Environmental issues Flashcards
What is Environmentalism?
A concern with the long-term effect of human activities, the survival of species and the health of the environment.
Define stewardship
The idea that God has given humanity the task of looking after the Earth.
Define conservation
The idea that humanity should protect natural resources and the environment and maintain them for the future.
Key quote in Genesis
Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth - Genesis 1:26
What do Christians believe about stewardship?
Humans were created by God in order to care for the rest of creation
Humans have a responsibility to look after God’s creation
There is strong tradition of love and care for the environment among Christian saints.
What are modern ethical implications of stewardship?
- Evangelical churches - strongly support that Christians should care for the earth and prevent activities that harm God’s creation
- The church of England states God has entrusted the world to humankind - we are responsible for it
- The Catholic church - Humans are created in the image of God - just as God maintains the universe - role of humans is to maintain God’s creation (be responsible for it)
What is conservation?
Many Christians take because of central idea of stewardship
Refers to protection of natural resources and environment from dangers of climate change and human activities (deforestation, pollution)
Why is conserving the environment necessary?
It’s necessary to protect future generations of animals but also future generations of humanity.
Define anthropocentric
Centred on humanity
What is the difference between stewardship and dominion?
Dominion means humanity’s right to control and have power over the land and all other living beings. Stewardship refers to the responsibilities to the land that come with the right and power.
Define secular
Unconnected with or independent of religion
What is deep ecology and who advocated it?
DE = a belief that human and non-human species are equal and nature has intrinsic value
Advocated by - Arne Naess
What did Arne Naess argue about DE?
He argued that nature has intrinsic value regardless of it’s utility to humans
All living beings should be able to flourish and evolve naturally
Environmentalism shouldn’t just be about conservation - but about a consideration of the worth of nature and ecosystems
Humans have a moral obligation to protect the environment
What are the five points that Naess argued for?
^ radically reduce Earth's population ^ abandon all goals of economic growth ^ conserve diversity of species ^ live in small, self-reliant communities ^ minimise our impact on the environment
What is shallow ecology?
Mostly focuses on conservation
It values the environment but doesn’t give it intrinsic worth as DE does
Natural world has instrumental value as a means to an end
Examples of what shallow ecology would argue for
^ Biodiversity needs to be sustained because plants can provide essential medicines.
^ Rainforest should be preserved on the basis of it’s utility as the Earth’s lungs
What is a problem with shallow ecology?
It doesn’t take into account the value we give to nature and the environment - people enjoy spending time in the natural world and admire it’s beauty - we have moral responsibilities to the natural world - its worth beyond the uses we ascribe it.
What is the Gaia hypothesis / Eco-holism?
- Created by James Lovelock
- Gaia - Greek term for the Earth’s goddess
- Lovelock combined the term to symbolise the earth as a sustaining & nurturing system
How does Lovelock see the earth?
- As a single living entity, a kind of super-organism.
- Living beings and non living entities are *interdependent
- The earth has a self-regulating mechanism
What is Peter Singer’s view on animal welfare?
- Insists that animals have intrinsic value and animals can feel pain + pleasure
- Argues that since we don’t eat, kill or experiment on babies - we should have the same respect for animals.
- If we have a responsibility to weaker humans, we also do for animals
What is speciesism?
The assumption that humans are superior than animals
Singer argues against speciesism - for him, this view is a prejudice akin to racism.
