Dissertation Enhancement: Testing the Theory of Ecological Modernization: Implementation of the Kyoto Protocol for Global Climate Change as a Natural Experiment

该奖项支持威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的William R. Freudenburg博士获得国家科学基金会论文增强奖。弗罗伊登堡博士的博士生达纳·费舍尔（Dana Fisher）将在日本和荷兰进行部分博士研究。Fisher女士将在日本与东京工业大学决策科学与技术研究生院的Tsuneyuki Maorta教授一起工作2个月。她还将在荷兰与荷兰瓦赫宁根大学社会科学系环境社会学组的Arthur P. J. Moi博士一起工作3个月。该研究项目将从生态现代化的角度，具体考察日本、美国和荷兰对《京都议定书》的不同反应，从而检验生态现代化理论。应对全球环境变化所面临的主要挑战之一是了解不同民族国家对全球环境问题和拟议法规的反应。本项目拟将生态现代化理论与政体模型相结合，更全面地阐述影响各国政府对环境问题监管的因素。采用定量和定性相结合的研究方法对生态现代化理论进行检验。研究的定量部分分析了所有经合组织国家的某些社会、经济和环境特征，并系统地评估了有关经济发展与环境质量之间关系的主张。本研究的定性部分着眼于围绕《京都议定书》实施的辩论所涉及的主要行为者。将对这些国家的政府、工业、媒体、科学和非政府组织部门的重要行为者进行抽样采访。本论文的研究将为这些国家环境监管的政治格局提供一些有趣的信息

Freudenburg9988521This award supports a National Science Foundation Dissertation Enhancement award to Dr. William R. Freudenburg of University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Freudenburg's Ph.D. student, Ms. Dana Fisher, will conduct part of her Ph.D. research in Japan and the Netherlands. Ms. Fisher will spend 2 months in Japan to work with Professor Tsuneyuki Maorta, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology. She will also spend 3 months in the Netherlands to work with Dr. Arthur P. J. Moi, Wageningen University of the Netherlands, Department of Social Sciences, Environmental Sociology Group. The research project will test the theory of ecological modernization by specifically examining the differing responses of Japan, the U.S., and the Netherlands to the Kyoto Protocol from an ecological modernization perspective.One of the key challenges facing the effort to deal with global environmental change is to understand different nation-states' responses to global environmental issues and proposed regulations. This project proposes to link ecological modernization theory with models of the polity to give a more complete account of the factors affecting government regulation of environmental problems in different nations. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods will be incorporated to test ecological modernization theory. The quantitative portion of the research analyzes certain social, economic and environmental characteristics of all of the OECD nations, and systematically assesses claims about the relation between economic development and environmental quality. The qualitative portion of the research looks at the main actors involved in the debates surrounding implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. Interviews with a sample of important actors from the government, industry, media, science and the NGO sectors in these countries will be carried out. This dissertation research will provide some interesting information about the political landscape for environmental regulation in these countries.***