Environmental Citizenship - Essay Example

Book review on: Dobson, Andrew, Citizenship and the environment, Oxford, Oxford Press, 2003. By of the Professor (Tutor) Name of the School (University) City Date For many years, environmental citizenship or ecology has been a topic of concern for scholars, activists, and environmental policy makers. They have not only tried to give the clear link between the two but also for a while decided to explore their applicability. Despite these debates, various scholars have avoided the issues, and citizenship views stay under-explored (Agyeman et al., 2006 p., 205). This provides the basis for the questions highlighted in the book. Dobson, Andrew, Citizenship and the environment as a book is unique in all ways and is the book that has attempted to offer solutions and clear understanding of the issues of environment and citizenship which was ignored traditionally. For several years, too the articulation of nationality, that was seen as being bequeathed by the liberal and civil Republican, has been given a new meaning. Dobson, Andrew, Citizenship and the environment as a book has in all ways tried to develop an original theory of citizenship. This can help answer to many questions of ecology and citizenship and as such assist the government in much-informed decision (Barry 2005 p., 35) Through the book, problems with environmental, human rights are clearly portrayed and comprehended. One problem that has been with many environmentalists globally when relating to environmental citizenship according to Dobson, Andrew is the claim citizens hold of anthropocentrism (Haugestad & Wulfhorst, 2004 p., 57). This is the assumption that there is always something morally important about human beings. In view of the book this special status that human place on them through their political thoughts and moral ideas can be considered as the primary cause of environmental problems. Furthermore, because it only human beings that are elevated to this status, environmental conflict necessitates. It is also a fact that environmental, human rights, which many beings possess can never in any way support the intrinsic value of the biosphere. On the other hand, a heated citizenry of ecological stewards could help understand citizenship human freedom in terms of a strong view of sustainability. These are basic, but important concepts that can further help understand the concept of the environment and citizen (Haugestad & Wulfhorst, 2004 p., 17). In view of the book, various arguments about environmental citizenship have risen to prominence over the past decades in the field of environmental politics, this debate over the years have generated discussion about the link that exist between ecology and democracy for citizens between the territories of the country. One of these debates has been centered on alternative philosophical models for citizens. Similarly, Dobson, Andrew, Citizenship and the environment can help understand the reason most governments around the globe have signed up to maintainable development and can afford to assume ecological citizenship as a way of getting there (Philp, 2012 p. 37). Thus, the government policies always revolve around financial sticks and carrots, although these leave individuals uncommitted to the views of sustainability and only to the rewards that are linked to it. Dobson contrasts citizenship with specifically fiscal incentives as a way of encouraging individuals to act more sustainably, in the credence that the former is more tied to the long-term and greater shifts of attitude and behavior that sustainability needs. Both citizenship and sustainability are always viewed with suspicion in liberal groups since they refuse to accept the inviolability of personal preferences. Dobson, hence, offers an original account of the link between sustainability and liberalism, arguing that the formers obligation to a plurality of conceptions of the perfect entails obligation to so-called high forms of the latter. Furthermore, Dobson, Andrew, Citizenship and the environment as a book offers the understanding of environmental citizenship for dealing with concerns of scale and many times boundary of formal political societies within contemporary nation –state (Hinchliffe, 2003 p., 15). It can be further argued that through the book, the problematic disconnect between special features of ecological challenges and conflict on one hand and historical containers of political societies on the contrary. It can be analyzed from the book that the notion of ecological foot- print provides a clear understanding and a proper way of constituting citizenship duties. According to facts and evaluation and combination of various issues related to the environment and citizenship, one can agree with Dobson view that this is a powerful and unique way of linking citizenship to human justice. The book gives a clear understanding of matters of the environment and citizenship (Haugestad & Wulfhorst, 2004 p., 177). Dobson, Andrew, Citizenship and the environment can help understand the reason most governments around the globe have signed up to maintainable development and can afford to assume ecological citizenship as a way of getting there (Philp, 2012 p. 7). Thus, the government policies more often than not thoroughly thought, and they end up contradicting this subject matter although these leave individuals uncommitted to the views of sustainability and only to the rewards that are linked to it. Dobson contrasts citizenship with specifically fiscal incentives as a way of encouraging individuals to act more sustainably, in the credence that the former is more tied with the long-term and greater shifts of attitude and behavior that sustainability needs. Both citizenship and sustainability are always viewed with suspicion in liberal