17THMILLER/SPOOLMAN

LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Chapter 25Environmental Worldviews, Ethics, and Sustainability

Core Case Study: Biosphere 2—A Lesson in Humility

• 1991: Biosphere 2• Constructed near Tucson, AZ, U.S.

• Designed to mimic the earth’s natural chemical recycling systems

• Many problems

• Some successes

Biosphere 2—Designed to Be a Self-Sustaining Life-Support System

Fig. 25-1, p. 661

25-1 What Are Some Major Environmental Worldviews?

• Concept 25-1 Major environmental worldviews differ on which is more important—human needs and wants, or the overall health of ecosystems and the biosphere.

What Is an Environmental Worldview?

• Environmental worldviews• How people think the world works and what they

think their role should be• Human-centered: anthropocentric• Life-centered: biocentric

• Environmental ethics• Beliefs about behavior is right and what behavior is

wrong in regards to the environment

Comparison of Three Major Environmental Worldviews

Fig. 25-2, p. 663

Fig. 25-2, p. 663

E n v i r o n m e n t a l W o r l d v i e w s

Planetary Management Stewardship Environmental Wisdom

We are apart from the rest of nature and can manage nature to meet our increasing needs and wants.

We have an ethical responsibility to be caring managers, or stewards, of the earth.

We are a part of and totally dependent on nature, and nature exists for all species.

We will probably not run out of resources, but they should not be wasted.

Resources are limited and should not be wasted.Because of our ingenuity

and technology, we will not run out of resources. We should encourage earth-

sustaining forms of economic growth and discourage earth- degrading forms.

We should encourage environmentally beneficial forms of economic growth and discourage environmentally harmful forms.

The potential for economic growth is essentially unlimited.

Our success depends on how well we manage the earth's life- support systems mostly for our benefit.

Our success depends on learning how nature sustains itself and integrating such lessons from nature into the ways we think and act.

Our success depends on how well we manage the earth's life- support systems for our benefit and for the rest of nature.

Environmental Worldviews

■ Resources are limited and should not be wasted.

Environmental Wisdom

■ We are a part of and totally dependent on nature, and nature exists for all species.

■ We should encourage earth- sustaining forms of economic growth and discourage earth-degrading forms.

■ Our success depends on learning how nature sustains itself and integrating such lessons from nature into the ways we think and act.

Stewardship■ We have an ethical responsibility to be caring managers, or stewards, of the earth.■ We will probably not run out of resources, but they should not be wasted.

■ We should encourage environmentally beneficial forms of economic growth and discourage environmentally harmful forms.

■ Our success depends on how well we manage the earth's life- support systems for our benefit and for the rest of nature.

Stepped Art

Planetary Management

■ We are apart from the rest of nature and can manage nature to meet our increasing needs and wants.

■ Because of our ingenuity and technology, we will not run out of resources.

■ The potential for economic growth is essentially unlimited.■ Our success depends on how well we manage the earth's life- support systems mostly for our benefit.

Fig. 25-2, p. 663

Environmental Worldviews Lie on a Continuum—from Self- to Earth-Centered

Fig. 25-3, p. 663

Fig. 25-3, p. 663

Biosphere- or Earth-centered

Ecosystem-centered

Biocentric (life-centered)

Anthropocentric (human-centered)

Self-centered

Planetary management

Stewardship

Environmental wisdom

Most People Have Human-Centered Environmental Worldviews

• Two human-centered worldviews• Planetary management worldview• No-problem school• Free-market school• Spaceship-earth school

• Stewardship worldview

Can We Manage the Earth?

• Criticism of the human-centered worldviews

• Is this supported by the failure of Biosphere 2?

Sequoia National Park

Fig. 25-4, p. 664

Some People Have Life-Centered and Earth-Centered Environmental Worldviews

• Inherent or intrinsic value of all forms of life

• Instrumental value of each species: potential economic value

• Environmental wisdom worldview

Levels of Ethical Concerns

Fig. 25-5, p. 665

Fig. 25-5, p. 665

Biosphere

Biodiversity (Earth's genes, species, and ecosystems)

Ecosystems

All species on earth

All animal species

All individuals of an animal species

All people

Nation

Community and friends

Family

Self

The Earth Flag: Symbol of Commitment to Promoting Environmental Sustainability

Fig. 25-6, p. 665

25-2 What Is the Role of Education in Living More Sustainably?

• Concept 25-2 The first step to living more sustainably is to become environmentally literate, primarily by learning from nature.

How Can We Become More Environmentally Literate?

