Topic 1 - Foundations of Environmental Systems & Societies Flashcards
environmental worldview
set of paradigms or patterns that shape humans and their relationship with the earth
environmental value system
worldviews or paradigm that shapes way people perceive and evaluate environmental issues, influenced by cultural, religious, economic, and socio-political contexts
input: experiences, culture, and the “environment” you grow up in
output: decisions and evaluations
What are the components of a system?
There are inputs, processes, and outputs. In an EVS, the input would be the influence, the process would be the EVS itself, and the output would be the decisions made by the individual(s)
intrinsic value
importance simply by its existence
preservationists
preservation of land and its resources, untouched condition
conservationists
conserving land not for intrinsic value but for instrumental value of goods and services
What are some impacts of human activity?
- extinct and endangered species
- coral reef bleaching
- impact of synthetic chemicals like DDT
- deforestation
- overfishing
- climate change
- chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and their impact on the ozone layer
- sea ice melting
- environmental disasters
Why was the Chernobyl Catastrophe important?
Occurring on April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Catastrophe and its consequences sparked movements and development all across the world. There were creation of funds and development programmes, as well as changes in approach to industrial safety standards. There were also increased regulatory procedures for nuclear power.
What is the CITES?
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
What is the IPCC?
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
What is a system?
Complex set of parts and their interconnections
What are some factors that affect our opinions (the input)?
culture, friends, family, religion, education, media, political parties, and personality
What is cost-benefit analysis?
Balancing relative costs and benefits (the process)
instrumental value
value because it is a means to an end; it doesn’t have value simply for existing
What is an ecocentric environmental value system?
There is intrinsic value to natural resources and natural systems, and there should be prioritization towards biorights and the promotion of environment-related education.
What are some important aspects of an ecocentric EVS?
- humans are a part of nature and work with nature
- there should be a self-imposed restraint on resources
- less materialistic
- prioritize biorights and emphasize education
- human needs are secondary to those of the Earth as the sum of its ecosystems
- destruction of environment is unethical in a deeper way than lost natural capital and depleted ecosystem services
- one can play a part through activism
deep ecologist
extreme EVS, ecocentric who believes nature should be left alone
self-reliance soft ecologists
In between ecocentric and anthropocentric, believes there is room for development while still protecting the environment
biorights
(something) should remain unharmed
What is an anthropocentric environmental value system?
A human-centered EVS which believes nature is there because we can use all natural resources for our own benefit; can manage this through taxes, environmental regulation, and legislation
What are some important aspects of an anthropocentric EVS?
- humans are environmental managers that should work to balance environmental conservation with the needs of people
- economic growth and resource exploitation is acceptable as long as it is properly regulated
- there is a need for population control and better resource management
- governments tend to control anthropocentric societies
- we regulate the environment for our own benefit
- even benefitting human spirit is anthropocentric
- obligations towards the environment are justified by obligation towards humans
- Wesley J. Smith: human exceptionalism (we’re so special!) justifies why we have responsibility to take care of the environment
What is a technocentric environmental value system?
An EVS where people have absolute faith in technology and industry, and believe nature can be completely replaced with technology if necessary
What are some important aspects of a technocentric EVS?
- they see environmental issues as opportunities for science and technology to advance
- they believe technology will keep pace with environmental issues and provide solutions
- they believe natural resources have no intrinsic value other than benefiting humans
- policymaking is usually made by experts because there is a large emphasis on development and scientific analysis
- they believe we can overcome obstacles and that all global problems can be solved with technology
- way forward for developed and developing countries lies in scientific and technological advancements
What is fracking?
One type of developing technology that made previously inaccessible oil or gas accessible
