Hollow Ecology: Ecological Modernization Theory and the Death of Nature

Jeffrey A Ewing

doi:10.5195/jwsr.2017.611

Abstract

The last few decades have seen the rise of ‘ecological modernization theory’ (EMT) as a “green capitalist” tradition extending modernization theory into environmental sociology. This article uses a synthesis of political economy, world-systems theory, and political, economic, and environmental sociology to demonstrate that the EMT presumption of growth and profit as economic priorities (alongside its neglect of core-periphery relations) produces many feedback loops which fatally undermine the viability of EMT’s own political, technological, and social prescriptions, alongside creating problems for the fundamental EMT concept of ‘ecological rationality.’ Furthermore, this article attempts to explain why “green capitalist” approaches to environmental analysis have influence within policy and social science circles despite their inadequacies within environmental sociology. Finally, this article argues that in order to address the ecological challenges of our era, environmental sociology needs to reject “green capitalist” traditions like ‘ecological modernization theory’ which presuppose the desirability and maintenance of profit and growth as economic priorities (and predominantly fail to critique power imbalances between core and non-core nations), and instead return to the development of traditions willing to critique the fundamental traits of the capitalist world-system.

Highlights

I conclude that environmental sociology must reject and surpass “green capitalist” approaches like ecological modernization theory (EMT) if we are to help humanity respond in time to our common ecological crises, and I propose some steps for environmental sociology towards that end
While there is no universally accepted theory of the forces contributing to environmental change, two of the most influential traditions are (1) “green capitalist” approaches such as ecological modernization theory, and (2) critical environmental sociology, the latter grounded in approaches such as human ecology, political economy, and world-systems theory (Brulle 2010; Foster, Clark and York 2010; Pellow and Nyseth Brehm 2013)
Human ecology rejects human exemptionalist theoretical blinders, while Marxian political ecology highlights the impacts of profit-and-growth oriented production on ecological devastation and world-systems theory critiques the ecological impacts of the differential power between core and non-core nations

Summary

Introduction

While there is no universally accepted theory of the forces contributing to environmental change, two of the most influential traditions are (1) “green capitalist” approaches such as ecological modernization theory (whose analysis maintains the central features of the capitalist world-system), and (2) critical environmental sociology (holding capitalism necessarily responsible for our ecological ills, and pursuing both critical analyses and radical solutions), the latter grounded in approaches such as human ecology, political economy, and world-systems theory (Brulle 2010; Foster, Clark and York 2010; Pellow and Nyseth Brehm 2013).

Results

Conclusion