Investor attitudes toward the value of corporate environmentalism: New survey findings

During the past several years, an increasing body of evidence and opinion has formed concerning the relationships between advancements in environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) management and the financial performance of the organization. In recent work,¹ we have described a new theoretical model linking improvements in environmental management systems and environmental performance to corporate risk, stock volatility, and market value, as well as an empirical evaluation that validated our model. A number of other studies² have documented changes in the market value of corporate equity as a function of environmental accidents, incidents, and (conversely) accomplishments. These are in addition to the numerous examples presented in the literature and at EH&S conferences and symposia that suggest that concerted efforts to reduce the organization's environmental “footprint” can yield cost savings, increased market share, reduced time to market, and perhaps other financial benefits. Some have gone so far as to proclaim that a new era has begun, in which environment-friendly corporations will increasingly be recognized and rewarded by financial market participants, and organizations that lag behind will be severely penalized.³ This article documents a new survey undertaken to identify important environmental factors, if any, investors employ in evaluating the quality and worth of equity and debt financing instruments.     

Finding green in clean: Progressive pollution prevention at hyde tools

Hyde Tools, Inc., of Southbridge, Massachusetts, is a medium-sized firm employing about three hundred persons. In 1988, it learned of a company that eliminated its wastewater discharge after being threatened with massive Clean Water Act fines resulting from a suit brought by a Massachusetts environmental group. Hyde decided to devise a similar program to attain zero water discharge and do it within five years. More than 75 percent toward its goal, Hyde'S environmental success, detailed in this article, still relies heavily on the company'S Total Quality Management system and the efforts of a dedicated environmental staff. Hyde'S success typifies TQEM in action—showing how small continuous improvements can lead to significant financial paybacks.     

Where the Waters Divide: First Nations,Tainted Water and Environmental Justice in Canada

Abstract

We have survived Canada's assault on our identity and our rights … Our survival is a testament to our determination and will to survive as a people. We are prepared to participate in Canada's future—but only on the terms that we believe to be our rightful heritage.

Wallace Labillois, Council of Elders, Kingsclear, New Brunswick

This paper argues for a strengthening of the theoretical relationship between neo-liberalism and environmental justice. Empirical research involving First Nations communities in southwestern Ontario suggests that neo-liberal reforms introduced in the mid-1990s were particularly discriminatory against Canada's indigenous peoples, serving to exacerbate historical disparities in health, environment pollution, and well-being. In particular, under neo-liberal reform in Ontario, recognition of environmental injustices has become much more difficult for First Nations communities. Furthermore, this ‘new’ form of environmental governance has broadly reduced legitimate opportunities for First Nations to participate in environmental governance that affects their health and welfare. In short, this research supports a widening of the definition of environmental justice advocated by David Schlosberg and others (Environmental Politics, 13(3) (2004), pp. 517–540; Agyeman, Bullard and Evans 2003 Agyeman, J., Bullard, R. D. and Evans, B. 2003a. “Joined-up thinking: bringing together sustainability, environmental justice and equity”. In Just Sustainabilities: Development in an Unequal World, Edited by: Agyeman, J., Bullard, R. D. and Evans, B. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.  [Google Scholar]; Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment, Research Advisory committee 1997; Di Chiro 1998 Di Chiro, Giovanna. 1998. “Environmental Justice from the Grassroots: Reflections on History, Gender and Expertise”. In The Struggle for Ecological Democracy: Environmental Justice Movements in the United States, Edited by: Faber, D. NY: Guilford.  [Google Scholar]) if we are to understand the subtle, complex and multiple ways that this new form of environmental governance is particularly harmful to marginalized groups, such as First Nations in Canada.     

