Food for thought: Conditions for discourse reflection in the light of environmental assessment

Journal Article · Mon Nov 15 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Environmental Impact Assessment Review

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2009.12.001· OSTI ID:21499130

Runhaar, Hens ^[1]; Oegema, Tammo ^[2]

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1. Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development and Innovation, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80, 115, 3508 TC Utrecht (Netherlands)
2. IMSA Amsterdam, Prins Hendriklaan 15, 1075 AX Amsterdam (Netherlands)

People tend to take notice of what is happening around them selectively. Discourses-frames through which actors give meaning to aspects of the world-act as built-in filters that distinguish relevant from irrelevant data. Use of knowledge generated by environmental assessments (EAs) in decision-making may be understood from this perspective. Environmental knowledge that is inconsistent with dominant discourses runs the risk of being ignored. Discourses on the value of EA as a tool for decision-making may have a similar effect. Stimulating decision-makers and stakeholders to critically reflect on and reconsider their discourses in the light of EAs-also known as frame reflection or policy learning-may enhance the probability that these assessments and the knowledge that they generate impact upon decision-making. Up to now little has been written about how discourse reflection in the context of EA can be promoted. Valuable inputs are fragmented over different bodies of literature. In this paper we draw from these bodies to identify favourable conditions for discourse reflection.

• OSTI ID: 21499130
• Journal Information: Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Journal Name: Environmental Impact Assessment Review Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 30; ISSN 0195-9255; ISSN EIARDK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
DECISION MAKING
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY POLICY
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HAZARDS
LEARNING
PROBABILITY
PUBLIC OPINION
RISK ASSESSMENT