Reassessing the History of U.S. Hazardous Waste Disposal Policy - Problem Definition, Expert Knowledge and Agenda-Setting

The authors show that in the 1940\u27s technical consensus began to develop about the effects of land-based waste disposal on groundwater degradation. They go on to explain why this understanding was only slowly reflected in federal legislation

Why Achieving the Paris Agreement Requires Reduced Overall Consumption and Production

Technological solutions to the challenge of dangerous climate change are urgent and necessary but to be effective they need to be accompanied by reductions in the total level of consumption and production of goods and services. This is for three reasons. First, private consumption and its associated production are among the key drivers of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, especially among highly emitting industrialized economies. There is no evidence that decoupling of the economy from GHG emissions is possible at the scale and speed needed. Second, investments in more sustainable infrastructure, including renewable energy, needed in coming decades will require extensive amounts of energy, largely from fossil sources, which will use up a significant share of the two-degree carbon budget. Third, improving the standard of living of the world’s poor will consume a major portion of the available carbon allowance. The scholarly community has a responsibility to put the issue of consumption and the associated production on the research and policy agenda

The Contested Politics of Corporate Governance: The Case of the Global Reporting Initiative

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has successfully become institutionalized as the preeminent global framework for voluntary corporate environmental and social reporting. Its success can be attributed to the “institutional entrepreneurs” who analyzed the reporting field and deployed discursive, material, and organizational strategies to change it. GRI has, however, fallen short of the aspirations of its founders to use disclosure to empower nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The authors argue that its trajectory reflects the power relations between members of the field, their strategic choices and compromises, their ability to mobilize alliances and resources, and constraints imposed by the broader institutions of financial and capital markets. The authors draw three notable implications from this study. First, institutional theory needs to pay more attention to economic structures, strategies, and resources. Second, institutional entrepreneurship by relatively weak societal groups such as NGOs is inherently constrained by the structural power of wider institutions and by the compromises required to initiate change. Third, the strategies of NGOs represent a form of power capable of shifting, if not transforming, the field of corporate governance

Transformation of the Environmental Regulatory System in Poland During the 1990s

This paper examines the transformation of environmental regulatory system in Poland during the 1990s. It is a case of institutional transplantation from the past into the present: the place remained constant but the economic and political context rapidly changed over time. Drawing on five case studies of privatized firms, a mailed questionnaire, and policy and institutional analysis, it investigates how Poland developed an effective system for managing industrial pollution while also achieving considerable socioeconomic progress. One key lesson is that considerable and effective evolution of policies can take place during radical shifts in the political-economic context, as long as certain conditions are fulfilled. These include a good fit between the approaches taken and the existing modes of conducting societal transactions; wide sharing of certain values among the key societal actors; and continuity in policies and institutions. It also appears that a broad support for the rule of law and due process are crucial. The case of Poland also suggests that, while the developing countries do not necessarily need to reenact the evolution that has taken place among the developed countries during the past three decades, neither can they expect to leapfrog from a highly polluting dirty economy to a sustainable economy. The study also suggests that success in the first phase of regulatory system\u27s transformation-centered around reducing pollution from the energy and manufacturing sectors-is not a predictor of its success in next phase, centered around sustainability issues. The types of institutions, political circumstances, and national capabilities are different for each phase. © 2007 Springer-Verlag

Management of Carcinogenic Air Emissions: A Case Study of a Power Plant

An adjudicatory hearing to determine the potential adverse effects of the carcinogenic and mutagenic emissions from a diesel power plant at Harvard University was conducted by the Massachusetts environmental agency. Emissions from the plant were characterized through monitoring of fine particles, soluble organic extract and 11 indicator compounds, and comparing them with automotive diesel emissions. Quantitative risk assessment included assessment of the facility’s contribution to ambient background and a comparison with emissions from mobile sources. The aggregate risk of cancer associated with 40 years of plant operation was estimated to range between 0 and 4 per 1.66 million people exposed. In 1986 the plant was permitted to operate on the grounds that the risks were not unreasonable. The significance of the decision extends beyond this one case; 1) in its decision the agency focused only on public health issues and disregarded all other social and economic costs or benefits; 2) the agency rejected a zero risk standard for carcinogens by explicitly accepting a small but nonnegligible risk as “reasonable”; 3) the agency did not define an absolute standard of risk acceptability and, therefore, implicitly recognized the attendant uncertainty. The case also illustrates a strong subjective component present in all risk assessments. © 1988 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Can Poland\u27s Success in Environmental Policy Reforms Translate Into Technological Innovation for Environment?

At the end of the first decade of transition to democracy and market economy, Poland has reversed the pattern of disregard for the environment, and achieved significant improvements in environmental quality, as measured by such indicators as air and water pollution and the pollution-intensity of GDP. These improvements in the environment have been achieved alongside of strong industrial growth and enhanced international competitiveness in many sectors of industry2. The rate of growth of Poland\u27s GDP during the 1990s has been among the highest in Europe (U.S. Department of Commerce 1999). Poland is now on the brink of accession to the European Union. How have these changes been achieved? Can the environmental improvements continue into the future? What is Poland\u27s capacity for major technological changes towards environmental sustainability? I address these questions from two entry points: institutional and cultural drivers of the improvement in environmental protection during the past decade; the status of the national system of innovation in Poland. The analysis draws on two sources: our four-year study of Poland\u27s environmental transition during the 1990s; and recent data on the status of research and development sector and the knowledge base of the country\u27s economy. The study we conducted included five detailed case studies of recently privatized firms, extensive policy and data analysis, interviews with key policy leaders, entrepreneurs and government officials, and a survey of over one hundred privately owned firms (Brown and Angel 2000; Brown et al. 2000). I conclude that the future direction of Poland\u27s environmental performance and technological innovation for sustainability are uncertain. While the institutional resiliency and a strive to compete in the global economy favor further progress, the limited R&D capacity and the low political profile of environmental sustainability are of concern. I identify two approaches that may achieve progress in the near future: strengthening the links between industry and academia as well greater internationalization of Polish universities; and greater reliance on policy instruments that promote investments into innovation and clean technologies. The case of Poland should be of interest to other developing economies. © Springer Berlin Heidelberg 2005

Sustainability Science Needs to Include Sustainable Consumption

A review of the course Readings in Sustainability Science and Technology—An Introduction to the Key Literature of Sustainability Science, by Robert Kates is presented