Environmental Advocacy and Leadership

 Topic: Introduction: The Nature of Advocacy

 

  1. What is advocacy? (n.) an act of pleading for or giving verbal support to a cause

    2. advocate (v.) -- (1) to plead in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly (2) (n.) a person who defends, vindicates, or espouses a cause by argument (3) a person who pleads for or on behalf of another (4) a person who pleads the cause of another in a caught of law

     

  2. What is propaganda? (n.) (1) information or ideas methodically spread to promote or injure a cause, group, nation, etc. (2) the deliberate spreading of such information or ideas (3) the doctrines or principles by an organization or movement

    3.  

  3. What is public interest?

-the interests of the majority? How do we determine what policy the majority wants?

-the interests of consumers?

-what people would want if they thought clearly and acted rationally?

-whatever results from the political struggle over policy issues?

**not possible to provide universally accepted or objective definition of concept

 3 ways to "divine" public interest
      1. examine contentious policy arenas to see which direct interests prevail
      2. search for widely and continuously shared interests (e.g., clean air & water, control of inflation, etc)
      3. ensure that process to determine public interest is fair

  Mancur Olsen "The logic of collective action; public goods and the theory of

groups" "free rider problem"

Why do people engage in advocacy?

 

4. What are the basic tenets of the "Wise Use" Movement? (see Position Briefs)

 

  1. the right to liberty is dependent upon the right to own property
  2. you have a right to free enterprise
  3. no net loss of private property
  4. restore government land to private individuals
  5. limit government intrusions particularly "takings"

 

5. What are the basic tenets of the Environmental Movement?

 

Paehlke (1989) Environmentalism and the Future of Progressive Politics

 

  1. An appreciation of all life forms and a view that the complexities of the ecological web of life are politically salient.
  2. A sense of humility regarding the human species in relation to other species and to the global ecosystem.
  3. A concern with the quality of human life and health, including an emphasis on the importance of preventative medicine, diet, and exercise to the maintenance and enhancement of human health.
  4. A global rather than nationalist or isolationist view.
  5. Some preference for political and/or population decentralization.
  6. An extended time horizon--a concern about the long-term future of the world and its life.
  7. A sense of urgency regarding the survival of life on earth, both long-term and short-term.
  8. A belief that human societies ought to be reestablished on a more sustainable technical and physical basis. An appreciation that many aspects of our present way of life are fundamentally transitory.
  9. A revulsion toward waste in the face of human need (in more extreme forms, this may appear as asceticism).
  10. A love of simplicity, although this does not include rejection of technology or "modernity."
  11. A aesthetic appreciation for season, setting, climate, and natural materials.
  12. A measurement of esteem, including self-esteem and social merit, in terms of such nonmaterial values as skill, artistry, effort, or integrity.
  13. An attraction to autonomy and self-management in human endeavors and, generally, an inclination to more democratic and participatory political processes and administrative structures.