ABSTRACT

The precarious state of our natural environment is an urgent issue that demands a close examination of our legal systems and the ways of thinking underpinning these systems. In this chapter I contend that the decisions produced in participatory environmental decision-making processes are shaped by rationalist assumptions, and that this can undermine arguments for the environment. This chapter will explore the rationalist assumptions that shape spaces for public participation in environmental decision-making, firstly by introducing some initial findings from ongoing empirical research taking place at a public inquiry into a major infrastructure project with significant environmental implications. From there, the chapter will consider how these initial findings might be accounted for by exploring key assumptions in Enlightenment rationality and in Habermas’ theory of communicative rationality. This chapter will additionally explore how these assumptions inform participation in environmental decisionmaking, and how these assumptions are challenged by environmental justice theorists.

INTRODUCTION

Participatory governance is an established principle in environmental legislation; it is considered to be an effective approach to environmental governance, one that instills concern for the environment in our communities, engages the public in environmental decision-making, and better protects the planet's natural resources for future generations. However, this understanding of participatory governance seems to suppose that public participatory procedures are inherently adept at considering arguments concerning environmental issues. What if this is not the case? What if the embedded assumptions that shape our understanding of nature and shape the way we argue are reproduced in our processes for public participation in decision-making? What then for the sustainable management of these natural resources?

This chapter outlines my ongoing research project, which explores the effect that embedded rationalist assumptions have on processes of participatory governance. Specifically, my research examines the possible ways in which rationalist assumptions might shape the consideration of environmental issues in a public local inquiry into a major infrastructure project in the UK. This chapter firstly introduces the fieldwork element of the research, and some initial reflections are discussed. As this inquiry remains open, and as research into this site is ongoing, the site will remain anonymous. This chapter explores how emotion is expressed at the inquiry (2.2), how the physical space of the inquiry might inform the decision-making process (2.3), and how local and expert knowledge is treated (2.4).