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Chapter 2 Environmental History, Jurisdictional Authority, and Sustainability

Chapter 2 Environmental History, Jurisdictional Authority, and Sustainability. Environmental Views in Canada : 1700s–1800s. Widespread environmental destruction European settlement Frontier attitude Resources appeared inexhaustible. Early Environmental Movement. Henry David Thoreau

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Chapter 2 Environmental History, Jurisdictional Authority, and Sustainability

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  1. Chapter 2 Environmental History, Jurisdictional Authority, and Sustainability

  2. Environmental Views in Canada: 1700s–1800s • Widespread environmental destruction • European settlement • Frontier attitude • Resources appeared inexhaustible

  3. Early Environmental Movement • Henry David Thoreau • Writer • Lived simply • George Perkins Marsh • Man and Nature • Humans as agents of change

  4. Early Environmental Movement • Resources quickly being depleted • Emergence of utilitarian conversation • Canadian Forest Service established • John James Audubon • Artist aroused public interest

  5. North American Wildlife Model • Recognition that wildlife was an exhaustible resource • First push to conserve habitats and wildlife • Two Principles: • Wildlife belongs to all North Americans • Resources should be managed sustainably Making a Difference: Shane Mahoney

  6. Mid-20th Century Conservation • Droughts of 1930’s • PFRA in 1935 • DUC in 1938 • Aldo Leopold • Game Management • A Sand County Almanac • Developed a land ethic

  7. Mid-20th Century Conservation • Rachel Carson • Marine biologist • Silent Spring • Dangers of pesticides • Heightened public awareness • Paul Ehrlich • Ecologist • The Population Bomb

  8. The Environmental Movement • 1970: First Earth Day • Gaylord Nelson • Denis Hayes • Religious support • 1990: 141 nations celebrate Earth Day

  9. Important Dates In Environmental History • 1986: Chernobyl nuclear accident • 1987: Montreal Protocol drafted • 1989: Exxon Valdez oil spill • 1991: Oil spill in Kuwait • 1999: Human population reaches 6 billion • 2010: World’s worst oil spill

  10. Jurisdictional Authority • British Common Law: • Property owners have the right to use land and resources on their land as they wish • Little influence on environmental protection • Statute Law: • BNA Act of 1867, government has control over environmental rules and regulations • Divided responsibility between the federal and provincial governments

  11. Environmental Legislation • Environment Canada is legally incorporated, 1971 • Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 1992 • Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

  12. Environmental Ethics • Application of ethical standards to environmental questions • Based on values, which change • Consider people today and in the future • Involves many tradeoffs

  13. Environmental Worldviews • Helps us make sense of: - How the environment works - Our place in the environment - Right and wrong behaviors • Two extremes - Western - Deep ecology

  14. Western Worldview • Expansionist; frontier attitude • Human-centered, utilitarian • Exploit nature • Accumulate wealth • Anthropocentric

  15. Deep Ecology Worldview • Based on harmony with nature • Spiritual respect for life • All species are equal • Requires radical shift in modern thinking • Need for population control • Biocentric

  16. Aboriginal Worldview • Passed on from generation to generation • Traditional stories, rituals and spiritual beliefs • Humans live in harmony with nature • Traditional knowledge Add the image that will be place in Chapter 2 Figure 2.14

  17. Voluntary Simplicity • How should you live? • Material wealth not required for happiness • Values and character important • How can you make changes?

  18. Environmental Justice • Right of everyone to protection from environmental harm • Moral sense of fairness & equality • Who is exposed to the most pollutants? • Where are many landfills and toxic waste facilities located?

  19. A Plan Is Needed • Carrying capacity - Maximum population that can be sustained - What is our carrying capacity? • Human population must be stabilized • Over consumption must stop

  20. Strategies for Sustainable Living: Recommendations • Eliminate poverty—stabilize human population • Protect and restore Earth’s resources • Provide adequate food for all people • Mitigate climate change • Design sustainable cities

  21. Development • Goal: improve quality of human life • Unequal distribution of resources • Many live on less than $2 per day • How can this problem be solved? • What can you do?

  22. Biodiversity & Us • Biodiversity: variety of living organisms • Humans are part of Earth’s web of life • What does biodiversity do for us? • Ecosystem services

  23. Protecting Biodiversity • Much biodiversity is in the developing world • Need for more scientists • Proper management of land • Every country needs a plan

  24. Eco Canada Career Focus • Have you considered a career as an environmental assessment analysts? • Identify, assess and mitigate environmental effects of proposed projects

  25. Case Study: Jakarta, Indonesia • Population 16.9 million: 2006 • Pollution from ~ 2 million commuters daily • 95% of human waste not cleaned • Flooding • Squatters • What can be done?

  26. “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1937

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