Environmental Systems and Societies

1. Environmental Systems and Societies

3. One way to look at the spectra of environmental ideas……..

4. Environmental Value Systems (EVS) An Environmental Value System (EVS) is a particular worldview or set of paradigms that shapes the way an individual, or group of people, perceive and evaluate environmental issues.

5. Inputs • The EVS Inputs are: • Education • Cultural influences • Religious texts and doctrine • The media

6. Outputs: • The EVS Outputs are: • Perspectives • Decisions on how at act regarding environmental issues • Course of action

7. Outputs Inputs Education Decisions Environmental value systems Culture Actions Media Attitudes Religion

8. Ecocentrism • Nature-centered • Minimal disturbance of natural processes • Sustainability for the whole Earth • Self-imposed restraint on resource use • Somewhat the opposite of a technocentrist

9. Deep Ecologists • Nature is important for the humanity of people. • Ecological (natural) laws dictate human morality. • Belief in biorights - the right of endangered species or unique landscapes to remain undisturbed. • No faith in modern large-scale technology due to its dependence on elitist expertise, central state • Materialism is wrong. Economic growth should be geared to provide for the poorest people.

10. Soft Ecologists • Small-scale development builds better communities. • Integrate work and leisure through personal and communal improvement. • Important to participate in community affairs. • No faith in modern large-scale technology due to its dependence on elitist expertise, central state • Materialism is wrong. Economic growth should be geared to provide for the poorest people.

11. Anthropocentrism

12. Definition • The tendency for human beings to regard themselves as the central and most significant entities in the universe • The assessment of reality through an exclusively human perspective

13. Environmental Impact • The underlying reason why humanity dominates and sees the need to “develop” most of the Earth • Central problematic concept in environmental philosophy • Sense of selfishness, not taking into consideration the impact their actions have on their surroundings • Puts humanity before everything

14. Sources • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropocentrism • http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anthropocentric • http://louiskennedy.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/munching-on-the-planet.jpg

15. Technocentrism-Cornucopain

16. Technocentrism Technocentrism: This is a personal value in which is when a person believes that technology should affect, control and protect the environment.

18. Cornucopians Cornucopains:A cornucopian is a futurist who believes that continued progress and provision of material items for mankind can be met by similarly continued advances in technology.

19. Buddhist and Judaeo-Christian Societies

20. Buddhist society • Eccocentric • Nature based • Believes in living in balance with nature • Believes in the importance of an intrinsic bond between man and nature • Believes that ecology dictates human morality • Believes that nature has its own right • Very different from Judaeo-Christian societies, which are more human based and centered around the rights of human beings

21. Judaeo-Christian Societies • Anthropocentric • Human based • Believes that God created nature for the sake and for the use of man • Believes that man is in charge of ecology and determines the rules of ecology and how to deal with it • Believes that it’s their responsibility to take care of the environment • Believes that man can find a way out of any environmental difficulty (not to be confused with technocentrism.)

23. Communist Vs Capitalist • Ideal For Equal Distribution and No Profit • Restricted Voice For the public means that all parties are not heard • Communist tends to be “for the people”, thus the environment comes in second. • Free Market means that sound use of resources • Civil Liberties Means Voice Is Heard For All Parties • Capitalistic Lobbies mean that if one party with overt power, environmental protection not as large.

24. Communism • Buna Chemicals In East Germany • Chernobyl • Helped protect interest of farmers, workers and fishers, who thrive of good environmental policies.

25. Capitalism • Rise of capitalism may mean rise of polluters ensuring lobbies to protect their own needs. • May exploit weaker economic nations through their environment

26. Reminders of important events in ecological history

27. Major landmarks • A new disease was discovered in Minamata City in Japan, in 1956. • It was found to be linked to the release of methyl mercury into the waste-water produced by a chemical factory. • The mercury accumulated in shellfish and fish along the coast; the contaminated fish and shellfish were eaten by the local population and caused mercury poisoning.

28. American biologist Rachel Carson’s influential book Silent Spring was published in 1962. • It remains one of the most influential books of the environmental movement. • The book led to widespread concerns about the use of pesticides and the pollution of the environment.

29. Protests about environmental disasters and concern about the unsustainable use of the Earth’s resources have led to the formation of pressure groups. • Greenpeace (one of the most influential) which made its name in 1975 by mounting an anti-whaling campaign. • In the 1980s, Greenpeace made even bigger headlines with its anti-nuclear testing campaign.

30. In 1986, reactor number four at the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine exploded. • A plume of highly radioactive dust was sent into the atmosphere and fell over an extensive area, which became contaminated. • Caused increased incidences of cancer in the most exposed areas. • The incident raised issues concerning the safety of Soviet nuclear power stations.

31. Bibliography • http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/Tomokos_hand.gif • http://messagesofkindness.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/rachel-carson-silent-spring.jpg • http://www.greenpeace.org/international/PageFiles/24145/cover-of-the-book-greenpeace.jpg • http://blog.freshjive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/an-aerial-view-of-the-chernobyl-nuclear-plant-in-ukraine-shows-damage-from-an-explosion-and-fire-in-one-of-the-reactors-that-sent-large-amounts-of-radioactive-material-into-the-atmosphere-april-26-1986.jpg