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Author: National Research Council Publisher: National Academies Press ISBN: 0309134412 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 322
Book Description
Federal agencies have taken steps to include the public in a wide range of environmental decisions. Although some form of public participation is often required by law, agencies usually have broad discretion about the extent of that involvement. Approaches vary widely, from holding public information-gathering meetings to forming advisory groups to actively including citizens in making and implementing decisions. Proponents of public participation argue that those who must live with the outcome of an environmental decision should have some influence on it. Critics maintain that public participation slows decision making and can lower its quality by including people unfamiliar with the science involved. This book concludes that, when done correctly, public participation improves the quality of federal agencies' decisions about the environment. Well-managed public involvement also increases the legitimacy of decisions in the eyes of those affected by them, which makes it more likely that the decisions will be implemented effectively. This book recommends that agencies recognize public participation as valuable to their objectives, not just as a formality required by the law. It details principles and approaches agencies can use to successfully involve the public.
Author: Thomas C. Beierle Publisher: Resources for the Future ISBN: 9781891853548 Category : Law Languages : en Pages : 162
Book Description
Based on data from 239 case studies covering three decades, this study evaluates the success of public participation and identifies the contextual factors that lead to it. The authors argue that public participation has led to better environmental policy and has helped resolve the mistrust that often accompanies environmental controversies. They specifically advocate intensive problem-solving processes, and identify participant motivation and agency responsiveness as key factors for success. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.
Author: National Research Council Publisher: National Academies Press ISBN: 0309134412 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 322
Book Description
Federal agencies have taken steps to include the public in a wide range of environmental decisions. Although some form of public participation is often required by law, agencies usually have broad discretion about the extent of that involvement. Approaches vary widely, from holding public information-gathering meetings to forming advisory groups to actively including citizens in making and implementing decisions. Proponents of public participation argue that those who must live with the outcome of an environmental decision should have some influence on it. Critics maintain that public participation slows decision making and can lower its quality by including people unfamiliar with the science involved. This book concludes that, when done correctly, public participation improves the quality of federal agencies' decisions about the environment. Well-managed public involvement also increases the legitimacy of decisions in the eyes of those affected by them, which makes it more likely that the decisions will be implemented effectively. This book recommends that agencies recognize public participation as valuable to their objectives, not just as a formality required by the law. It details principles and approaches agencies can use to successfully involve the public.
Author: Frans H. J. M. Coenen Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media ISBN: 140209325X Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 212
Book Description
Public Participation and Better Environmental Decisions is about a specific ‘promise’ that participation holds for environmental decision-making. Many of the arguments for public participation in (inter)national environmental policy documents are functional, that is to say they see public participation as a means to an end. Sound solutions to environmental problems require participation beyond experts and political elites. Neglecting information from the public leads to legitimacy questions and potential conflicts. There is a discourse in the literature and in policy practice as to whether decision-making improves in quality as additional relevant information by the public is considered. The promise that public participation holds has to be weighed against the limitations of public participation in terms of costs and interest conflicts. The question that Public Participation and Better Environmental Decisions seeks to answer for academics, planners and civil servants in all environmental relevant policy fields is: What restricts and what enables information to hold the ‘promise’ that public participation lead to better environmental decision-making and better outcomes?
Author: F. Coenen Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media ISBN: 9401153302 Category : Technology & Engineering Languages : en Pages : 328
Book Description
It is clear that our society must become a more sustainable one. To that end, we must change both our production and our consumption patterns. Some argue that this implies the abolition of democratic processes, and thus of citizens' participation in environmental policy. Others argue the opposite: the only way to avoid impending environmental disaster is by engaging in common deliberation and contemplation. Is participation, then, a negative force or not? This volume is one of the first coordinated attempts to study the relationship between democratic, participatory forms of decision making and the quality of environmental decisions. The central question is how can the normatively desirable practice of participatory decision making be combined with an effective approach to environmental issues? Guided by a theoretical introduction by the editors, the 15 chapters deal with topics ranging from the scale of environmental problems, local agenda 21, infrastructural decisions, strategic planning, to environmental policy in developing countries. Three chapters are devoted to each of these broad themes. Each presents either a theoretical or an empirical argument about the central research question, shedding light on such issues as the measurement of decision quality, participation techniques, and the link between participation and decision quality, drawing on experience gained in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa. The introductions to the individual parts of the book have been collectively written by the contributors, who represent a range of professional disciplines, including political science, public policy and planning.
Author: Mark J. Smith Publisher: Zed Books Ltd. ISBN: 1848136617 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 235
Book Description
Citizenship and the environment are hotly debated, as climate change places more responsibility on individuals and institutions in shaping policy. Using new evidence and cases from across the globe, Environment and Citizenship explores the new vocabulary of ecological citizenship and examines how successful environmental policy-making depends on the responsible actions of citizens and civil society organizations as much as on governments and international treaties. This accessible and thought-provoking book: - provides a comprehensive and timely guide to the debates on environmental and ecological citizenship, expertly combining examples of practice with theory; - examines how environmental movements have become increasingly involved in governance processes at the local, national, regional and intergovernmental levels; - explores the increasing importance of corporations and transnational networks through examples of stakeholding processes and participatory research in environmental decision-making; - calls on researchers, policy-makers and activists to face a new challenge: how to effectively link environmental justice with social justice. Breaking new ground, Smith and Pangsapa address how environmental responsibility operates through politics, ethics, culture and the everyday experiences of ctivists, as well as how awareness of environmental and social injustice only leads to responsible actions and strategic change through civic engagement.
Author: Ortwin Renn Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media ISBN: 0792335171 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 408
Book Description
A vital issue facing the citizens and governments of modern democracies is the direct participation of the public in the solution of environmental problems. Governments are increasingly experimenting with approaches that give citizens a greater say in the environmental debate. Fairness and Competence in Citizen Participation addresses a crucial question: How can we measure the performance of the citizen participation process? A novel approach to the problem is taken by viewing public participation as an act of communication. Drawing on Jürgen Habermas' Critical Theory of Communication, a normative framework is developed around the central area of citizen participation and competence in knowledge verification. A milestone on the road of citizen participation and applied critical theory, the book provides a sound theoretical and methodological basis for the systematic evaluation of models for environmental discourse. Eight models of citizen participation are studied, from North America and Europe. Each model is evaluated and criticized in paired chapters written by prominent scholars. Audience: Planners and citizens alike will find pragmatic advice in the evaluations.
Author: Kathleen P. Hunt Publisher: State University of New York Press ISBN: 1438477074 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 358
Book Description
Breaking Boundaries analyzes efforts made by communities and policy makers around the world to push beyond conventional approaches to environmental decision making to enhance public acceptance, sustainability, and the impact of those decisions in local contexts. The current political climate has generated uncertainty among citizens, industry interests, scientists, and other stakeholders, but by applying concepts from various perspectives of environmental communication and deliberative democracy, this book offers a series of lessons learned for both public officials and concerned citizens. The contributors offer a broader understanding of how individuals and groups can get involved effectively in environmental decisions through traditional formats as well as alternative approaches ranging from leadership capacity building to social media activity to civic technology.
Author: National Research Council
Author: Thomas C. Beierle
Author: National Research Council
Author: Frans H. J. M. Coenen
Author: Stephen P. Depoe
Author: United States. Environmental Protection Agency
Author: W. Michele Simmons
Author: F. Coenen
Author: Mark J. Smith
Author: Ortwin Renn
Author: Kathleen P. Hunt