groups since they refuse to accept the inviolability of personal preferences. Dobson, hence, offers an original account of the link between sustainability and liberalism, arguing that the formers obligation to a plurality of conceptions of the perfect entails obligation to so-called strong forms of the latter. Ecological citizenship is conceived as an expansion of liberal citizenship. By enshrining human environmental rights and even rights of participation in the constitutional setting, an environmental view to citizenship status would be rooted. Ecological citizenship is related to the state territory, and it is practiced fully in the public sphere (Dryzek et al., 2000 p., 36). In providing clear difference between these important subjects, Dobson, Andrew, citizenship and the environment has developed an alternative to both civic and liberal conceptions of citizenship that is called post-cosmopolitan. Moreover, this deals in currency of citizens’ duty as opposed to rights. It is true too that this approach to citizenship is the most appropriate. This is contrary to the historical conception of citizenship virtue which expresses it as a private sphere. This is never true since citizenship should be equated to the public sphere. However, ecological citizenship is best explained in post-cosmopolitan concepts. Dobson, Andrew, Citizenship and the environment most mainstream concept of citizenship is the fact of playing out reciprocal freedom and obligations between citizens and the territories of the country (Dryzek et al., 2000 p., 76). Good environment citizens do not just hold environment values and take action to deem policy change. Perhaps it is also important that the citizens should also play their part in the betterment of the environment (Fitzpatrick, 2011 p., 89). They should do this with responsibilities though. The types of responsibilities are usually listed under the concept of environment citizenship. These includes range of practices are the ones that lower environmental impact and the quality of degraded ecosystem. Universal environmental citizenship balances and mergers a strong concept of freedom with expectation from environmental responsibility. Environmental rights status implies that key components of social and ecological concerns carry a higher threshold of protection than both economic and political systems of decisions routinely allow. Critic can be laid further on the in Dobson, Andrew, citizenship and the environment most outstanding is the book claim that the way, to promote ecological citizenship, is on the voluntary assumption of individual duty (Dobson, 2003 p.,133). These historical ways of equating the citizenship and the environment is still unacceptable. This can be criticized a number of grounds most notably is insofar wrongly assumption citizens’ equality and an equitable division of labor that would allow all citizens the right time to fulfill their individual duties. Dobson, hence, offers an original account of the link between sustainability and liberalism, arguing that the formers obligation to a plurality of conceptions of the perfect entails obligation to so-called strong forms of the latter. Moreover, environmental political view and most views of this subject matter are integrally instrumental, in that citizens are labeled as a way to achieve the finalization of ecologist, while the essential virtues of citizenship, as well as its democratic dimension, are often deserted. Despite these critics, the book is highly rated and offers a clear picture of the subject matter. Dobson, Andrew, Citizenship and the environment as a book is unique in all ways and is the book that has attempted to offer solutions and clear understanding of the issues of environment and citizenship which was ignored traditionally. For several years, too the articulation of citizenship, that was seen as being bequeathed by the liberal and civil Republican, has been given a new meaning. Dobson, Andrew, Citizenship and the environment as a book has in all ways tried to develop an original theory of citizenship For a fact, Dobson, Andrew, Citizenship and the environment remains to be of interest to those working and researching in various fields such as the environment, citizenship, political theory among others (Dauvergne, 2005 p., 67). References Dauvergne, P. 2005. Handbook of Global Environmental Politics. Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Pub. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=231991. Dobson, A. 2003. Citizenship and the environment. Oxford [u.a.], Oxford University Press. Fitzpatrick, T. 2011. Understanding the environment and social policy. Bristol, Policy Press. Fridell, R. 2005. Environmental issues. New York, Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. Harris, F. 2012. Global environmental issues. Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell. Haugestad, A. K., & Wulfhorst, J. D. 2004. Future as fairness: ecological justice and global citizenship. Amsterdam, Rodopi. Jarvis, P. J. 2000. Ecological principles and environmental issues. Harlow, England, Prentice Hall. Latta, A. 2012. Environment and citizenship in Latin America: natures, subjects and struggles. New York, Berghahn Books. Mason, M. 1999. Environmental Democracy a Contextual Approach. London, Earthscan. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=430139. Philp, R. B. 2012. Environmental Issues for the Twenty-First Century and their Impact on Human Health. Sharjah, Bentham Science Publishers. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=976641. Scherer, A. G., & Palazzo, G. 2008. Handbook of research on global corporate citizenship. Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=355834. Hinchliffe, S. 2003. Understanding environmental issues. Chichester [u.a.], Wiley [u.a.]. Read More