Globalization and the Requirements of "Good" Environmental Governance

A growing number of regulations and agencies dealing with the global environment directly affect citizens' lives. In these conditions, a conventional division between international and domestic issues, and between normative and explanatory theory, becomes less tenable, raising corresponding issues of legitimacy, community, and ethics. This chapter assesses liberal environmentalism in terms of a normative theory that considers requirements of authority, epistemic validity, good practices, and practical reason. Despite improvements in terms of efficiency and legitimacy, serious concerns remain concerning the foundations of "good" environmental governance.