• Three foundations of environmental literacy1. Natural capital matters2. Our ecological footprints are immense and growing

rapidly3. Ecological and climate tipping points: irreversible

and should never be crossed

• Environmental literacy requires answering key questions and having basic understanding of key topics

Components of Environmental Literacy

Fig. 25-7, p. 667

Fig. 25-7, p. 667

Questions to answer

How does life on earth sustain itself?

How am I connected to the earth and other living things?

Where do the things I consume come from and where do they go after I use them?

What is environmental wisdom?

What is my environmental worldview?

What is my environmental responsibility as a human being?

Components

Basic concepts: sustainability, natural capital, exponential growth, carrying capacity

Three principles of sustainablility

Environmental history

The two laws of thermodynamics and the law of conservation of matter

Basic principles of ecology: food webs, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, ecological succession

Population dynamics

Sustainable agriculture and forestry

Soil conservation

Sustainable water use

Nonrenewable mineral resources

Nonrenewable and renewable energy resources

Climate disruption and ozone depletion

Pollution prevention and waste reduction

Environmentally sustainable economic and political systems

Environmental worldviews and ethics

Can We Learn from the Earth?

• Formal environmental education

• Ecological, aesthetic, and spiritual values of nature

• Environmental words of wisdom• Stephen Jay Gould• Mahatma Gandhi

Learn to Appreciate Nature

Fig. 25-8, p. 667

Individuals Matter: Aldo Leopold’s Environmental Ethics

• Humans should protect nature, not conquer it

• Helped found U.S. Wilderness Society• Leader of conservation/environmental movements

• “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”

25-3 How Can We Live More Sustainably? • Concept 25-3 We can live more sustainably by

becoming environmentally literate, learning from nature, living more simply and lightly on the earth, and becoming active environmental citizens.

Can We Live More Simply and Lightly on the Earth?

• People want more community, not more stuff

• Voluntary simplicity

• Principle of enoughness, Mahatma Gandhi

• Many religions teach simpler lifestyles

How Much Is Enough?

• “What do I really need?”

• What are our basic needs?

• What are our qualitative needs?

The Sustainability Eight

Fig. 25-10, p. 670

Fig. 25-10, p. 670

Food

Reduce meat consumptionBuy or grow organic food and buy locally grown food

TransportationReduce car use by walking, biking, carpooling, car-sharing, and using mass transit

Drive an energy-efficient vehicle

Home Energy UseInsulate your house, plug air leaks, and install energy- efficient windows

Use energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, lights, and appliances

Reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, replant, and share

Resource Use

Use renewable energy resources whenever possible

Can We Become Better Environmental Citizens?

• Avoid these mental traps• Gloom-and-doom pessimism• Blind technological optimism

• Keep a positive attitude

• Recognize the diversity of possible solutions

• Have fun and enjoy life

A Vision for Sustainability

• Environmental or sustainability revolution• Major cultural shifts• Environmental changes• Social changes• Technological changes• Economic changes

• We can change faster than we think we can

Environmental/Sustainability Revolution: Cultural Shifts

Fig. 25-11, p. 672

Fig. 25-11, p. 672

Current Emphasis Sustainability Emphasis

Energy and Climate

Fossil fuels Direct and indirect solar energy

Energy waste Energy efficiency

Climate disruption Climate stabilization

Matter

High resource use and waste Less resource use

Consume and throwaway Reduce, reuse, and recycle

Waste disposal and pollution control Waste prevention and pollution prevention

Life

Deplete and degrade natural capital Protect natural capital

Reduce biodiversity Protect biodiversity

Population growth Population stabilization

Change Can Occur Very Rapidly

Fig. 25-12, p. 672

Fig. 25-12, p. 672

Chan

ge

Environmental Concerns Social Trends Economic Tools Technologies

Protecting natural capital Sustaining biodiversity Repairing ecological damage Addressing climate change

Reducing waste Using less Living more simply Reusing and recycling Growth of ecocities and eco-neighborhoods Environmental justice Environmental literacy

Full-cost pricing Micro-lending Green subsidies Green taxes Net energy analysis

Pollution prevention Organic farming Drip irrigation Solar desalinization Energy efficiency Solar energy Wind energy Geothermal energy Environmental nanotechnology Eco-industrial parks

Time

Three Big Ideas

1. Our environmental worldview plays a key role in how we treat the earth that sustains us and how we treat ourselves.

2. We need to become more environmentally literate about how the earth works, how we are affecting its life-support systems that keep us and other species alive, and what we can do to live more sustainably.

Three Big Ideas

3. Living more sustainably means learning from nature, living more lightly on the earth, and becoming active environmental citizens who leave small environmental footprints on the earth.