Justice and a Sustainable Economy - Assignment Example

Name Tutor Course Date Justice and a Sustainable Economy Introduction Alternatives for Community & Environment Inc., define sustainability as essentially a matter of equity and justice (7). Economic sustainability and justice give simultaneous results; one simply cannot happen without the other. This intersection of sustainability and social justice is referred to as environmental justice. The policy decisions made in this present day will determine who will have opportunities for many generations to come. The United States is waiting for action on a comprehensive climate change bill, as its troubled economy seeks impetus from the billions of dollars injected into it from the Stimulus. President Obama has put emphasis on the need of making the correct choices for generations to come (Alternatives for Community & Environment 6). Globally, there are many promising plans that bring to focus the need to adjust humanity towards more just and sustainable futures. The target for these plans is the attainment of environmental justice. Environmental justice is a US initiated concept that activists in the global South refer to as the ‘brown’ antipollution, antipoverty agenda. The brown agenda is mainly concerned with promotion of affordable housing, clean drinking water, and infrastructure planning (Agyeman & Ogneva-Himmelberger 3). At the other end of the spectrum is what is referred to as sustainable development. This is referred to as the ‘green’ agenda and because it predominantly environmental (Dobson 83). The green agenda’s highlights are the preservation of biodiversity and reduction in waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Other ‘midway’ agenda that arise when one seeks to understand justice and sustainable economies are the ‘human security’ agenda and the ‘just sustainability’ agenda. The human security agenda addresses the three pillars of human, state and environmental security and seeks ways for enabling sustainable development through their integration. On the other hand, the key concerns of just sustainability are quality of life, justice and equity, living within ecosystem limits, and present and future generations (Agyeman & Ogneva-Himmelberger 4). At its conception, environmental justice emerged as an opposition to unjust and polluting practices by industry. However, at present, many communities that have bought into the idea have moved beyond simply opposing to being proactive and proposing better ways of conducting business (Alternatives for Community & Environment 3). These modern day solution based approaches are aimed at mitigating environmental degradation, building community political power and enhancing the overall quality of life. It is therefore fairly common to witness communities involved in exploring alternative energy solutions and participating in urban design discussions with both public and private sectors partners. We cannot talk about true sustainability without the participation of its resident community. Moreover, the participation most sought under the true sustainability concept is for those who have been marginalized throughout history through inequitable economic and environmental practices. Participative decision making is important when we talk about sustainability. This is critical to ensure effective long term solutions are captured in the decisions made. So far, government policies have been benefiting a privileged few which goes against supporting real sustainability. True sustainability needs to ensure that new public investment builds long term community leadership and infrastructures. In addition to that, this concept seeks to develop community-driven models that will build wealth, open up opportunities, and pile up assets within local communities (Alternatives for Community & Environment 3). All environmental justice groups tend to be characterized by either: their striving for full democratic participation, or their activity of building capacity for a truly sustainable infrastructure and green economy or their passion for creating and sharing green wealth. It is for this reason that we find that different environmental justice groups, coming from different urban and rural communities across different nations, facing similar situations and exploring common approaches in their work. It is argued that within the American context the federal government’s policies with regards to economic sustainability and justice have the potential to bring about massive social shifts. Such policies would be comparable to those that were brought about by the Industrial Revolution or the New Deal. For the concept of a sustainable economy to catch on in the US then radical changes such as redefining wealth and the American Dream may need to be inculcated into the US population. The American people need to be guided away from their throw-away consumer culture, over-reliance on fossil fuels and over-consumption of the Earth’s resources. Those communities that have historically been on the receiving end of environmental degradation should now be empowered to take part in decision making before policies are developed. They must also be empowered to hold policy makers accountable for the decisions arrived at. An American case The days when all that activism entailed was nay saying, carrying placards and holding rallies are no more. Modern activism has the additional challenge of providing solutions to every no said. For example in Chula Vista, California the extension of a fossil