The Stakeholder Preference for Best Management Practices in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region

A qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 92 farmers and 42 policy managers in Wuxi County, the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, was conducted to identify stakeholder preferences for alternative best management practices (BMPs) and to determine the factors that affect their acceptance. Policy manager support for most of the practices was relatively stronger than support by farmers, except for the grade stabilization structure (GSS), hillside ditch (HD) and constructed wetland alternative, owing to their perceptions of soil benefits, economic advantages and environmental advantages. Farmers opposed those practices that occupied cultivated lands or changed the conventional planting methods, such as field border, conservation tillage (CT) and contour buffer strips. They tended to accept the BMPs with off-farm pollution reduction, such as GSS, riparian forest buffer and HD, and the BMPs associated with soil benefits, such as nutrient management and Terrace. The result that almost all respondents did not accept CT differed from reports in the existing literature. There is a significant correlation between the acceptance of some BMPs and the townships where the farmers lived (P ≤ 0.05). The environmental conditions and social factors would affect farmer support for BMPs, including local soil conditions, farming methods, economic income, education level and age. The economic advantages of the BMPs were the main motivation for farmers to accept the practices. Furthermore, intensive education efforts, financial incentives or economic subsidies may promote the adoption of the BMPs in our study area.     

Environmentalism and elitism: a conceptual and empirical analysis

The frequent charge that environmentalism is elitist is examined conceptually and empirically. First, the concept of elitism is analyzed by distinguishing between three types of accusations made against the environmental movement: (a)compositional elitism suggests that environmentalists are drawn from privileged socioeconomic strata, (b)ideological elitism suggests that environmental reforms are a subterfuge for distributing benefits to environmentalists and/or costs to others, and (c)impact elitism suggests that environmental reforms, whether intentionally or not, do in fact have regressive social impacts.The evidence bearing on each of the three types of elitism is examined in some detail, and the following conclusions are drawn: Compositional elitism is an exaggeration, for although environmentalists are typically above average in socioeconomic status (as are most sociopolitical activists), few belong to the upper class. Ideological elitism may hold in some instances, but environmentalists have shown increasing sensitivity to equity concerns and there is little evidence of consistent pursuit of self-interest. Impact elitism is the most important issue, and also the most difficult to assess. It appears that there has been a general tendency for environmental reforms to have regressive impacts. However, it is increasingly recognized that problems such as workplace pollution and toxic waste contamination disproportionately affect the lower socioeconomic strata, and thus reforms aimed at such problems will likely have more progressive impacts.This is Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station Journal article no. 11508.     

The object of environmental ethics

Since the term environmental ethics began to be used a generation ago, it has covered many different kinds of environmental notions, problems, ethical systems, and forms of behavior. A variety of cases are presented and examined under two terms,environmental ethics andecological morality, in an effort to illustrate different kinds of ethical objectives. In order to understand the connections between various strands of environmental ethics, personal and social values and subcultural norms of environmental ethics are examined under Christopher Stone's concept of moral pluralism. G. J. Warnock's notion of the general object of morality is proposed to integrate the variegated purposes of environmental ethics.     

The effects of social desirability on self-reported environmental attitudes and ecological behaviour

There are several claims in the literature that social desirability concerns affect people’s response to self-reported measures of environmental attitudes and ecological behaviour. However, only a few empirical studies have indirectly evaluated the impact of social desirability on environmental issues measures, and those who did have found only a low impact. This article describes two studies that explicitly address whether socially desirable responding has direct and moderating effects on self-reported environmental attitudes and ecological behaviour. Results from correlational and moderated multiple regression analyses from both studies showed that social desirability had only a weak direct effect on environmental attitudes (but not ecological behaviour), and had no moderating effect on the environmental attitudes–ecological behaviour relationship. Implications of these findings for research on environmental issues are discussed.

Environmental Impacts of the Use of Ecosystem Services: Case Study of Birdwatching

The main reason for promoting the concept of ecosystem services lies in its potential to contribute to environmental conservation. Highlighting the benefits derived from ecosystems fosters an understanding of humans’ dependence on nature, as users of ecosystem services. However, the act of using ecosystem services may not be environmentally neutral. As with the use of products and services generated within an economy, the use of ecosystem services may lead to unintended environmental consequences throughout the ‘ecosystem services supply chain.’ This article puts forward a framework for analyzing environmental impacts related to the use of ecosystem services, indicating five categories of impact: (1) direct impacts (directly limiting the service’s future availability); and four categories of indirect impacts, i.e., on broader ecosystem structures and processes, which can ultimately also affect the initial service: (2) impacts related to managing ecosystems to maximize the delivery of selected services (affecting ecosystems’ capacity to provide other services); (3) impacts associated with accessing ecosystems to use their services (affecting other ecosystem components); (4) additional consumption of products, infrastructure or services required to use a selected ecosystem service, and their life-cycle environmental impacts; and (5) broader impacts on the society as a whole (environmental awareness of ecosystem service users and other stakeholders). To test the usefulness of this framework, the article uses the case study of birdwatching, which demonstrates all of the above categories of impacts. The article justifies the need for a broader consideration of environmental impacts related to the use of ecosystem services.     

