ENVIRONMENT, MODERNITY AND THE RISK-SOCIETY - THE APOCALYPTIC HORIZONOF ENVIRONMENTAL REFORM

The apocalyptic dimension of the ecological situation seems to emerge in the present-day environmental debate. But in contrast to the early seventies, eco-alarmism in its present form seems to reflect growing u ncertainties and anxieties related to the changing character of late m odern society, Such uncertainties and anxieties do not only pertain to high-consequence risks, as exemplified by the Chernobyl accident, but also to local problems of providing safe drinking water from the tap. Ulrich Beck's risk-society theory, elaborated by Anthony Giddens, ana lyses these eco-anxieties against the background of changing condition s of modernity. Because of its overall pessimistic undertone and its b asic questioning of the role of science and technology in overcoming a n eco-catastrophe, the risk-society theory seems to fundamentally cont radict ecological modernisation theory. In confronting both perspectiv es, the paper aims to contribute to environmental sociology in three w ays. First. we try to come to understand the present-day rise of eco-a larmism. Second, an evaluation is made of the contribution of risk-soc iety theory in analysing environmental problems and in developing proj ective realistic utopian models dealing with the environmental crisis under conditions of late or reflexive modernity. Finally, by bringing formal sociological theory into environmental sociology, both models c ontribute to the conceptual development and refinement of the sub-disc ipline.