ABSTRACT
The main feature of governmental policy in the environmental area is--or at least was--its reactive nature; impulses came from a new set of actors who had no obvious place in the Austrian political landscape. The first nuclear power plant met with increasing resistance, and soon opposition to nuclear power became the rallying ground for the nascent environmental movement. The experience of Hamburg in particular led to concern about the fact that, within the political and administrative system, environmental interests were not represented with any degree of authority, thereby legitimizing unorthodox forms of activism. Modern agriculture with its heavy reliance on chemicals is a major environmental problem in many countries. From an environmental perspective, organic-biological agriculture is a desirable alternative. Demands to cut back on environmental regulations and bureaucracy in the name of efficiency and of attracting new industrial plant to Austria became more vocal and were reflected in the legislative process, resulting in a setback for environmental reform.