Culture,ethics, and the environment — Towards the New Synthesis

Summary This largely philosophical article argues that we need to examine the roots of our cultural worldview if we are to understand the causes of our global crises and current obstacles to desirable change. Calls for a new ethic are likely to be ineffectual in the absence of a challenge to the damaging dichotomy between fact and value that characterises our culture. However, the dominant worldview is under increasingly strong challege from organic systems thinking which has far-reaching implications, and which suggests that Western culture's dominant assumptions are not in accord with reality. If our culture, and individuals in it, are able to become more balanced, decisive desirable change could take place in society. This balance will involve the proper reintegration of ethical dimensions into thinking, based upon the recognition of the importance of the integrity of human communities and natural systems. This constitutes an emergent worldview and coherent philsophical framework to which many groups are already giving expression. It is imperative that this cultural change is understood and supported as it represents genuine hope for the future.After a teaching career in England and Canada, Stephen Sterling joined, as Assistant Director, the United Kingdom Council for Environmental Education (CEE). He was involved in writing the Education Report forThe Conservation and Development Programme for the UK, and has acted in an advisory capacity on a number of national and international documents on environmental education and environmental ethics. He has edited the CEE's journalReview of Environmental Education Developments for six years. The views expressed in this article are his own.     

Monitoring air pollution in Kano municipality by chemical analysis of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles for sulphur content

The distribution of environmental pollutant, sulphur, over Kano municipality was monitored on the basis of the chemical analysis of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles collected from randomly selected sampling points over the period 1995–1996. Of the five zones in which the municipal area was subdivided, two could be regarded as least polluted, two as moderately polluted and one zone as heavily polluted. The mean value of all measurements in the metropolis amounted to 1940 gg^–1 S with a co-efficient of variation of 38 percent.     

Environmental functions as a unifying concept for ecology and economics

Summary In spite of the increased awareness about many environmental problems, degradation and pollution of the natural environment by human actions still continue on a large scale. Some of the main reasons for man's continued abuse of the natural environment are the short-term nature of the economic planning process, which largely ignores the negative long-term effects of economic production on the environment (e.g. pollution), and the fact that the pricing system mainly concentrates on man-made goods and services while considering most natural resources to be free goods.This paper argues that environmental functions (i.e. natural goods are services) are at least as important to human welfare as man-made goods and services and should, therefore, be included in economic accounting procedures. To this end, it is suggested to replace the term natural resources by the concept of environmental functions and, efforts should be undertaken to increase our understanding of the ecological and socio-economic benefits of environmental functions to human society. Only when ecological principles become an integral part of economic planning and political decision-making is there a chance of achieving a happy global village based on harmony between man and nature.Rudolf S. de Groot is an environmental consultant and a Ph.D candidate in environmental planning and management in the Nature Conservation Department of the Agricultural University Wageningen. As a member of the IUCN Commission on Environmental Planning he is involved in the activities of the European Committee for National Conservation Strategies, to implement, monitor and update National and European Conservation Strategies.     

Public involvement in the EIS process

In the United States public involvement in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process is required by Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Guidelines, Executive mandates, and agency guidelines. Public participation after the initial Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and throughout the preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is desirable for it permits contributions from:

1. those who are directly affected by a proposed project.
2. individuals with expertise in environmental fields that may be affected by government action.

Early public participation can be useful in identifying environmental problems and potential sources of controversy. A systematic approach should be applied by government agencies to solicit public opinion throughout the preparation of the DEIS. Early, active, and meaningful participation particularly by those government and public segments most affected by the proposed project is a positive step towards effectively using the EIS as a management tool for mitigating impacts to the human environment. Here we discuss the role of public participation in the EIS process and develop an approach for initiating early and expressive public participation.     

