The Biological Diversity Complex: a History of Environmental Government
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The London School of Economics and Political Science The biological diversity complex: A history of environmental government Andreas Kotsakis A thesis submitted to the Department of Law of the London School of Economics for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, London, September 2011 Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of the author. I warrant that this authorization does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare that my thesis consists of 83149 words. 2 Abstract The thesis understands biodiversity as a complex consisting of a form of environmentalism, a mode of governance for the global South, and a set of policy prescriptions all mobilized by the guiding idea of ‘genetic gold,’ the belief that biodiversity possesses significant latent economic value. The thesis primarily analyses the historical origins of biodiversity and the formation of a rationality of governing centred on genetic gold, deploying tools and methods from the work of Michel Foucault. It further applies these insights into the examination of two specific regulatory mechanisms developed within this project of environmental governance: the mechanism for securing access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation, and local and indigenous community participation in biodiversity conservation and utilisation. The aim of this research is a dual critique. First, the unpacking of the complexity of the biodiversity concept and its integrative rendering of biodiversity loss as a governance problem constitutes a critique of environmental law’s enthusiastic acceptance and subsequent regulation of biodiversity as genetic gold. Secondly, the conception of a broader governance complex pervaded by non- legal forms of knowledge, expertise and practices challenges an international environmental law that continues to regard itself as the instrumental centre of environmental concern and discourse. 3 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor, Veerle Heyvaert, for her unwavering support and calm guidance, all my friends at the Law Department for getting through the PhD together, Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos for inspiration and encouragement, Nick Piska for endless debate and critique, and my parents for emotional and financial support. I would also like to thank the Department of Law and the LSE Financial Support Office for their support through the award of a LSE Research Studentship. 4 CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 .................................................................................................................. 11 THE BLACKMAIL OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW............................................................... 11 I │ THE SPECTRE OF FAILURE AND THE CURSE OF IRRELEVANCY.................................. 11 II | THE UN CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ................................................. 15 MAJOR THEMES AND LEGAL STRUCTURE ................................................................ 16 VARIETIES OF BIODIVERSITY LITERATURE AND THE STANDARD NORMATIVE MODEL ................................................................................................................................ 22 III │ THE BLACKMAIL OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ......................................................... 31 ELEMENTS OF THE BLACKMAIL ................................................................................ 32 IV │ PREPARING FOR A CONFRONTATION ................................................................... 36 LOCATING POWER ................................................................................................... 37 COLLECTING ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY ................................................................. 43 THESIS OUTLINE ...................................................................................................... 49 PART I: INVENTION ..................................................................................................... 51 CHAPTER 2 .................................................................................................................. 52 THE INVENTION OF BIODIVERSITY: BIOLOGICAL PROGRAMMES FOR RATIONALIZING NATURE AND SOCIETY ................................................................................................ 52 I | BIODIVERSITY AS CONSERVATION MENTALITY ....................................................... 54 EARLY PROPOSITIONS OF CONSERVATION BIOLOGY................................................ 55 PATHS TO ACCEPTANCE ........................................................................................... 60 BECOMING AN INTEGRAL PART OF ENVIRONMENTALISM ....................................... 65 RECOGNITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW .................................................................. 68 II | CONSERVATION BIOLOGY AS SOCIOBIOLOGY REDUX ............................................ 71 WILSON MARK II ...................................................................................................... 74 III | THROUGH THE LENS OF BIOLOGY ......................................................................... 78 THE CENTRALITY OF BIOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE ....................................................... 78 A REDUCTIONIST VIEW WITHIN THE SYNTHESIS ...................................................... 80 IV | LEAVING CONSERVATION BEHIND ........................................................................ 84 CHAPTER 3 .................................................................................................................. 86 5 THE ENTRY OF ECONOMIC THOUGHT: BIODIVERSITY AS ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT AND THE PATHOLOGY OF THE SOUTH ................................................... 86 I | BIODIVERSITY AS A FAILED LIBERAL MOVEMENT .................................................... 88 DISDAIN OR DISMISSAL: THE EARLY LINK BETWEEN BIODIVERSITY AND ECONOMICS ................................................................................................................................ 93 ENCOUNTERING NEOLIBERALISM ............................................................................ 97 THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DARWIN AND MALTHUS: NATURE’S ECONOMY ....... 102 II| NEO-MALTHUSIAN DEMOGRAPHY: INVENTING THE POPULATION PATHOGEN .... 104 THE OVERPOPULATION DEBATE: EMULATING SOCIOBIOLOGY’S TACTICAL ATTACHMENT........................................................................................................ 106 A NEW PATHOLOGY: THE STRATEGIC PROBLEMATISATION OF THE SOUTH ........... 109 III | AT THE CROSSROADS OF DARWINIAN BIOLOGY AND MALTHUSIAN ECONOMICS112 CHAPTER 4 ................................................................................................................ 116 THE POLITICAL QUESTION OF BIODIVERSITY: UNPACKING THE RESPONSES FROM NORTH AND SOUTH ................................................................................................. 116 I | CBD NEGOTIATIONS: NEW ACTORS AND TRAJECTORIES ....................................... 117 DISJOINTED BEGINNINGS: BIODIVERSITY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT UNEP 1987-1989 ............................................................................................................. 119 TRANSFERING THE ECOLOGICAL DEBT AROUND: DEPOLITICISING BIODIVERSITY FOR THE PURPOSES OF TREATY NEGOTIATION ............................................................. 124 THE IUCN PROPOSAL: EXPOSING THE NAIVETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW............ 128 THE ENTRY OF THE WORLD BANK .......................................................................... 131 AN AMERICAN PROJECT DERAILED ........................................................................ 135 II | SOUTHERN DETOURS AND BREAKS...................................................................... 137 INBIO – A SOUTHERN INITIATIVE FOR ADAPTING THE BIODIVERSITY CONCEPT ..... 138 THE IMPACT OF INBIO ........................................................................................... 144 CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND BIOPIRACY: A CHALLENGE AGAINST BOTH THE STATE AND THE MARKET ......................................................................................................... 146 III | CONSTRUCTING THE POLITICS OF BIODIVERSITY ................................................ 153 PART II: COMPLEX .................................................................................................... 156 CHAPTER 5 ................................................................................................................ 157 VECTORS OF BIODIVERSITY: ASSEMBLING THE BIODIVERSITY COMPLEX ................ 157 I│THE BIODIVERSITY COMPLEX.................................................................................. 158 6 II │ TRANSFORMATIONS IN OBJECTS AND GOALS ...................................................... 161 THE IDEA OF GENETIC GOLD .................................................................................. 163 THE ALTERED ROLE OF THE CBD ............................................................................ 168 III │ GOVERNMENTAL