MODULE 1PERCEPTION OF NATURE, WORLD VIEWS &

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE NATURE?tmacfitness.com

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE NATURE?hdw.eweb4.com

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HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE NATURE?www.smashingmagazine.com

www.naportals.com

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE NATURE?www.smashingmagazine.com

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

MAJOR PERCEPTIONS OF HUMANS TO NATURE

• Everything is connected!

• man is just a part of the bigger picture

• Nature is fragile!

• nature has delicate balance

• Nature is durable!

• nature as a sturdy system

• Nature is capricious!

• nature is unpredictable www.thegreatillusion.com

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS AND WORLD VIEWS

fye2011.blogspot.comMarilen M. Parungao-Balolong

WHAT IS ETHICS?

“A discipline dealing with what is good and bad, with moral duty and

obligation”

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

SUBSECTIONS OF ETHICSSocial Ethics Ethics which guides human

behavior towards each other

Professional Ethics Ethics which guides professionals

within its group and toward society

Environmental Ethics Ethics which guides human behavior

towards the earth

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

COMMON SCENARIOHOW DO YOU APPROACH THE

FOLLOWING ISSUES RELATED TO VALUES?!

1.Skin Color!2.Gender!3.Religion!4.Education

www.intermix.org.uk

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

LETS’S TRY THE FOLLOWING? WHAT IS YOUR REACTION?

• Some animals have more feelings than others, and we should care for those with the most feelings first!

• I have mourned the loss of a plant!

• It is okay to pick just one flower in class!

• It is okay to pick just 50 flowers in class

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

LETS’S TRY THE FOLLOWING? WHAT IS YOUR REACTION?

• I have secretly set insects free from the house so they will not be killed!

• Would pick a bouquet of wild flowers, even if they would die because of it!

• I would harm myself in defense of a forest ecosystem (i.e. chaining myself to a tree)!

• The death of a household pet has been more traumatizing than the death of humans

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

LETS’S TRY THE FOLLOWING? WHAT IS YOUR REACTION?

• I have no problem with eating meat!

• Will eat meat, even if I don’t know how the animal was treated during its life!

• I would kill a deer for a source of meat!

• I would kill a deer just to help control population

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

LETS’S TRY THE FOLLOWING? WHAT IS YOUR REACTION?

• I would kill a deer for a trophy!

• It is better to test cosmetics and medicine on non-humans before humans than the other way around!

• The world would be better without mosquitoes!

• The world would be better without dogs and cats!

• The world would be better without humans

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

THE ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICAL VALUE SYSTEM

• Biocentrism!

• Ecocentrism!

• Anthropocentrismwww.scienceclarified.com

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

BIOCENTRISM• Humans are members of the Earth’s

community!

• All species are integral elements in a system of interdependence!

• All organisms are centers of life, each pursuing its own good!

• Humans are not inherently superior to other living things

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

eco110rope.wordpress.com

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

ECOCENTRISM

• Expansion of biocentrism by including abiotic components of the environment!

• It cares less about individual life forms but emphasizes interaction between them and fosters a system approach

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

eco110rope.wordpress.com

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

ANTHROPOCENTRISM

• Emphasizes human domination over nature and views non-human environment as a bundle of natural resources to be managed and exploited for maximal human gain!

• The ecosystems have only instrumental value, not intrinsic worth

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

eco110rope.wordpress.com

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

ONE THING IN COMMON…

All three value systems have the human stewardship for

the natural world in common, however they

differ sharply as to whom they do it

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

PROBLEMS OFTEN ARISE WITH ANTHROPOCENTRIC VIEW…

Overpopulation

Preoccupation with possession, power and

ambition

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

HOW COULD IT WORK?Adopt Ecocentric Values

Re-connect emotionally to the natural world !

Live simply so others may simply live !

Welcome opportunity to conserve the earth’s resources

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE in ETHICS

What Is Environmental Justice? The EPA�s Office of Environmental Justice defines Environmental Justice as: The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means that no group of people, including racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic group should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of federal, state, local, and tribal programs and policies.

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong