Test 2

Question 1

In the context of Singer’s article, what are some reasons why the dam should be built

Answer 1

• Employment
• Income/profit
• Export

Question 2

In the context of Singer’s article, what are some reasons why the dam should not be built

Answer 2

• Continuity is broken
• Disruption of natural lifecycles
• Problem for next generation

Question 3

What are the origins of man’s dominion over nature

Answer 3

Western traditions, namely the Old Testament and the philosophy of the ancient Greeks (particularly Aristotle)

Human beings are the center of the universe, with some exceptions

Use of the word “dominion” in a modern environmental context is a constant debate

Question 4

In the context of Singer’s article how does the traditional society differ from modern

Answer 4

• traditional oriented societies have priceless & timeless values, whereas modern political/cultural principles have great difficulty recognizing long-term values
• do people appreciate the value of nature/wilderness or are they content in an air conditioned mall?
  
  • ignorance is bliss
• valuing the future appears to be essential (ie: 7 generations); encouraging future generations

Question 5

What does the sacred aspect refer to in Singer’s article

Answer 5

Not only an aesthetic appreciation for nature/wilderness, but seeing it as sacred or spiritual (even for non-religious people)

Question 6

According to Singer, what is the potential consequence if future generations do not share our appreciation of nature

Answer 6

A great loss if they do not appreciate the deep joy and satisfaction that nature provides

Question 7

According to Singer, what can we do to influence future generations’ appreciation of wilderness

Answer 7

Preserve areas of wilderness and create a culture that values nature through books and films

Question 8

According to Singer, why should we preserve wilderness even if future generations may not care for it

Answer 8

To provide future generations with the opportunity to experience a world untouched by humans and not deprive them of that choice forever

Question 9

According to Singer, how can a human-centered ethic support environmental values

Answer 9

Environmental values can be supported by considering the impact of our actions on future generations

Question 10

According to Singer, what is the potential cost of economic growth based on the exploitation of irreplaceable resources

Answer 10

The price paid by future generations for the exploitation of irreplaceable resources is too high

Question 11

What is intrinsic value?

Answer 11

Intrinsic value refers to something that is good or desirable in itself, while instrumental value is value as a means to some other end or purpose

Our own happiness is an example of something that has intrinsic value, while money only has instrumental value

In exploring environmental values, we must consider whether there is anything of intrinsic value beyond human beings- Environmental decisions should not be based on human interests alone, but on values that include the interests of animals, species, trees, and ecosystems that have value independent of human interests

Question 12

According to Singer, what is deep Ecology

Answer 12

Deep ecology is an environmental philosophy that advocates for the inherent value of non-human life and the ecosystems that support them. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of all life and seeks to protect the integrity and diversity of the biosphere

Deep ecologists are advocates of deep ecology who seek to preserve the integrity of the biosphere for its own sake, irrespective of the possible benefits to humans that might flow from doing so

Question 13

According to Singer, what is shallow ecology

Answer 13

Shallow ecology is a limited form of ecological thinking that is focused on preserving the environment for human use and benefit - It is concerned with avoiding pollution and preserving wilderness for human enjoyment

Question 14

Who is Arne Naess

Answer 14

Arne Naess is a Norwegian philosopher who wrote a brief but influential article distinguishing between “shallow” and “deep” forms of ecological thinking
He proposed several principles for a deep ecological ethic, emphasizing the intrinsic value of non-human life and the need to preserve the richness and diversity of life forms

Question 15

What are the 3 principles Naess and Sessions set out for a deep ecological ethic

Answer 15

1. The well-being and flourishing of human and non-human Life on Earth have value in themselves (synonyms: intrinsic value, inherent value). These values are independent of the usefulness of the non-human world for human purposes.
2. Richness and diversity of life forms contribute to the realization of these values and are also values in themselves.
3. Humans have no right to reduce this richness and diversity except to satisfy vital needs.

Question 16

What is a virgin forest

Answer 16

A virgin forest is the product of all the millions of years that have passed since the beginning of our planet
If it is cut down, another forest may grow up, but the continuity has been broken - the disruption in the natural life cycles of the plants and animals means that the forest will never again be as it would have been had it not been cut

Question 17

According to Singer, why is true wilderness valuable

Answer 17

True wilderness is valuable because it is already scarce and will become even scarcer in the future, making it a “world heritage” that must be preserved for future generations

Question 18

What is the modern political and cultural ethos’s difficulty in recognizing long-term values?

Answer 18

Politicians rarely look beyond the next election, and economic advisers discount anything to be gained in the future to a degree that makes it easy to disregard long-term values altogether

Question 19

Why is applying a discount rate to the wilderness problematic?

Answer 19

There are some things that, once lost, no amount of money can regain. Thus, destroying the wilderness to earn export income is problematic as it can never buy back the link with the past represented by the wilderness.

Question 20

What is holism

Answer 20

Holism is the idea that a system or entity is more than the sum of its individual parts and must be understood as a whole

Question 21

Arguments for preservation based on the beauty of wilderness

Answer 21

Beauty of wilderness often dismissed as “merely aesthetic” = wrong

• Preservation of artistic treasures valued but not wilderness
• Difficulty in comparing natural and man-made beauty
• Author’s personal experience shows greater aesthetic appreciation for wilderness
• Preservation of wilderness provides opportunities for future generations
• Future appreciation of nature can be influenced by current actions
• Preservation of intact wilderness allows for future generations to choose
• Human-centered ethic supports preservation of environment
• Economic growth at the cost of natural resources is not worth it
• Need to consider challenges to human-centered ethic

Question 22

What is carnism

Answer 22

Carnism is the invisible belief system that conditions us to eat certain animals

Answer 23

Nature’s economy is the first economy on which the economies rest