Environmental Value Systems Flashcards
Environmental value system (definition)
A worldview that influences how an individual or group perceives environmental issues. Influenced by cultural, religious, economic and socio-political context
Case Study: DDT and Silent Spring (1962) // why was DDT banned?
- 1962
- Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’
- Carson warned of effects of pesticides on food chain
- Believed pesticides e.g. DDT were accumulating in fatty tissues in people + causing cancer
- Investigation by J.F Kennedy confirmed fears and DDT banned
Case Study: DDT and Silent Spring (1962) // why may it do more harm than good to human health?
- It is possible banning DDT did more harm than good to human health
- It allowed malaria-carrying mosquitos to survive
- Thus allowing spread of disease + millions of deaths
Case Study: Bhopal Disaster (1984) // what happened
- 3 December 1984
- Bhopal, India
- Union Carbide pesticide plant released 40 tonnes of MIC gas
- Immediately killed 3000
- Ultimately killed between 15,000 - 22,000
- Considered world’s worst industrial disaster
What was a key event to occur in the 1940s and what was its impact?
Green revolution - intensive technological agriculture
Resource use (esp. fossil fuels) + pollution increase. Human pop. rises sharply
What was a key event to occur in 1951 and what was its impact?
UK’s 10 National Parks established
Recognition of need to conserve natural areas
What was a key event to occur in 1962 and what was its impact?
Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’
DDT banned
First Earth Summit
Formation of UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
What year?
1972
CITES formed by ICUN
Endangered species protected from international trade
What year?
1975
What was a key event to occur in 1979 and what was its impact?
James Lovelock presents Gaia hypothesis
Nature seen as self regulating
What was a key event to occur in 1984 and what was its impact?
Bhopal disaster
World’s worst industrial disaster
Montreal Protocol
Nations agree to reduce CFC use
What year?
1987
IPCC formed by UNEP
Advises governments on climate change
What year?
1988
Rio Earth Summit + Kyoto Protocol
Agreement to reduce CO2 emissions
Agenda 21
What year?
1992
What is Agenda 21?
Action plan for sustainable development
A product of Rio Earth Summit (1992)
When did Kyoto Protocol become legal requirement ?
174 countries signed
Some lower emissions by 15%
Expired in 2012
2005
Case Study: Chernobyl (1986) // what happened
- 26 April 1986
- Worst nuclear disaster ever
- A few miles north of Kiev
- An explosion and then fire resulted in a level 7 event (the highest) in reactor 4
- The reactor went into meltdown and a cloud of highly radioactive material drifted over much of Russia and Europe, even reaching Wales + Scotland
- Fission products have a long half-life and were accumulated in food chains
Case Study: Chernobyl (1986) // impacts
- 31 people died immediately due to radiation
- Some estimates state that 1 million people will have died as a result of the disaster
- However it is difficult to know for certain as long-term illnesses e.g. cancer are difficult to pin-point to a particular event
- 130,000 evacuated from surrounding regions
- In 2009, there were still restrictions on selling sheep from some Welsh farms due to their levels of radiation
Kyoto Protocol (1997) // what it a success? YES:
- in some countries caused 3% reduction in emissions
- increased governmental + public awareness
- many took actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a household, when travelling and when at work. This means that whilst many governments failed to reach the targets set out by the agreement, individually people were becoming increasingly environmentally friendly
Kyoto Protocol (1997) // what it a success? NO:
- In many countries, e.g China, there has been a sharp increase the greenhouse gas emissions produced
- Many countries failed to sign up to the agreement or initially signed up and then dropped out e.g when George Bush became president he rejected it on the grounds that it would hurt US economy
- In Russia the Kyoto agreement caused a collapse in the economy
- The Kyoto agreement’s mechanisms created a carbon marketplace where carbon credits could be traded. This allowed richer nations to avoid cutting their emissions, and in some cases, disguise an increase
- Even the original target of 5.5% was too small to make much of an impacts on climate change
3 features of ECOCENTRIC views
- Puts ecology + nature as central to humanity
- Emphasises less materialistic approach to life
- Greater self-sufficiency of societies
2 features of ANTHROPOCENTRIC views
- Humans must sustainably manage the global system
- Through use of taxes, environmental regulation + legislation
What do technocentrics believe?
Believe technological developments ca provide solutions to environmental problems
What do cornucopians believe?
- Extreme technocentrics
- Believe that through technology + invention it is possible to solve any environmental problem + improve living standards
