Environmental Value Systems Flashcards
What are environmental value systems?
A set of paradigms that shape the way an individual or group perceives and evaluates environmental issues.
What does the Ecocentric EVS think?
It is focused on nature and its intrinsic value. We are just part of it. Worries about conservation of the environment. Believes in global citizenship and humans should not use nature.
What does the Antropocentric EVS believe?
Nature has no intrinsic value, but rather an instrumental value for humans. Based on the judeo-christian belief that God gave us nature for our own benefit so we must take care of our gift. Humans should be environmental managers. We need the help of independent regulatory authorities because development is aceptable if controlled and moderated.
What does the Technocentric EVS believe?
Complete faith in tech and industry as they are able to replace and improve natural processes. Nature has no intrinsic value. Economic growth is super important, because we are endlessly resourceful. Technology will solve our problems, so we need fossil fuels to develop more technology. Technology can help us develop more accessible alternatives to solve our environmental issues. We need to develop more technology.
What are the 3 parts of a system? And their corresponding elements of EVS’s?
- Inputs (culture, education, science, media, family and peers, politics, society, experiences and personality)
- Processes (assimilation of knowledge, thinking and evaluating, accepting or rejecting ideas, cost-benefit analysis, emotions)
- Outputs (Decisions, viewpoints, actions, answers, choices).
Different types of NATURE’S value:
Economic: value determined by market price of the good/service.
Ecological: resources are essential for the functioning of nature, and thus for the functioning of societies, but they have no monetary value.
Aesthetic: appreciation of a resource for its visual attraction.
Intrinsic: organisms and ecosystems have value in their own right.
Scientific or technological: useful for resarch and applications.
Intrinsic VS Instrumental Value
Intrinsic: Nature has no price since it is valuable in and of itself.
Instrumental: Nature is a means to an end, because it serves us. (More appealing because it shows the pragmatic and beneficial side of the story rather than a subjective/imaginary principle).
