Ideology and Politics: Essential Factors in the Path Toward Sustainability

Abstract

With Kyoto protocol coming into force we can expect media attention to focus on governments' efforts to reduce global warming. While some have questioned how effective such efforts will be due to number of countries who have not signed on (notably USA), potential effectiveness of efforts to combat climate change, and more generally to achieve a sustainable society, can better be understood in light of ideological and socio-political contexts. This paper argues that ideology and socio-political structure are essential considerations in path toward a sustainable society. Four models are discussed in terms of their potential to achieve sustainability. The review of ecological devastation, much of it occurring in past 100 years, exposes our to be an economy (Berry, 1997). An extractive depletes non-renewable resources, exploits renewable resources beyond their capacity to survive, and causes irreparable damage to land, sea and air (see Coates, 2003a; Foster, 1999; McLaughlin, 1993; Trainer, 1985). Further, production of toxins along with industrial and domestic effluent greatly exceeds healing and regenerating capacities of Earth (see Colborn, Dumanoski & Myers, 1997). The Earth cannot cope with such excesses as human activity has changed chemistry of planet and altered eco-systems upon which modern civilization depends. In fact, no eco-system on Earth is free from pervasive influence of chemical discharges (Vitousek, Mooney, Lubchenko, & Melillo, 1997). Accompanying this environmental impoverishment has been human exploitation and impoverishment (see Chossudovsky, 1998; Kassiola, 1990; Korten, 1995; Latouche, 1993). Despite considerable information and public attention to environmental concerns, people at large and many businesses and governments have not been motivated to take these seriously and have not engaged in effective action toward sustainable practices. It is our contention that major reasons for this lack of concern and action stem from Western society's embeddedness in a particular set of values, beliefs and assumptions, and a socio-political structure, which are at foundation of public and individual action. It is this embeddedness in assumptions and beliefs of modernity, which Spretnak refers to as 'denial of real' (1997), within context of liberal capitalism that stands in way of people and governments developing effective responses to, and also becoming involved in, promotion of environmental and social justice. This system of beliefs, referred to as modernity, places absolute confidence in technology and science, and has unquestioned confidence in consumer-oriented and market-driven and development. Paul Hawken captures this when he states that modernity has quite naturally produced a dominant commercial culture that believes all resources and social inequities can be resolved through development, invention, high finance and - always growth (1993, p. 5). Exploitation and destruction, along with development, are outcomes of modern society and in particular, its values and beliefs, and political structure. While this belief system has had many achievements it has also had its dark side (Capra, 1982) - environmental and social injustice. However, many people are so embedded in modernity that they are incapable of recognizing that it is the structures and processes of everyday life that cause environmental destruction and social injustice (Coates 2003a, p. 27). Sadly, most people have not explored assumptions and beliefs which inform their own, and their society's actions. Successful environmental and social justice initiatives will not be forthcoming in absence of a critical examination of foundational beliefs and socio-political contexts. It is essential to recognize that Environmental are ... social and cultural issues (Rogers, 1994, p. …