fuel power plant was prevented by successful protests led by the Environmental Health Coalition. The demography at Chula Vista is typical for those that are known to endure the most devastating effects of environmental degradation and unsustainable economies i.e. over 80% of residents are people of color and 16% of them have a livelihood below the poverty line. In this case, the San Diego based Environmental Health Coalition rallied the community and supported protests which eventually convinced the California Energy Commission to deny the fossil fuel power plant a permit in June 2009 (California Energy Commission 2). In its campaign against the plant, Environmental Health Coalition (EHC) also drafted a detailed energy plan that described the rationale and benefits for alternatives such as solar arrays on rooftops and parking lots, repair of transmission lines, and improvement of residential energy efficiency. EHC went ahead to provide expert testimony, positive feasibility analysis and the cost effectiveness for the venture. Environmental Health Coalition’s investigation in to alternative sources of energy demonstrated to the California Energy Commission that they could generate triple to quadruple times more energy than the proposed expansion would have (Toxinformer 3). A global case: the former Soviet Union In the mid-1990s the FSU countries were characterized by severe economic failure, eroding social and health care systems and increasing crises in ecological, environmental, and public health. This period witnessed both political and economic turmoil within these countries. The cause of this tension within the former Soviet Union (FSU) republics was a direct result of the change from Communist rule to independence and market economies. For FSU republics in the Caucasus and Central Asia socioeconomic problems stand out like a sore thumb. These societies are characterized by an unstable, transitioning market economy, massive unemployment and rampant poverty. These issues are made worse by the continued decline in income for the majority and a rise in income inequality (Agyeman & Ogneva-Himmelberger 2). The question that probably arises now is that which seeks the role of justice and sustainable economics in all this. Steps have been taken by the FSU republics with regards to the creation and implementation of legislation aimed at protecting and improving the environment and public health yet most of these legislations have been rendered ineffective by a relentless recentralization of power and a failure of implementation. We also must acknowledge that most of these former Communist republics are still struggling to achieve economic and political stability. That being the case, Agyeman and Ogneva-Himmelberger observe that pro-justice and sustainability activists could end up competing with each other for political attention, financial investments and civic involvement (4). From the lessons about the challenges and triumphs made by the post-Soviet transitioning economies and societies we could learn some broad lessons that could be used to develop appropriate approaches for use in other emerging economies. Firstly, we have learnt that political leaders are more concerned with the establishment of stable and functional market economies at the expense of everything else. That which is required by emerging economies though is the know-how, will and financial capacity to come up with win-win just and sustainable strategies. We have learnt from the FSU republics that leaving the entire process for the development of strong environmental agenda will only stymie the efforts of both government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Secondly, there is still a divide between environmental campaigns (the green agenda) and antipoverty campaigns (the brown agenda). The splitting of these two agenda has an overall weaker impact and influence if compared to having a single broader movement that seeks to attain justice and economic sustainability. Finally, addressing issues of environmental justice and sustainable development was difficult because the legacy of Communism had ingrained obstacles to the democratization of the former Soviet Union (FSU) countries’ civil societies (Agyeman & Ogneva-Himmelberger 5). Findings We probably need to understand some of the factors that led the world to be in the current state that it is and why we are in dire need of having justice and sustainable economies. It has been tested and proven by Western capitalist economies that income inequality has a great impact on the welfare of the poor. The greater the income inequality the worse the public health and welfare is for the lower-income communities. Bennett informs us that according to Her Majesty’s Government’s own report into inequality, the divide between rich and poor in the United Kingdom is at an all time high since the Second World War (para 1). What aggravates the situation is the fact that the British government has spent billions of pounds in programs aimed at narrowing the gap in the past 10 years. Have these funds all gone to waste? The report brings out a worrying statistic that shows the class divide now opening up among children as young as three years old. Note that in income inequality, the Great Britain is ranked in seventh place, paces behind countries such as the US, Mexico and Turkey. Michael Edelstein adds that another reason why the world is where it is results from what he refers to as a ‘contaminating culture.’ This culture was spread by the two superpowers then, i.e. Russia and the United States. This two superpowers at the height of the Cold War favored industrialization and militarization at the cost of the environment. Additionally, the race for might during the Cold War set the two nations on separate paths of technological and social development. Use of civilian nuclear power and hazardous chemicals begun to proliferate via Edelstein’s contaminating culture hypothesis at the expense of the environment (Edelstein 1). To confront this toxic legacy, the world must acknowledge its ecocide of the past and promote grassroots efforts to create a sustainable economy. We cannot fail to look at another key contributing factor to this state of affairs in the world, globalization. Due to the increased volume of trade and business globally the explosive growth of the global economy is now threatening the natural systems that sustain life on Earth. Traditional environmental protection techniques have become less and less effective. For this reason, most environmental policies in the world are in transition. It has become evident that the traditional regulatory system has become less effective therefore stakeholders have begun to look at new approaches like voluntary, performance-based environmental initiatives. New concepts have arisen out of the need to mitigate social conflicts resulting from sharing of environmental risks, the loss of access to natural resources and the burdens of pollution. Most of these conflicts are a result of economic growth occurring at the expense of the environment. Ecological Economics is a new field of study created by economists and ecologists who take nature into account to mitigate the clash between economy and environment. Ecological Economics puts inequality of values at the core of its analysis (Martinez-Alier 1). Guiding principles for social justice, wealth and sustainable economic activity (Konrad Adenauer Stiftung 1-4) Ten guiding principles have been proposed for anyone who seeks to put in place structures that will spread prosperity and social justice to the masses. The guiding principles are subsidiarity and solidarity. Subsidiarity forms and guarantees the space for individual initiative and responsibility while solidarity guarantees that the market economy is repeatedly legitimized by its orientation to the common good. The guiding principles are as follows: 1. Legal framework The basis for an efficient and sustainable economy depends on the existence of a reliable, legitimate and fully functioning system of law. It regulates elements and ensures that rules are followed thus creating the conditions necessary for a strong economy. Legal frameworks guarantee fair competition to the benefit of the society. 2. Property ownership and employment Private ownership is the basis of innovation and entrepreneurship. It provides the impetus for generating income through work which ultimately safeguards employment on a sustainable basis. Private ownership also manifests a competitive system where owners are liable for their economic activity through use of their personal property. Nevertheless, ownership needs to involve social obligations so that it is not abused for short-term profit-seeking at the expense of the society. 3. Competition as the basis Competition is manifested through performance and free availability of opportunity for all. It fosters progress and efficiency. A global competitive system should be based on the free determination of prices for optimal allocation of scarce resources. Sustained economic activity is driven by fully functional competition. 4. Application of the principle of liability Competition necessitates adherence to the principle of liability to curb participants from engaging in excessively risky or irresponsible behavior. 5. Stability of the economic environment This is important especially to national and international financial markets because a stable economic framework inspires investor and consumer confidence. To retain this confidence protectionist measures must be rejected. 6. Provision of public infrastructure In as much as we state that state intervention be limited within a market economy, provision of public goods must be guaranteed especially where the market is unable to provide them adequately. The state needs to guarantee provision of efficient infrastructure, educational opportunities, and access to healthcare if there is to be a just and sustainable economy. 7. Solidarity and social security The market economy has been accused for not being capable of preventing the development of income disparities and thus rendering certain sections of the population to be disadvantaged. Economic growth in the real sense is supposed to reduce poverty therefore a market economy requires effective social security systems for regional redistribution in order to preserve social peace. Social security systems also increase the level of participation in the development of the economy and society through the empowerment of a broader section of the populace. 8. Incentive compatibility A market economy relies on the attractiveness of taxation to businesses. These taxes must be designed in a way that they maximize performance incentives for businesses while also enabling the governments to have the capacity to offer good services to its citizens. 9. Sustainability Sustainability is an economic and moral obligation. It entails maintenance of nature and biodiversity for future generations. Moreover, an economic system can only be truly judged by its long term results in which case environmental responsibility and liability demonstrate sustainability. 