The Conceptual Transformation of the Environment toward Global Cooperation for Environmental Protection

Overview

Chapter One contains three separate papers and one appraisal remark. Different conclusions and recommendations are drawn by each presenter, based on their own interests, expertises and conceptions of environment. However, what is important here is the fact that all of them stress an urgent need to transform the concepts of environment, development and technology.

The first paper, by Lester R. Brown, argues that the time has come to launch the ‘Environmental Revolution’. As opposed to the two earlier great changes, viz the Agricultural Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, its success depends not so much on technological advances as on restructuring the global economy. He examines the pivotal role that governments should play through tax policies, subsidies, regulations, R&D funding, and procurement policies in order to squeeze centuries of change into decades.

The second paper, by Emil Salim, begins with a critical review of the conventional development model. From the viewpoint of the South, he argues, this has led many Third World nations to the dilemma of development and environment. He then makes a search for a sustainable development model which can meet economic, social, political and ecological needs in the South, but also promote global cooperation between North and South.

The third paper, by Takao Kashiwagi, discusses the possibility of technological breakthrough and global cooperation. Examining the current environment- friendly clean energy and technologies, he stresses the need for a holistic approach to energy conservation including cascaded energy utilization, co- generation, and unexploited energy utilization systems. He then proposes global cooperation toward conceptual transformation for rationalized clean energy utilization and conservation.

In his appraisal, Kei Takeuchi discusses a transnational system which could guarantee cooperation across nations. The end of World War II unleashed dramatic changes in world politics. Yet, he observes, policy orientations among nations have shifted away from environmental protection to other issues. Against this backdrop, he argues, firmer steps should be taken—such as environment-keeping operations by the United Nations, coordination of aid programs and technology transfers.

In order to promote more concrete steps, however, one needs to tackle the following two problems. The first is the difficulty in conceptualizing what are the environmental problems. There are cases that appear to be problematic at one level but not at other levels. A typical example is the case of cfc. Due mainly to the fact that cfc is chemically stable, it was thought to be good. It did not appear to harm local environment. However, it seriously damaged the ozone layer. Another example is global warming. It may seem to be beneficial to some parts of the world in the short term, but in the long run it will certainly damage the life of the whole globe.

Regarding this problem, I believe there is a gross misunderstanding here. Even though the reality of international politics more often than not tends to prevent the international cooperation absolutely necessary for the protection of the global environment, no one can deny the fact that the world has become increasingly small.

The second problem I should point out here is the contradiction between economic growth and environmental protection. Most often these are seen as contradictory and presented as a matter of choice.