環境正義理論的問題點

The Three Problems of Environmental Justice Theory

黃瑞祺(Richard Ruey-Chyi Hwang) ； 黃之棟(Morgan Chih-Tung Huang)

《臺灣民主季刊》 4卷2期 (2007/06) Pp. 113-140

https://doi.org/10.6448/TDQ.200706.0113

摘要

本文從理論、實際運用與概念繼受等三個層次，分析環境正義概念建構的過程以及概念推展時所遭遇的困難。在理論的層次，環境正義與根源於自然中心主義的環境主義間，存在著難解的矛盾。這種矛盾在採取辯證的自然觀後，雖已大幅減低了理論間的內在衝突，但本文指出只在哲學層次接受自然觀的轉變，卻不接受對資本主義生產方式的批判，將使環境正義無從解決所得與環境品質間如何調和的問題。其次，在實際推動環境正義運動時，運動本身相當依賴科學證據以獲取其正當性。然而在我們具體分析後卻發現，科學對運動所能提供的支援已大不如前，以至於當前整個運動的推展越來越仰仗理論性研究的支撐。問題是，縱使我們在短時間內可以忽視科學證據的問題，長遠來看，沒有科學作為後盾的運動必將減損其正當性。畢竟，今日的社會強調科學理性勝過一般生活經驗，因此不論環境污染受害者的證言是多麼的令人動容，在政策制定時，科學還是政府採取行動的前提要件。最後在環境正義繼受的問題上，雖然因地制宜是所有理論不得不面對的難題，但過度變更運動的內涵，有使整個運動焦點模糊的危險。雖然任何一個環境正義後進國都要理論與實際並重，但大量的實證研究無疑是確保運動得以長遠推行的唯一辦法。

關鍵字

環境正義 ； 科學知識 ； 科技與社會

並列摘要

This paper explores the inherent problems within environmental justice (EJ) theory from theoretical and practical perspectives, including the concepts having been adopted and re-framed by countries that are in formative stages of an EJ movement. At the theoretical level, there is an intrinsic conflict between EJ and non-Anthropocentric environmentalism. By adopting the perspectives of the dialectic of nature, this conflict could be partially resolved. We, however, stress that without criticizing the logic of capitalism, it is impossible to entirely solve the question of how indications of income can be reframed into EJ. At the practical level of promoting EJ movements, we argue that although EJ needs scientific evidence to strengthen its claims, depending on scientific knowledge to confirm the dangers of environmental exposure is a strategy that is highly vulnerable to criticism. In the long term, without scientific evidence, the EJ movement courts danger. No matter how convincingly local people testify that their health was damaged by environmental pollution, when seeking ameliorative action from policymakers or the courts, the inevitable result is that government agencies continue to ask for ”the facts” before taking any action. Finally, on the issues of the inherited ideas of EJ, we indicate that while re-interpreting EJ is unavoidable in those countries where the EJ movements are relatively new, excessively changing the main content of EJ may detract the movements from their final goal, which is a solution to the problems of disproportionate distribution of environmental risks. We conclude that EJ movements still need science to provide a scientifically or ”really” necessary way to foster equal distribution of environmental quality.

並列關鍵字

environmental justice EJ ； scientific knowledge ； STS science ； technology and society

參考文獻

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