ABSTRACT
The field of environmental mediation/conflict resolution (ECR) has grown rapidly in the past three decades (Dahl, 2003; Moore, 1996; O’Leary & Bingham, 2003; Riesel, 1985). Based on early success in labor dispute management and international negotiations, mediation saw application to a number of issues for which traditional litigation represented the only option (Andrew, 2001; Sipe & Stiftel, 1995). As expected, the use of mediation to resolve environmental issues has been studied and critiqued to determine applicability and provide guidance for future use. However, the lack of empirical data is consistently cited as a shortcoming in the existing research efforts (Andrew, 2001; Dukes, 2004; O’Leary, 1995; O’Leary & Bingham, 2003; Sipe & Stiftel, 1995). O’Leary (1995) states, “Given the paucity of empirically based research, it must be concluded that much of our ‘knowledge’ concerning environmental mediation is based primarily on thoughtful speculation or wisdom, with few data to support it” (p. 1). The current lack of research leaves the existing claims about environmental mediation effectiveness unsupported. A directed effort to empirically examine environmental mediation outcomes is needed to establish an overall baseline of effectiveness within the field.
