CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2024
| Author | Moravansky, Matej |
|---|---|
| Title | Politics of Industrial Air Pollution in Czech Lands and East Germany in the 1980s and 1990s |
| Summary | In my thesis, I analyse the politics of industrial air pollution in the Czech Lands and East Germany during the late 20th century. In the 1980s, Central Europe faced a significant ecological crisis. The extensive economic use of fossil fuels caused the pollution of soil, water resources, and air, negatively affecting human health, as well as the health of animals, plants, trees, and natural and social ecosystems. The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the German Democratic Republic were situated in the heart of the polluted area, and most of the toxic emissions originated from their industries and energy sectors, resulting in significant damage. In response to these existential threats, the governments of both countries implemented various ecological policies to address the crisis, both during the state socialist period and the subsequent post-socialist era. While some policies emerged before 1989 and were continuous in the post-1989 period, others were newly introduced by the democratic capitalist regimes. By the late 1990s, the situation began to improve. By examining the responses of the state socialist and post-1989 regimes in both countries to the crisis, I aim to provide insight into the structural nature of the socioeconomic systems of that time. I focus on understanding the continuities and discontinuities in these responses and policies. Studying these struggles will provide insight into the underlying causes of many contemporary challenges related to climate and biodiversity loss crises. |
| Supervisor | Trencsényi, Balázs |
| Department | History MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2024/moravansky_matej.pdf |
Visit the CEU Library.
© 2007-2025, Central European University