope to shed some light on the issue of whether the feelings of those who adopt vegetarianism are sentimental or make sense, and to stimulate reflection amongst those with an interest in food ethics.     

ECO-ENGINEERING-THE CHALLENGE OF RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT1

It is presumed that the present environmental thrust is not a wholly transitory fad; that there will be a residual impact on American society which will demand greater consideration in the future of ecological and environmental values by resource developers and public works agencies. An example is cited to show the validity of the environmental thrust and the severe consequences of ignoring it under the present emphasis on this aspect of resource development. An attempt is made to understand some of the reasons for the dramatic change in public attitude toward the environment and opposition to projects of apparent benefit to society. It is suggested that basic changes in philosophy and concept will be necessary in the field of resource development. Some broad ecological and developmental guidelines are provided in the interest of implementing environmental considerations. Finally, those involved in resource development and public works are challenged to accept the concept of eco-engineering; a concept combining the competing elements of resource development and conservation.     

Shifts within ecological modernization in South Africa: Deliberation, innovation and institutional opportunities

Sustainable development is now widely accepted as a policy framework in planning and development both internationally and in South Africa. Within this framework, technocentric scientific approaches to environmental management, which are reflective of weak ecological modernization, have dominated environmental practice both in the developed and developing world. South Africa is a country in transition and as a result environmental law and policy have undergone significant reform. However, implementation and practice remains embedded within a weak ecological modernization approach. Through the lens of two case studies reflecting changing approaches and practices within state institutions, this paper explores the shifts taking place in the construction, adaptation and application of policy frameworks and tools used in the drive towards sustainability in South Africa. The research uses critical approaches to ecological modernization (Hajer, 1995; Christoff, 1996) and deliberative policy analysis (Hajer and Wagenaar, 2003; Hajer, 2003, 2003; Hajer, 2004) to explore these shifts. It suggests that the shift towards strong ecological modernization has taken place as a result of the adaptation of international practice to the South Africa context, the global acceptance of more integrated approaches, the opportunities for change that 'institutional ambiguity' and 'multi-signification' create, and pockets of innovation that have developed when intellectual actors shift the boundaries of environmental practice.     

流域环境司法机制的发展：从环境法庭到环境法院

为促进流域的司法保护,我国一些地方法院成立了专门的流域环境法庭。但从流域环境法庭和流域环境巡回法庭的实践情况来看,还不能满足流域整体性保护的需要,也不能适应流域法的发展需求。我国流域司法机制建设,宜从流域环境法庭逐渐转到流域环境法院。流域环境法院的建立在我国环境司法专门化进程中具有必要性和可行性。按照流域法的保护理念和环境司法专门化的要求,流域环境法院的建设首先要合理设置审判机构,其次要科学设计程序制度,为流域生态环境保护提供强有力的司法保障。     

Framing fracking: scale-shifting and greenwashing risk in the oil and gas industry

In this paper, I examine corporate environmental communication on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and industry efforts to shape public perception of resource extraction and its impacts on the environment. I look at how the oil and gas industry (OGI) frames fracking to ease public fear by downplaying risk and shifting its scale with rhetoric presenting the benefits of this emergent technology. Contrasting and building on ecological modernisation versus risk society ideas, I use OGI print advertising supplemented by corporate social responsibility statements and other online material to critically evaluate framing in light of the practice of corporate greenwashing. Findings reveal OGI efforts to positively portray fracking in the interest of unfettered resource extraction and profits from energy production. Several themes emerge in OGI framing rhetoric, starting with the establishment of trust through education and claims of transparency and continuing with ideas touting safety and responsibility, scientific progress, economic benefits and jobs, energy security, environmental protection, and sustainability. On the whole, such rhetoric reflects ecological modernisation ideas that shift the perception of risk and its consequences, framing fracking in a way that obscures the negative impacts of dependency on a fossil fuel-based economy.     

国家环境经济政策进展评估报告：2017

环境经济政策是生态文明建设的重要组成部分,是实现绿色发展的核心政策之一,创新运用环境经济政策受到高度重视。经过多年的探索发展,我国已经基本建立了自上而下与自下而上相结合的环境经济政策体系。为了更好地为有关决策和政策制定提供定量化信息,提高政策设计和决策的科学性,本文采取实地调研法和政策分析方法,对2017年度我国重点环境经济政策的年度进展进行了系统评估,并指出了下一步环境经济政策改革需要解决的关键问题。总体上看,2017年是环境经济政策建设取得重要进展的一年,环境税费、生态补偿、绿色金融等政策取得了阶段性突破,但是我国的环境经济政策体系仍不够完善,服务于生态文明建设以及环境质量改善的环境经济政策仍然存在结构性短缺,因此,应积极推进环保投融资、生态环境补偿等环境经济政策的创新运用,为环境质量改善、生态文明建设提供长效机制保障。     