Two paradigms of professional development in environmental education

Summary In environmental education in this information age, it is particularly important to adopt the approach of enquiring critically into the environmental, educational and social values informing environmental, educational and social actions when and where required, rather than to simply adopt the approach of emphasising the acquisition and retention of information of an alleged universal type — information drawn from the stockpile of objective knowledge collected by others. This paper argues that to achieve this aim, environmental education in an information age requires aparadigm shift in the areas of professional development — a shift from a paradigm of information technology to a paradigm of information critique. A perspective on the form of this paradigm shift in the particular field of professional development in environmental education is the subject of this paper.Dr Ian Robottom is Senior Lecturer in the Curriculum Studies Centre of the School of Education, at Deakin University, Australia. His main interests lie in teacher education, educational enquiry, and environmental education. He conducts an off-campus environmental education course (B.Ed level) for practising teachers studying at a distance, is a member of the Council of the Australian Association for Environmental Education., and Editor of theAustralian Journal of Environmental Education.     

An economic scenario that gives top priority to saving the environment rather than encouraging production growth

Summary Welfare, or satisfaction of wants, is not only dependent on produced goods but also on the quality of the environment, leisure time, income distribution, working conditions, employment and the safety of the future.The same amount of production and consumption requires more labour with environmental conservation than without. Under current conditions, environmental measures, nevertheless, often lead to a loss of jobs. The paper enunciates in which conditions environmental measures lead to more employment. In the scenario study the necessary environmental measures have been formulated, their effects on the environment have been estimated in physical terms and their costs in money terms. The (negative) consequences for production and the (positive) consequences for employment have been scanned with the aid of an econometric model.In the short term (20 years) the effect on production is less than expected, among others because employment is created for many jobless: part of the measures could be carried out free of charge. In the long term more measures have to be taken and the possibilities for an ever-growing production in the industrialized world will probably diminish.In the paper, it is explained why saving the environment is not only possible, but necessary as well, in order to evade overshoots in the future and to safeguard the living conditions for generations to come. The author sincerely hopes that studies like this will be elaborated for other countries. By then the politicians and the public might become convinced that it is possible and necessary to shift the priority of economic policy to saving the environment.Dr Roefie Hueting is Head of the Department for Environment Statistics, of the Netherlands Central Bureau of Statistics. In 1970, he published Wat is de natuur ons waard? (What is nature's value to us?), a collection of articles from the years 1967–1970 on the deterioration of the environment, and economic growth. In 1974, he took (cum laude) a doctor's degree, his thesis being entitled Nieuwe schaarste en economische groei. An updated version in English has been published, in 1980, under the title New Scarcity and Economic Growth. He has published numerous papers and articles on environmental problems, both in Dutch and English, for seminars, periodicals and collections.     

Environmental management auditing: When credentials count!

We all know that the process of driving a car is not as simple as turning a key in the ignition and moving. When you want to drive a car, you take a written test to show your knowledge of the rules of the road. You learn to operate a vehicle (remember the operating difference between a standard shift and an automatic?) and then how to operate that vehicle in moving traffic. After you have gained competence in vehicle operation, you take a “hands-on” driving test to prove to an independent third party (the State) that you know what you are doing. Then, if you do know, you are issued a license, subject to renewal and perhaps retesting at some later point in time. Your license has become your credential to operate. It implies a certain minimum level of knowledge and experience. Should environmental auditing be any different? This article considers the application of a uniform standard for environmental auditor qualification. With an emphasis on ISO 14001¹ and auditing of environmental management systems, it discusses:

• the evolution of environmental auditing;
• established environmental auditor qualification processes;
• limitations of compliance auditing; and
• characteristics of a good auditor.

