The Greening of Politics – Alternatives Journal Call For Proposals

With the likes of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Bono, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Woody Harrelson, Justin Trudeau and Sarah Harmer climbing aboard the green bandwagon, could Steven Harper be far behind? If Elizabeth May (the Green
Party?s new celebrity leader) participates in all-candidates debates, will environmental issues heat up in the next election? Whether the Liberals select Michael Ignatieff (who has proposed a selective carbon tax) or Stephan Dion (aka Mr. Kyoto), can the environment fail to permanently catch hold?

It seems as if a smoky shade of green is colouring our daily news as well.
The proliferation of cover stories about smog and heat alerts, gridlock,
gasoline prices, natural disasters and exotic new diseases hint at the
convergence of economics, health, the environment and politics. What impact
is media attention having on political decision-making? Will interest in
environmental issues outlast the next economic downturn?
Alternatives Journal wants to stimulate dialogue through a special issue on
the greening of politics, not just in Canada, but also around the world.
This issue will look at governance through a green lens. It will examine the
politics of environmental policy-making. And it will discuss the prospects
for our shared future.
The issue will serve as a forum for current ideas and a chance to
disseminate existing research on the topic to a wide public audience.
Potential themes include:
* What are the roles of existing and emerging political parties in green
politics? How have they evolved in recent years? What can Elizabeth May hope
to accomplish?
* Will green politics bring together new constituencies in novel ways?
* How do environmental ideas find traction in day-to-day Canadian politics?
* Are there new or emerging policy tools or strategies for green politics?
Do market instruments work? Is environmental regulation the answer?
* Can environmentalism become front and centre in existing political
structures and processes or are changes required? Would proportional
representation solve green political woes?
* What is the current body of political ideas captured by green politics?
How does environmentalism align with existing political labels?
* What are some of the opinions, attitudes, and values of Canadians toward
the environment?
Articles may also ask critical questions about other aspects of green
politics. We hope, for example, to dedicate some space for international
experiences.
If you are interested in proposing an article for this issue, please submit
a maximum 300-word proposal along with an example of your writing to
editor@alternativesjournal.ca by September 13, 2006. Proposals should
include a one- or two-sentence description of your article?s focus, an
outline of your essential argument, your contacts for the article, its
proposed length (1000 to 2000 words) and full contact details (phone,
address, email).
We apologize, but we are only able respond to authors whose proposals we
accept.
All feature articles in Alternatives are subject to a formal peer review.
Alternatives is also currently seeking suggestions for:
*key topics and examples to cover;
*under-reported stories our audience should know about;
*writers who can bring these issues to a broad audience;
*referees to comment on feature articles; and
*ideas for shorter reports, commentaries, sidebar notes and profiles.
Please send your proposals, along with your contact details, to Executive
Editor Nicola Ross (editor@alternativesjournal.ca).
Alternatives is a bi-monthly journal dedicated to in-depth analysis of
environmental issues and, in particular, to the connections among
ecological, social and economic dimensions. It combines the learned rigour
of an academic journal with the accessible style and format of a general
audience magazine, making a unique hybrid. Alternatives has been Canada?s
cutting-edge environmental magazine since 1971. It is published by
Alternatives Inc., a registered charity.