Shifting baselines and political expediency in New Zealand’s freshwater management
Michael Joy, Adam D. Canning
Abstract
The New Zealand government has been praised for heeding scientific advice in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but when it comes to environmental protections the scientific advice seems to be negotiable. Freshwaters have been in decline for decades, despite clear science on limits needed to protect them. There are many examples of ‘shifting baselines’, where limits have been progressively weakened through agency regulatory capture and political expediency.
Topics & Concepts
Agency (philosophy)PoliticsGovernment (linguistics)Political sciencePandemicCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Environmental ethicsPolitical economyLawSociologySocial scienceInfectious disease (medical specialty)PhilosophyPathologyDiseaseMedicineLinguisticsClimate Change and Health ImpactsEnvironmental and Social Impact AssessmentsWater Quality and Pollution Assessment