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The economic growth-environment nexus explores the relationship between economic growth, as understood in the neoclassical free market or neoliberalism economic theory context, and its implications for the environment. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is considered one of the most successful environmental policy instruments to deal with the consideration of environmental implications of development decisions. Because the economic growth-environment nexus is central to discourses in EIA it is helpful to gain an improved understanding of different perspectives manifesting and influencing EIA practice. This paper aims to identify pluralism in perspectives on the economic growth-environment nexus in EIA practice. This is achieved by applying the Q-method to EIA practice in South Africa and involve the sorting of 36 statements by 16 respondents. The results show pluralism and distinct patterning with four key perspectives emerging namely: the deontological perspective, neoliberal progression, EIA polarisation and new conservationist perspective. We hope this research contributes towards a growing understanding of how different perspectives on the economic growth-environment nexus might influence EIA practice and decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marked PDF has been uploaded for reference and acceptance of grammatical changes] Post-apartheid South African legislation for the protection and management of the ocean environment, has been dominated by the language of sustainable development. Deeply embedded in the notion of sustainability is that of resilience. I propose in this paper, through the medium of the ocean and the Dwesa-Cwebe community in the Eastern Cape Province, that the expectation for human resilience in the age of climate change and global warming is promoted as a reasonable and necessary condition. I will argue that coastal communities, as citizens, are expected to perform resilience within the national rhetoric 'for the greater good,' to support a development narrative which uses environmental protection to veil a government policy of economic gain over social equality. To explore the above claims, I turn to a case study focused on a ground-breaking judgement in the Supreme Court of Appeals which saw fishers gain access to Marine Protected Areas on the grounds of customary rights. A close reading of the judgement together with a historical view of the legislative framework support the argument that the neoliberal legislative frameworks used to govern today continue to be informed by their predecessors conceptualised in the colonial and apartheid eras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]