2020, Christiane Eilders and Michael Baurmann took part in a conference in Pondicherry, India with the title: “International Conference on Politics, Media and Environment: Indian and European Experience”: The volume “Media, Politics and Environment” (Detlef Briesen & Sarada Prasanna Editors) is the output of the conference: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-31252-6
Christiane Eilders: The Hybrid Media System as Battlefield for Climate Politics: Media and Politics in Transformation (pages 13-21)
Abstract: In this chapter, I argue that the field of climate politics represents an ideal object of investigation when studying the changes in political communication in a hybrid media system. The triangle between politics, media, and citizens has become much more complex through the prevalence of social media and the relevance gains of civil society organizations which benefit from social media. The fact that civil society actors can easily participate in political communication via social media and thus not only become highly visible but can also directly mobilize citizens’ support without detour via mass media, facilitates climate activism globally. Changes in communication practice are labeled the fourth age of political communication—in perpetuity of Blumler’s account of different ages of political communication.
While the previous changes in the relationship between media and politics have been considered as harmful to a well-functioning democracy, the most recent age has implications which are less clear. With regard to climate politics, it means an increase in attention for climate activists and better opportunities for activists to be seen and to monitor the opinion climate. However, it also entails the risk of polarization, possibly over the climate issue. The chapter discusses commonalities and differences between Germany and India and elaborates on the future of climate politics in both countries.
Michael Baurmann: Environmental Policy and the Tragedy of the Commons: A German’s Impressions of India (pages 231-244)
Abstract: A clean and sustainable environment is the most encompassing common pool resource with global dimensions. It is highly vulnerable to an unfortunate combination of overuse und under-investment: there is a real danger of a global “tragedy of the commons” by which common pool resources are severely damaged or even destroyed completely. In her seminal book “Governing the Commons”, Elinor Ostrom argues that we can deal with commons problems not only by state power and privatisation. For hundreds of years all over the world, examples of communities could be found which have been governing their commons successfully and sustainably without state intervention or privatisation. The local users themselves have been capable of implementing efficient systems of self-organisation by developing norms and work regulations, informal social control and sanctions, conflict resolution mechanisms and mutual trust.
If one investigates the Indian environmental situation somewhat beneath the overall indices, national policies and general awareness, a remarkable phenomenon turns up: in striking contrast, for example, to German environmental protection activities, one can find in India many examples of grassroots initiatives and locally based community projects which take care of their resources and preserve their sustainability entirely on their own responsibility. These projects fit perfectly with Ostrom’s vision of self-governance of common pool resources. They can serve as role models in motivating other people and communities to solve their environmental challenges by their own instead of waiting for top-down activities from the state and its administration.
As a sympathising observer from Germany, I am not able to assess whether these kinds of self-organised communities are developing on a sufficiently large scale in India. However, it seems obvious that there is a long and impressive Indian tradition of bottom-up local “governance of the commons”.These existing initiatives may function as sources of inspiration and unleash further potential for successfully coping with environmental problems starting at the grass roots level.