We need to radically rethink ecological action: to motivate people, it is not enough to preach selflessness - there has to be a self-benefit. This is the approach taken by environmental sociologist Peter Preisendörfer. How can this contribute to greater environmental justice? And what role do time and money play in this? An interview with the expert.
Mr.Preisendörfer, your research focuses on the interface between the environment, distribution and fairness. What do you mean by environmental justice?
At its core, it is about the unequal distribution of environmental pollution. People who live near landfill sites, airports or noisy roads have a lower quality of life and are exposed to greater health risks. Not all sections of the population are affected equally.
Studiesshow that people with a lower socio-economic status are more exposed to environmental pollutants. Why is that?
You only have to think about who lives in flight paths or next to four-lane roads. Well-off people move away from these areas, poorer people settle down. Economic and political mechanisms are responsible for this. On the one hand, there are the low housing prices that push the lower classes into the critical areas. On the other hand, political decisions always take the path of least resistance. A waste incineration plant is located in the vicinity of those people who cannot effectively defend themselves. These are usually people with a low level of education or a migration background.
"An appeal to selfless idealists is a fundamental misunderstanding. The framework for ecological action must be designed in such a way that it is also worthwhile for the self-interest-oriented actor." Peter Preisendörfer, environmental sociologist
Arethere any exceptions?
In fact, there are remarkable special cases in large cities. Take Paris, for example: There is enormous particulate pollution in the city center, yet the rich live there. This is mainly due to historical reasons. The difference is that richer sections of the population can protect themselves better - for example with noise protection windows or a second home in the countryside.
So theenvironmental burdens are unevenly distributed - how can politicians ensure greater justice in society?
For example, through compensation measures and fairer distribution. In air traffic, for example, attempts are being made to manage environmental pollution more fairly by changing flight routes. Road noise, on the other hand, can be tackled relatively easily by financing crash barriers. A better range of recreational opportunities also relieves the burden on those affected. However, the most important approach is and remains the prevention of environmental pollution.
However, manypeople accept that their actions pollute the environment. According to "rational choice theory", the individual benefit-cost calculation is paramount. How can environmentally friendly alternatives be made more attractive?
Ecological action has nothing to do with altruism. The framework conditions must be designed in such a way that the self-interested actor behaves in an environmentally friendly manner. When it comes to mobility, for example, two things are important: time and money. You can forget everything else. As long as it is faster and cheaper to travel by plane than by train, nothing will change. This problem also exists with food. Conventionally produced products are so cheap because they are subsidized. Greater promotion of organic farming can counteract this.
Inthe USA, environmental justice has been discussed since the 1980s. What can we in Europe learn from such approaches?
"Environmental justice is a grassroots movement. Poorer classes were concerned with improving their living conditions in the vicinity of highways, power plants or landfills. The approach is to bring all those involved to the table in the run-up to a major construction project, for example. In this way, better conditions can be negotiated. This idea also exists in Europe, but it tends to be supported by science. In Germany, for example, we conduct a lot of empirical research around Frankfurt Airport. We also work together with the city administration and citizens' initiatives.
"The idea of environmental justice has not yet arrived in many cities. Transport policy must be the central field of action in urban development." Peter Preisendörfer, environmental sociologist
Climate justice is amajor global challenge. What role do global goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals play in achieving a balance?
The poorer regions of the South generally contribute less to climate change, but are more affected by its consequences. Even the "workbench of the world" China has relatively lower emissions than Austria or Germany, with eight tons of CO2 per capita. The Sustainable Development Goals make sense in every respect. They correspond to the guiding principle of a one-world view: blaming each other won't get us anywhere, we can only preserve the world as an area worth living in together.
Howis environmental justice related to resilience? What contribution can it make to the socio-ecological systems of the future?
In order to create resilient socio-ecological systems, you cannot work against the people - the population must be brought on board and justice must be created. Today, people often complain about a lack of vision. The path of sustainability is the one that makes the most ecological and economic sense. I think we have a very concrete task ahead of us that we have to master together.
Thank you very much for the interview!
About Peter Preisendörfer
The environmental sociologist Prof. Dr. Peter Preisendörfer (born in 1953 in Obersinn, Bavaria/Germany) teaches at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. He studied in Nuremberg, Vienna and Chicago. A self-confessed cosmopolitan, his main areas of research include environmental research and entrepreneurship.
