Chapter 1 Flashcards
from what do environmental movements get influenced?
- literature
- media
- major environmental disasters
- international agreements
- technological developments
what is an EVS (environmental view system)
worldview or paradigm that shapes the way an individual, or group of people, perceives and evaluates environmental issues
What influences EVSs
- culture
- religion
- economy
- sociopolitical contexts
- education
- experience
- media
What makes an EVS a system
it includes inputs in the form of media and culture, then involves interrelated premises, values and arguments, then generating a set of outputs like consistent decisions and evaluations
What are the 3 types of EVSs
- ecocentric
- anthropocentric
- technocentric
What is an ecocentric EVS
a viewpoint that:
- integrates social, spiritual and environmental
dimensions into a holistic ideal.
- puts ecology and nature as central to humanity and emphasizes a less materialistic approach to life with greater self-sufficiency of societies.
- prioritizes biorights,
emphasizes the importance of education and encourages self-restraint in
human behaviour.
What is an anthropocentric EVS
a viewpoint that;
- argues that humans must sustainably manage
the global system. This might be through the use of taxes, environmental regulation and legislation
- Debate would be encouraged to reach a consensual, pragmatic approach to solving environmental problems.
What is a technocentric EVS
a viewpoint that argues:
- that technological developments can
provide solutions to environmental problems. This is a consequence of a largely
optimistic view of the role humans can play in improving the lot of humanity.
- Scientific research is encouraged in order to form policies and to understand
how systems can be controlled, manipulated or changed to solve resource
depletion
- A pro-growth agenda is deemed necessary for society’s improvement
what is a society
an arbitrary group of individuals who share some common
characteristics, such as geographical location, cultural background, historical
time frame, religious perspective, value system and so on
What are some significant historical influences on the perception of the environment
- James Lovelock’s development of the Gaia hypothesis
- Minamata disaster Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring (1962)
- Davis Guggenheim’s documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
- Chernobyl disaster of 1986
- Fukushima Daiihi nuclear disaster of 2011
- whaling
- Bhopal disaster of 1984
- Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010
- Chipko movement
- Rio Earth Summit 2012 (Rio+20)
- Earth Day
-Green Revolution - Copenhagen Accord
what is a system approach
a way of visualizing a complex set of interactions
which may be ecological or societal.
what is a system
an assemblage of parts, working together, forming a functional whole, consisting of storages and flows.
what are flows in a system
processes that may be either transfers (a change in location) or transformation (a change in the chemical nature, a change in state or a change in energy)
what are the 3 main components of a system
- inputs
- processes
- outputs
