IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/engenv/v10y1999i6p597-616.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Constructing a Response to Ecological Problems under Scientific Uncertainty: A Comparison of Acid Rain and Climate Change Policy in Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Louis Guay

    (Sociology Department, Université Laval, Québec, Canada)

Abstract

This paper examines and compares acid rain and climate change policy making in Canada. It presents a brief model of ecological problem-solving under scientific uncertainty, in which problem identification, problem implication and problem solution are viewed as a complex social process. Ecological problem-solving is usually an open debate in which a plurality of actors participate. Building on interactionist studies, the paper presents these social actors as belonging to different but interacting social worlds. Their interactions lead to the construction of an ecological discourse which frames policy choices. Compared to the acid rain policy process, climate change policy process is marked by a closer participation of the scientific community; a change in policy instruments emphasising market and voluntary measures instead of ‘command and control’ ones; a perceived need for a wider public and social interests involvement in the policy process; ethical considerations and equity issues framed in intra and inter-generational terms; and participants' perception of a considerable challenge for technological development.

Suggested Citation

  • Louis Guay, 1999. "Constructing a Response to Ecological Problems under Scientific Uncertainty: A Comparison of Acid Rain and Climate Change Policy in Canada," Energy & Environment, , vol. 10(6), pages 597-616, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:engenv:v:10:y:1999:i:6:p:597-616
    DOI: 10.1260/0958305991499801
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1260/0958305991499801
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1260/0958305991499801?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Haas, Peter M., 1992. "Banning chlorofluorocarbons: epistemic community efforts to protect stratospheric ozone," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(1), pages 187-224, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kydd, Andrew H., 2010. "Learning together, growing apart: Global warming, energy policy and international trust," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 2675-2680, June.
    2. Mai'a K. Davis Cross, 2015. "The Limits of Epistemic Communities: EU Security Agencies," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 3(1), pages 90-100.
    3. Alejandro Esguerra & Sandra van der Hel, 2021. "Participatory Designs and Epistemic Authority in Knowledge Platforms for Sustainability," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 21(1), pages 130-151, Winter.
    4. Sarah Michaels & Melinda Laituri, 1999. "Exogenous and indigenous influences on sustainable management," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 7(2), pages 77-86.
    5. Schuetzenmeister, Falk, 2010. "University Research Management: An Exploratory Literature Review," Institute of European Studies, Working Paper Series qt77p3j2hr, Institute of European Studies, UC Berkeley.
    6. Michael W. Manulak, 2017. "Leading by design: Informal influence and international secretariats," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 497-522, December.
    7. Yixian Sun, 2017. "Transnational Public-Private Partnerships as Learning Facilitators: Global Governance of Mercury," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 17(2), pages 21-44, May.
    8. Claude Paraponaris, 2017. "Le passage des frontières : difficultés et perspectives. L’expérience des frontières cognitives," Post-Print halshs-01579851, HAL.
    9. Dave Toke, 2004. "A Comparative Study of the Politics of GM Food and Crops," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 52(1), pages 179-186, March.
    10. Sebastian Oberthür & Thomas Gehring, 2004. "Reforming International Environmental Governance: An Institutionalist Critique of the Proposal for a World Environment Organisation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 4(4), pages 359-381, December.
    11. Joel Carbonell & Juliann Allison, 2015. "Democracy and state environmental commitment to international environmental treaties," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 79-104, May.
    12. Claude Paraponaris, 2015. "L'art de passer les frontières cognitives reste à inventer !," Post-Print halshs-01208583, HAL.
    13. Claude Paraponaris & Martine Sigal, 2015. "From knowledge to knowing, from boundaries to boundary construction," Post-Print halshs-01208528, HAL.
    14. Mark Purdon, 2015. "Advancing Comparative Climate Change Politics: Theory and Method," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 15(3), pages 1-26, August.
    15. Christopher M. Weible & Daniel Nohrstedt & Paul Cairney & David P. Carter & Deserai A. Crow & Anna P. Durnová & Tanya Heikkila & Karin Ingold & Allan McConnell & Diane Stone, 2020. "COVID-19 and the policy sciences: initial reactions and perspectives," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 53(2), pages 225-241, June.
    16. James Boyce, 2007. "Is Inequality Bad for the Environment?," Working Papers wp135, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
    17. Erik Baark & Joseph Strahl, 1995. "The Response of International Organizations to the Environmental Challenge: The Case of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 26(3), pages 441-468, July.
    18. Rajnish Saryal, 2015. "Global Environmental Agenda: The Neoliberal Institutional Perspective," Jadavpur Journal of International Relations, , vol. 19(1), pages 1-21, June.
    19. Vilma Havas & Søren Løkke & Lone Kørnøv, 2022. "Exploring Scientific Discourse on Marine Litter in Europe: Review of Sources, Causes and Solutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-22, June.
    20. Héritier, Adrienne, 1995. "Die Koordination von Interessenvielfalt im europäischen Entscheidungsprozess und deren Ergebnis: Regulative Politik als Patchwork," MPIfG Discussion Paper 95/4, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:engenv:v:10:y:1999:i:6:p:597-616. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.