A number of observers have pointed out that environmental movements have, at best, met with mixed success. Our paper develops a theoretical framework for why this has been the case. The work draws on a number of intellectual traditions, including theories of rational choice, human ecology, rhetoric, resource mobilization, social movements, criticism and conflict. We examine ways in which environmental issues are framed and prioritized in the collective decision process, both within environmental movements, and for the overall polity. Environmental issues often are used to energize a constituency to support a given political regime; yet unless environment is one of the regime’s top priorities, it is typically abandoned in favor of other issues. In a related vein, we consider how other social movements can effectively co-opt environmental concerns, thereby diverting significant amounts of collective energy to other ends. The theory adduced is fractal, or recursive, applying on a number of levels of analysis. The paper concludes by suggesting ways in which environmental movements can become more effective.
Environmental movements; Orphan issues; Prioritizing summary symbols; Environmental justice; Discourse; Mobilization