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.