Making Sense of Intractable Environmental Conflicts

Despite a vast amount of effort and expertise devoted to them, many environmental conflicts have remained mired in controversy, stubbornly defying resolution. Why can some environmental problems be resolved in one locale but remain contentious in another, often carrying on for decades? This volume addresses that and related questions, examining what researchers and experts in the field characterize as "intractable" disputes - intense disputes that persist over long periods of time and cannot be resolved through consensus-building efforts or by administrative, legal or political means. The approach focuses on the "frames" parties use to define and enact the dispute - the lenses through which they interpret and understand the conflict and critical conflict dynamics. Conflicts examined include those over natural resource use, toxic pollutants, water quality and growth, with specific conflicts including the Quincy Library Group in California, Edwards Aquifer in Texas, Alton Park/Piney Woods in Tennessee and three examples of growth-related conflicts in Colorado.