Discourse Limits & Survival Promethean Administrative Rationalism Democratic Pragmatism Economic Rationalism Sustainable Development

Nature is seen as
brute matter for
human purposes.
Human demands on the Democracy is the key to problem Commitment to the intelligent Economic growth should be
Limits are not a The experts are the key to problem
life support capacity of solving. People can agree about deployment of market promoted in imaginative ways that
Storyline ecosystems threaten to problem because solving. It puts scientific and technical environmental policies through mechanisms to achieve public are socially just and environmentally
individuals can expertise to the service of the State.
explode out of control proper interaction. ends. fair for the future generations.
come up with
innovative solutions
for resources.

Finite stocks of resources Nature as brute Nested and networked social and
Liberal capitalism Liberal capitalism Homo economicus
matter ecological systems
Carrying capacity of Markets Administrative state Citizens Markets Capitalist Economy
ecosystems

Planetary boundaries/safe Prices Ambiguity concerning the existence

Experts Prices
operating space of limits
Basic entities

Population Energy Managers Property

Elites Technology Governments

People Competition

Hierarchy if humans Nature subordinate to human

Conflict Equality among citizens Hierarchy based on expertise Cooperation
over everything else problem solving

Assumptions People subordinate to state Interactive political relationships Subordination of nature Nature subordinate
about
relationships
Economic growth, environmental
Experts and managers control the
Hierarchy and control Competition protection, distributive justice and
State long term sustainability go together
 Elites, motivation is up for Everyone, motivated Homo economicus: self- Many Agents, transnational and
by self-material Experts and managers Many, but citizens central
grabs interested local as well as the state
interests
Agents

motivated by self-interest mixed Governments officials

Motivated by public interest Motivated by public good
with public interest motivated by public interest

Public policy as a resultant of

Overshoot and collapse Mechanistic The administrative mind Mechanistic Organic Growth
forces
Policy like scientific Stigmatizing regulation as
Commons Trends Navigating and steering Nature as capital
experimentation "command control'

Spaceship earth Thermostat Connection with freedom Connection to progress

Key Metaphors Lily pond Network Horror stories Reassurance

Cancer

Virus

Images of doom and

redemption
Ecological Modernization Green Consciousness Green Politics

Capitalist political economy needs Consciousness may

conscious reconfiguring and far-
sighted action so that economic
development and environmental
protection can proceed hand-in-
hand and reinforce one another.
One route to change the
world is by changing the way
the people experience the
world.
be welcome but
political action and
structural changes are
needed to solve
environmental issues.

Complex Systems Global limits Global Limits

Nature as complex
Nature as a waste treatment plant Nature
ecosystems

Humans with broad

Capitalist economy Unnatural practices
capacities

Social, Economic and

The State Ideas
political structures

Partnership encompassing Natural relationship between Equality among

government, business, human and nature have been people
environmentalists, scientists violated

Complex
Equality across people and interconnections
Subordination of nature nature between humans and
nature

Environmental protection and

economic prosperity go together
 Many individuals and
Human subjects, some more collective actors,
Partners ecologically aware than others multidimensional
motivation

Agency in nature
Agency can exist in nature too downplayed though
Motivated by public good not necessarily
denied

Biological and organic

Tidy household Organic Metaphors
metaphors
Appeals to social
Connection to progress Passion learning
Appeals to emotions,
Reassurance Link to progress
intuitions