理解生态文明:从哲学思想到国家发展战略

系统易懂地阐释生态文明概念,对于帮助国际社会清晰地理解和认识中国的生态文明,以及在全球视野下推进生态文明建设至关重要。中国政府提出的生态文明建设已经从过去传统的哲学思想上升为国家的发展战略,是具体的、可理解的、可操作的国家治理概念和术语。理解生态文明建设的要点包括:建设生态文明是中国国家发展总体战略的核心构成,是中国国家治国理念和发展战略的转变,是国家环境与发展转型的整体性战略,其路径是将生态文明融入到经济、政治、社会和文化等领域建设的全过程和各方面,其关键手段和工具是大幅提高经济绿色化程度,其主阵地和根本措施是加强环境保护。     

Species Extinction and the Vice of Thoughtlessness: The Importance of Spiritual Exercises for Learning Virtue

In this paper, I present a sample spiritual exercise—a contemporary form of the written practice that ancient philosophers used to shape their characters. The exercise, which develops the ancient practice of the examination of conscience, is on the sixth mass extinction and seeks to understand why the extinction appears as a moral wrong. It concludes by finding a vice in the moral character of the author and the author’s society. From a methodological standpoint, the purpose of spiritual exercises is to create a habit of thoughtfulness in the writer, and by way of teaching, to suggest one to the reader. Such a habit is important, at least, because virtue is a habit. In other words, there can be no learning of virtue itself without habituation into it. Accordingly, I frame the sample spiritual exercise with a deliberately controversial objection to contemporary academic virtue ethics and with a justification for why the spiritual exercise is important for taking virtue ethically. And I end the paper with some further remarks explaining the form of the exercise and its relevance to doing philosophy. In this way, the paper makes and illustrates a methodological point about virtue ethics based on a meta-ethical assumption about virtue as a habit, and it does this by focusing on a pressing environmental problem in the twenty-first century.     

国家环境经济政策进展评估报告2018

2018年是环境经济政策建设取得重要进展的一年,《关于全面加强生态环境保护 坚决打好污染防治攻坚战的意见》等中央文件对环境经济政策建设提出了新形势需求,环境财政、环境价格、生态补偿、绿色金融等政策取得了阶段性突破,但是我国的环境经济政策体系仍不够完善,服务于生态文明建设以及环境质量改善的环境经济政策仍然存在结构性短缺,需要积极推进环保投融资、生态补偿等环境经济政策的创新运用,为环境质量改善、生态文明建设提供长效政策机制。     

区域环境司法协作的理论溯源与制度回应——以长三角地区为例

区域环境司法协作是区域环境资源审判一体化发展的重要面向。而区域环境司法协作的运行机理在于对生态环境整体主义的遵循、对司法理性所蕴含的价值目标的践行以及对协同理论的运用。目前,长三角地区在区域环境司法协作方面已经进行了积极探索,但仍面临着法治实践异化、制度生态化不足、保障机制缺乏等问题。本文建议区域环境司法协作应在把握司法权属性基础上恰当处理政策与法律的互动关系,加强协作制度体系对生态环境利益的考量和保护,并通过信息、人员与考核等保障机制充分激发协作主体的内生动力和活力。     

对建立广西生态补偿机制的探讨

广西地处生态脆弱和敏感地区,经济发展相对落后,生态环境与经济发展平衡问题亟须解决。从广西生态补偿实践来看,在取得成效的同时存在补偿资金少、补偿效率低和缺乏统一规范的管理等问题,基于这些问题提出了适合广西的生态补偿办法,为构建广西生态补偿机制建言献策。     

全球气候治理主体共同体化现状、问题与深化路径

在全球治理和国际秩序加速变革等大变局背景下,全球气候治理体系和秩序正在经历深刻变化。全球气候问题需要全球气候治理的主体去认知与改造,主体在全球气候治理进程中有着关键性影响。当前全球气候治理主体的内涵和外延在持续变化,最值得关注的变化就是全球气候治理主体走向共同体化,并且正在形成一种规范。全球气候治理主体间在利益、责任与命运关系的演化,对更大范围的、更深程度的主体关系提出了新要求。本文基于近年来全球气候治理实践,分析了全球气候治理主体共同体及其关系的发展情况与趋势,同时分析人类命运共同体如何引导全球气候治理主体共同体及其关系,以更好聚焦国际社会应对气候变化的首要因素,开启全球应对气候变化新征程。