Theory and Practice of Growth and Degradation of Nature

Abstract

Chapter 2 identified the main theoretical paths that define, measure and analyse those factors that are constituents of the relation of air pollution and ill health. Social theory and the natural sciences can certainly continue to make major contributions to the understanding of environmental problems, but the danger is that their comparatively distinct disciplinary compartments will remain unconnected. The social and the natural sciences have indeed made great strides in their own specialties and each now has its own well-developed discourse. None the less, the problem is that they are talking past each other even though the sharing of data has become common practice among disciplines. The present chapter attempts to connect them under the rubric of the political-economy analysis.