Politics/Policy: Environmental Ideology

     When it comes to addressing climate change, In the past, we have approached the issue with a communal sense of procrastination. With a lack  of any direct immediate gratification, and the almost guaranteed need for long term involvement, its easy to see why no definite, binding, treaty has been globally agreed upon yet. Not to mention the fact that drastically reducing our global carbon emissions would require a considerable change in lifestyle. Our inability to rally around such an incredibly complex and threatening problem as global warming may very well lead us to an ultimatum that will test the core of our humanity. 

     To aid us in better understanding the multiple views toward climate change, we will look at four ideal environmental world views. The first are the market liberals who support free market/free trade and the uninterrupted growth of markets for fix a variety of issues. They also strongly support the use of technology to combat climate change and other environmental issues. The second are the institutionalsits support a strong role of government to build on market liberal practices. Third are the bioenviornmentalists who wish to protect the environment at all costs from human exploitation. They see too much growth as bad and irresponsible. Also, there are the Social greens who see direct correlations and connections between social and environmental problems. They often passionately take on a variety of social justice issues and see power struggles all throughout society. 

     These ideals are often behind many political decisions that are made concerning global warming. The following are a few academic sources on environmental ideals and how they impact our decisions. 

Applying Social Psychology to the Study of Environmental Concern and Environmental Worldviews: Contributions from the Social Representations Approach

Impacts of Religion on Environmental Worldviews: The Teton Valley Case

Specialization among Off-Highway Vehicle Owners and its Relationship to Environmental Worldviews and Motivations