PDF《Epilogue—Beyond Pollution Control》

14Epilogue―Beyond Pollution Control and Prevention: Sustainable Development A.

The Unsustainable Industrial State B. Conceptualizations of Sustainable Development C. Incremental Change by Incumbent Firms Is Inadequate for Achieving Sustainability D. The Role of Government Currently several environmental problems face both industrialized and developing nations. These include (1) chemical pollution, (2) climate change, (3) resource and energy depletion, and (4) the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem integrity. While often addressed separately, all four of these environmental problems are related to advanc- ing industrialization, population growth, and the globalization of production and commerce. Societies that produce and consume more also tend to deplete more natu- ral resources, create more pollution, produce more greenhouse gases, and have a relatively greater adverse impact on the ecosystem. In addition, the interconnected- ness of nations through globalization has produced '

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lock-in'

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of, and dependence on, a particular development model. We believe that this model needs thoughtful reexamination. Environmental burdens are often felt unequally within nations, between nations, and between generations, giving rise to intranational, international, and intergenera- tional equity concerns that are often expressed as a concern for environmental justice. Not only do environmental problems a¤ect di¤erent people di¤erently, but they are also addressed di¤erently within and between nations and between genera- tions. At present, global climate change, with its intergenerational consequences and with di¤erent implications for industrialized and developing nations, has captured center stage, but all environmental problems raise a variety of equity concerns. This text on environmental pollution has focused largely on the ?rst of the envi- ronmental problems identi?ed above and has examined a variety of policies designed (AutoPDF V7 5/2/08 09:58) MIT (NewMaths 7x9 ) TimesM J-1799 Ashford HC1: WSL(W) 02/08/2007 AC1: WSL 05/10/2007 AC2: WSL 29/01/2008 pp. 1043C to reduce gradual releases of chemicals into the environment and/or the sudden and accidental releases associated with chemical mishaps. Historically, the approach to reducing pollution was framed independently of the approaches to the other three kinds of environmental problems. As we have seen, national approaches in the United States and Europe for reducing pollution have been evolving in the past four decades, ?rst emphasizing the dispersion of pollution and waste (the '

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dilution solution'

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), then end-of-pipe control, then waste and material exchange and consoli- dation (industrial ecology), and now (at least to a certain extent) pollution prevention and cleaner and inherently safer technology. Only recently has attention turned to system changes and the promotion of sustainable development. In evolutionary terms, these newer approaches lie beyond changing a single industrial process, trans- portation vehicle, energy source, or agricultural practice, and involve a larger set of fundamental changes than either pollution control or pollution prevention are likely to bring. Incremental or even moderate improvements in energy e‰ciency, ecoe‰ciency, and dematerialization may not be su‰cient to o¤set trends of increased pollution and increased energy and resource consumption tied to industrial and commercial development. Signi?cant transformations may be needed in manufacturing, housing, agriculture, transportation, energy systems, services, and consumption patterns to re- duce the impacts caused by pollution. For some, sustainable development implicitly focuses on environmental sustainability. For others, sustainability includes more far- reaching changes in (1) the nature and level of goods and services produced and used by a society, (2) employment, and (3) environmental sustainability. In other words, environmental concerns are '