10. Open markets With globalization here with us the importance of open markets internationally cannot be stressed further. The relevant international institutions must be given teeth to counter economic nationalism and protectionism. These global bodies should also come up with policies that are non-partisan, fair play oriented and that seek to establish and maintain open markets for trade. Recommendations For justice and economic sustainability to co-exist full and significant participation of all communities is pertinent for all spending decisions. To achieve this we give the following recommendations. 1. Actively seek the input of communities when developing policies. This will improve community buy-in which is necessary to stimulate the overall wealth and well being of all within their locality. 2. Researchers and policy makers need to tap the experience and wealth of knowledge from the communities they seek to serve. 3. Accountability, transparency and public reporting are vital to ensure equity therefore they should be integral characteristics of policies and decision making. 4. New evaluation tools need to be developed from time to time to monitor and measure the impact of policies with regards to their ability to sustain local ecologies and community togetherness. To ensure that investment is done only in truly sustainable infrastructure and economic development the following recommendations are given: 1. Focus should be on conserving energy and reducing costs for low and moderate income families. Homes and buildings should be built as affordable and as energy efficient as possible. 2. The priority for meeting the energy demands for a locality should be clear and structured as follows. The highest priority would in that case be energy efficiency followed by putting up mechanisms that promote energy demand reduction. Finally, ways through which the same energy could be obtained from renewable energy should be pursued and promoted if available. 3. Local and state governments should be encouraged to reduce carbon use through provision of incentives and resources necessary to pursue green forms of energy. 4. Develop a bias for funding infrastructure projects that promote equitable development, and smart growth principles. To create shared green wealth the following recommendations are given: 1. Invest in programs that promote community involvement and provide current residents with local benefits such as neighborhood revitalization and stabilization projects. 2. If government funding is to be used for job creation, these jobs should target hiring and training of the youth of between ages 18-24 years. This group is often the underemployed or unemployed. 3. Give priority to institutions that engage and support the disadvantaged communities through effective programs. Conclusion Increased economic and political interconnectedness promoted by the convergence of telecommunications with information communication technology (ICT) has led to increased competition and growth in many countries around the world. This rapid growth of global trade has opened up new opportunities, reduced poverty and strengthened the social infrastructure. Nevertheless, the economic chasm that separates the poor from the rich continues to grow larger. This unequal distribution of wealth is a key ingredient to the rising social and political tensions. Unfortunately, even the ubiquity of the internet, which has compressed the world into one digital village, has been unable to make peace; justice and freedom exist beyond conceptual frameworks and policies. We are in dire need of a shared commitment to sustainable economic activity. We must not let the positive effects of globalization be overshadowed. We need to develop shared principles and values that take into account and appreciate the diversity of cultures among us. We need to define the foundations upon which we shall build a consensus that promotes human dignity, justice and sustainable economies for the future generations. Works Cited Agyeman, Julian and Yelena Ogneva-Himmelberger. Environmental Justice and Sustainability in the Former Soviet Union. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2009. Bennett, Rosemary. “Gap between rich and poor ‘at its widest since the war’”. The Times, 27 Jan., 2010. “Chula Vista Energy Upgrade Project Final Commission Decision.” California Energy Commission. 17 June, 2009. 9 Apr. 2010. Dobson, A. ‘‘Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability: Ne’er the Twain Shall Meet?’’ Just Sustainabilities: Development in an Unequal World, Eds. J. Agyeman, R. D. Bullard, & B. Evans, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, (2003). 83–95. Edelstein, Michael “Cultures of Contamination: Legacies of Pollution in Russia and the U.S.” Research in Social Problems and Public Policy. 14. Stamford, CT: JAI Press, 2007. Alternatives for Community & Environment, ed. Environmental Justice and the Green Economy: A vision statement and case studies for just and sustainable solutions. Alternatives for Community & Environment, Inc., Roxbury, MA, 2010. Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, ed. Guidelines for Prosperity, Social Justice and Sustainable Economic Activity 8 Jul., 2009 Martinez-Alier, Joan. “Environmental Justice, Sustainability and Valuation.” Harvard Seminar on Environmental Values.21 Mar., 2000 “Victory in Chula Vista! EHC, residents defeat MMC power plant.” Toxinformer, 28.2, (2009): 3-4. Read More