23 - Green Politics

Question 1

Thomas Midgley (d. 1944)

Answer 1

-Leaded gasoline (‘Ethnyl’)
Freon (CFCs)
-Midgley’s death = metaphor, technology as solution to problems
    -Own idea lead to him 
    being strangled by the 
    bed he invented

Question 2

Serious environmental problems

Answer 2

• Natural habitats
• Wild food sources
• Biological diversity
• Loss of natural resources

Question 3

Ceilings needed on resources

Answer 3

• Energy sources: oil, natural gas, coal

- Freshwater

Question 4

Harmful things we generate

Answer 4

• Toxic chemicals
• Alien species
• Atmospheric gases

Question 5

Climate change

Answer 5

• Skeptics: 1) Inexactness of climate science, 2) Belief over science
• Climate projections = uncertain = temperature increases could be smaller or much larger
• Uncertainty = reason for action (e.g. tax on CO2 emissions could prevent 10% chance of end of life by 2095)

Question 6

Human population

Answer 6

-Population will stabilize at 9-12 billion in the future
-More people will lead
to the consumption of
more resources which
will result in greater
environmental damage
-Per capita environmental impact:
-Developed world =
Developing world X32

Question 7

Ecology as an ideology

Answer 7

• Beyond left and right
• Green versus the mainstream
• Greens reject anthropocentrism = Idea that human interests are of overriding moral importance and we can use nature for our own ends
• Action on environment = Most important

Question 8

An ecological ethic

Answer 8

• An interconnected natural system (environmental issues are international)
• Respect for all life
• Enormous power to do good or harm the planet, so we have a great responsibility
• Stewardship: Protect, preserve, and sustain nature

Question 9

The Gaia hypothesis

Answer 9

• British scientists Lovelock
• Earth and its creatures = single, self-regulating system that is one organism: a single, huge, living being (Gaia)
• The interconnectedness and interdependence of all parts of earth’s ecology

Question 10

Deep vs. shallow ecology

Answer 10

-Deep ecology = radical change in consciousness
-All forms of life have
intrinsic value
-No living thing’s value
depends on their
usefulness to humans
-Shallow ecology (environmentalism) = institutional changes in states and markets
-Aims to promote
environmental goals as a
means to serving human
needs, especially economy
-Do we need to change our minds (deep) or change the word (shallow)?

Question 11

Collective action problems

Answer 11

-Public and private goals: Clean air is a public good that cannot be divided and distributed
-Environmental collective action requires cooperation
-Everyone has an
incentive to free ride
-Tragedy of the commons: We need to enforce collective solutions to avoid destroying common resources
-Political engagement: Enforce solutions to collective action problems (eg. regulation)