Survivalism & The Rise of the Enviro movement Flashcards
Why enviro pol?
- Resource depletion
- Overpopulation (5 earths needed for western word) alone
- Climate change
- Mass extinction
- Disappearing nations
- Security crises (enviro refugees)
- Health crises
What are examples of interests?
- Economic- growth at all costs
- Political
- Social
When did environmental politics start gaining traction?
60’s- starting to see earth as fragile
Why wasn’t the enviro an issue previously?
- Poverty- no over-consuming/ waste
* Population- high infant mortality, less numbers
What was the catalyst for population growth?
- Industrial rev- inc in productivity, manual labour to machine, food production mechanised
- Consumer revolution- more money to buy more things
- People are wealthier, sanitation/ nutrition/ medicine improve- less infant deaths
What is exponential economic growth and who is the scientist behind it?
Lester Brown
Lily pad analogy- doubles in size every day, in 30 days it will cover whole pond and destroy it, on what day would the pond only be half covered- 29th
We can’t conceptualise non-linear growth, and we are on the 29th day
What is The Tragedy of the Commons and who is the scientist behind it?
Hardin- 68
When a resource is commonly owned, each person benefits from excessive personal use of it- and the whole community pays the cost
Rational individual will put a few extra cattle in- then everyone does this
“Freedom in a common brings ruin to us all”
What is the Prisoner’s dilemma?
Two robbers caught trying to rob a bank
• Testify against friend= free to go
• Both come clean= 1 year each
Can’t be sure the other won’t take the deal
So both rat and both get 20- rational individuals will do this
What is the population bomb?
Pop always expands in times of plenty- animal and human
What is carrying capacity?
Maximum population of a species an ecosystem can support
What are the four philosophies/ solutions of survivalism?
- No more capitalism, democracy or nation states
- Massive limits on personal freedoms- i.e. travel, procreation, consumption
- Harsh social policies- i.e. hardin: no more help to developing world, compulsory sterilisation
- Dictatorship by experts i.e. biologists, ecologists
What were the changes survivalists contributed to?
- Idea of earth’s fragility/ vulnerability
- Counter culture movement- baby-boomers not having kids/ working as early
- Feminist movement- attending college, reproductive rights, economic opportunity, sexual freedom
- Anti-war movement- questioning war was uncommon pre-vietnams
- Sexual freedom movement- both control, abortion, homosexuality
- Free speech
What was bikini atoll?
Nuclear disaster- radiation poisoning in boat, govt tries to cover up- helps enviro movement
When was the first Earth day?
April 1970, 25mil US citizens in the streets
