Resolving Environmental Conflicts

True progress toward an ecologically sound environment and a socially just culture will be initially expensive in money and effort. The longer we wait, however, the more disastrous the environmental condition will become, the more disputes will arise as a result of our declining quality of life, and the more expensive and difficult the necessary social changes will be. The second edition of a bestseller, Resolving Environmental Conflicts demonstrates how to practice the type of conflict resolution that not only settles a dispute but also heals the people. Once the consultants and mediators leave, the work must go on. This second edition covers the basic transformative concepts vital for resolving environmental conflicts. It includes discussions of the inviolate biophysical principles, how the English language is changing, as well as the critical principles of social behavior. It also examines new dynamics in making decisions along with the effects of the younger generations shifting their interests from nature-oriented interest to technologically oriented interests and their subsequent lack of understanding the importance of the natural environment to a sustainable society. No biological shortcuts, technological quick fixes, or political rhetoric can mend what is broken. Dramatic, fundamental change is necessary if we are really concerned with bettering the quality of life. It is not a question of can we change or can't we, but one of will we change or won't we. Change is a choice, a choice of individuals reflected in the collective of society and mirrored in the landscape throughout the generations. Considerably more than a "how to" directive, this book examines the "whys" of the mediation process and broadens the knowledge base by providing the philosophical underpinnings of "a new environmental responsibility."