The Political Sociology of Environmental Degradation and Protection I

Abstract

Environmental challenges abound, with some states, sometimes, addressing such challenges. In confronting the climate crisis, policymakers are beginning to enact ambitious policies, and dedicating the kinds of funds required to achieve a major transition in the world’s energy systems. Nevertheless, progress remains slow, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, and democracies are showing worrying signs that they simply be unable to stop catastrophic damage to key planetary systems. Whatever the outcomes end up being, there will be serious distributional consequences—across nations, income groups within nations, generations, and other divides. Behind policymakers' actions or inactions lie the influences of public opinion, organized interest groups, political institutions, and policymakers' own beliefs and agendas. This panel includes papers concerned with key policy outcomes, and the factors underlying those outcomes, particularly public attitudes and industry lobbying. Putting nations' progress on problems such as climate change in comparative perspective both raises questions and helps answer why some are leaders and some laggards. For example, what are the reasons motivating opponents of environmental protection, and the techniques by which they seek to block the introduction of new climate and environmental policies? The panel will also investigate the choices and behaviors of individual consumers, as their decisions will facilitate and accelerate or hinder and delay the ecological transition. Spanning the micro- and macro- levels, how are the actions of different kinds of households, in different national contexts, helping or preventing progress in confronting the global climate crisis?

Title	Details
Generational Perspectives on Western European Democracy:The changing influence of political and economic drivers of satisfactionwith democracy	View Paper Details
Micro-level decoupling: Explaining low-emission behaviors among high-income earners in Australia and the United Kingdom	View Paper Details
"Climate policy kills jobs": Unveiling economic fears and ideological motives behind policy resistance	View Paper Details
Climate action close to home: The role of public attitudes and policy responses in reducing emissions	View Paper Details