     

Environmental damage — environmental expenditure 2: Statistical evidence on the Federal Republic of Germany

Summary In part one of this paper (The Environmentalist,1990, pp.301–309) it was shown that conventional economic accounting does not reveal the actual damage to the natural environment, although an ever-increasing share of the Gross National Product is being spent for environmental protection activities. In this, part two of the paper, on the basis of acceptable conventions, the results of an empiric research on defensive expenditures in the GNP are presented, again taking the Federal Republic of Germany as an example. The authors would like to see more research of this type in order to understand better the environmental impacts and the structural deficiencies of modern industrial society. Dr Christian Leipert and Professor Udo E. Simonis have contributed frequently toThe Environmentalist (see 1989, pp.171–183; 1990, pp.25–38; 1990, pp.301–309). Dr Leipert is research fellow, Dr Simonis is research professor at the environmental policy unit of the Science Center Berlin.     

Advocates for environmental justice: the role of the champion in public participation implementation

That segment of the community I would say is just in general pretty disenfranchised. We found that if you want participation you have to go to them. I mean there are days when you just need to go knock on the door.

Brownfields developer in a poor urban neighbourhood

This article considers the role that champions play as advocates for socioeconomically disadvantaged community member involvement in environmental management decision-making. Six case studies of brownfields redevelopment projects located in poor urban neighbourhoods are examined. Analysis of these case studies reveals how champion behaviour, which has typically been studied only in the context of technological innovation, is enacted in public participation efforts in the service of environmental justice. The study finds that champions who emerge in these settings lead the development and implementation of non-standard public participation process innovations.     

The Leading Canadian NGOs’ Discourse on Fish Farming: From Ecocentric Intuitions to Biocentric Solutions

The development of the aquaculture industry in Canada has triggered a conflict of a scope never seen before. As stated in Young and Matthews’ The Aquaculture Controversy, this debate has “mushroomed over the past several decades to become one of the most bitter and stubborn face-offs over industrial development ever witnessed in Canada” (Young and Matthews in The aquaculture controversy in Canada. Activism, policy and contested science. UBC Press, Vancouver, p 3, 2010). It opposes a wide variety of actors: from industrial investors, scientists, politicians and environmentalists to Native associations and communities, citizens groups and local stakeholders. The opposition is fierce between those in favor of a flourishing and modern aquaculture of industrial nature and those who fear the dreadful consequences of such an industry. In particular, the possible implementation of biotechnology innovations, such as a genetically modified salmon, has made this debate coextensive with the GMO debate, thus multiplying the opposition’s spectrum of arguments against the industry. Throughout the debate, Canadian environmental NGOs like the Suzuki Foundation and Greenpeace Canada have assumed leadership over the opposition to aquaculture development with certain success. Their participation in the debate features numerous ethical concerns related to environmental health, a respect for wilderness and local human communities. Such a position can be associated overall with a form of ecocentric ethics or concern. Nevertheless, a careful examination of the technical solutions proposed by these NGOs reveals their embeddedness in biocentrism. Through the example taken from the Canadian debate on aquaculture development, this paper aims to highlight the conceptual difficulty of enacting ecocentric ethical positions beyond formal arguments. Because ecocentrism implies a true paradigm shift, not only in mentality, but also in the way we conceive our technical interventions in nature, biocentrism remains an important practical method to enact ethical positions related to environmental concerns in public debates.     

The USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program: Needs,Establishment, and Goals of a Water Census

Many reports have recognized the need for a national water census for the United States and have called upon the U.S. Geological Survey to undertake this challenge. For example, the National Science and Technology Council stated: “The United States has a strong need for an ongoing census of water that describes the status of our Nation's water resource at any point in time and identifies trends over time.” Responding to the need for this information, the U.S. Congress established the SECURE Water Act. The directives are to provide a more accurate assessment of the status of the water resources of the United States; determine the quantity of water available for beneficial uses; identify long‐term trends in water availability; assist in determination of the quality of the water resources; and develop the basis for an improved ability to forecast the availability of water for future economic, energy production, and environmental uses. This article provides summary and new information on the process and progress on work to estimate water budget components nationwide, involvement of stakeholder interests, efforts to examine water‐use characteristics throughout the Nation, studies of water availability in geographically focused areas and the initiation of methods to provide open access to existing and new water resources information contributing to Open Water Data Initiative (OWDI) efforts and objectives.