Topic 1- Fundamentals of ESS 1.1 Environmental Value Systems

What is an Environmental Value Systems? A worldview that shapes the way people perceive and evaluate environmental issues. Influenced by cultural, economic and socio-political factors.

Why is it a system? Inputs and outputs all influenced by: Education Experience Culture Media (input) Interrelated premises Values Arguments Decisions Evaluations (output)

Development of EVS Significant historical influences Literature Media Major environmental disasters International agreements Technological developments

Historical Influence Minamata, Japan In1959, the first human patient of what soon became known as Minamata disease was identified. Symptoms included convulsions, slurred speech, loss of motor functions and uncontrollable limb movements. As a result of wastewater pollution by the plastic manufacturer, mercury and other heavy metals found their way into the fish and shellfish that comprised a large part of the local diet. Thousands of residents have slowly suffered over the decades and died from the disease.

Historical Influence Bhopal, India Dec. 2, 1984, a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal released 45 tons of poisonous methyl isocyanate escaping from the facility. Thousands died within hours, 15,000 in all. About half a million people were affected . Many survivors suffered blindness, organ failure and other awful bodily malfunctions. A high number of children in the area have been born severe birth defects. Bhopal remains the worst industrial disaster ever

Historical Influence Chernobyl, Ukraine The worst nuclear-power-plant disaster in history. On April 26, 1986, one of the reactors at the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine exploded Nuclear meltdown released radiation into the atmosphere. Thousands of kids have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

Historical Influences All these events have helped to influence EVS. Raised public awareness Provided media coverage Increased sense of stewardship over the Earth Impact local and global governments and regulations

Years Events Significance Early 1800’s Industrial Revolution in Europe Increased urbanisation, resource usage and pollution Late 1800’s Influential individuals such as Thoreau and Muir write books on conservation First conservation groups form and nature reserves established. NGO’s start to form 1940’s Green Revolution – intensive technological agriculture Resource use (especially fossil fuels) and pollution increased. Human population increases dramatically 1949 Leopold writes A Sandy County Almanac Concept of stewardship is applied to nature 1956 to 1968 Minamata Bay Disaster Emphasizes the ability of food chains to accumulate toxins into higher trophic levels, including humans 1962 Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring General acceptance of dangers of chemical toxins affecting humans. The pesticide DDT is banned 1960’s to 1970’s NGO’s gain greater following Public awareness grows, WWF, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth all formed 1972 First Earth Summit – UN Conference on the Human Environment Declaration of UN Conference. Action Plan for Human Environment. Environment Fund established. Formation of UN Environmental Programme (UNEP). Earth Summit planned for 10-year intervals 1975 CITES formed IUCN Endangered species protected from international trade 1982 Nairobi Earth Summit Ineffective 1984 Bhopal Disaster World’s worst industrial disaster 1987 Montreal Protocol Nations agree to reduce CFC use 1988 IPCC formed by UNEP Advises governments of risk of climate change 1992 Rio Earth Summit and Kyoto Protocol Agreement to reduce carbon emissions to counter enhanced greenhouse effect 1990’s Green awareness strengthens Environmentally friendly products, recycling and eco-tourism become popular 2002 Johannesburg Earth Summit Plans to globally improve: water and sanitation, energy supply issues, health, agricultural abuse, and biodiversity reduction 2005 Kyoto Protocol becomes a legal requirement 174 countries signed and are expected to reduce carbon emissions to some 15% below expected 2008 emissions. Expires 2012 2006 Film An Inconvenient Truth Documentary by Al Gore (former US vice president) on global warming 2008 EU Climate Summit, Brussels   UN Climate Change Conference, Poland Reaffirmed 20-20-20 commitment (cut emissions by 20%, make 20% energy savings and generate 20% of energy from renewable resources by 2020 2009 Hopenhagen, UN Climate Change Conference Reaffirm need to reduce carbon emissions. 192 nations represented

Historical Influences You will be assigned a key historical event that has helped influence EVS Your task is to do some research to find the significance of each event What is it? Why was it important? How did it help shape how we value the environment? Any other relevant information When finished, add your findings to the timeline posted in the hallway Everyone is responsible for knowing their assigned event PLUS 4 others (two must be a global event) that were posted

Class Discussion Complete the EVS questionnaire When finished with your questionnaire, get an ESS book on the back shelf Think about the activity last class, what surprised you? Pick one of the events and briefly explain how that helped to shape how we, as a society, value the environment. Did any of the events you researched influence how you personally view the world?

3 Types of Environmental Philosophies Page 11 in textbook

Notes 7

Environmental Philosophies Ecocentrism – Nature Centered Puts ecology and nature as central to humanity with less emphasis on materialism 1. Deep Ecologists (extreme ecocentrists) Put more value on nature than humanity Nature is needed for humanity and has rights 2. Self-Reliance Soft Ecologists Focus on community involvement to change political policies an practices 3. Biocentric – life centered All life has an inherent value, a value for its own sake, not just for humans Animals are not just for hunting and eating

Environmental Philosophies Anthropocentrism- People Centered Humans must sustainably manage the global system through taxes, environmental regulation and legislation 1. Environmental Managers View the Earth as a garden that needs tending. This is also called the stewardship worldview Economic growth and resource use can continue if adjustments are made to policies (taxes, laws…)

Environmental Philosophies Technocentrism – Technology Centered Technological developments can provide solutions to environmental issues. Resource replacement solves resource depletion Need to understand natural processes in order to control them Emphasis on scientific analysis 1. Cornucopian (extreme technocentrists) Believe the world has infinite resources to benefit humanity because technology and our inventiveness will solve all of our environmental problems

EVS Influence Decisions For each of the problems below decide a if we should solve each problem using the provided worldview. Technocentric: Should we use windmills to produce more energy? Anthropocentric: Should GMO’s be used to grow more food? Ecocentric: Should we create more national parks to save species and maintain biodiversity on the planet?

EVS of two named societies Buddhist Humans are not self sufficient or more important than the Earth Judaeo-Christian “Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground’” (Genesis 1:28) Genesis demonstrate stewardship of the Earth or control?

EVS Questionnaire Where do you stand?

To Do Page 14 in textbooks Get in groups of 3 or 4 Using the large poster paper, follow the directions Don’t worry about the directions at the bottom. Just place words in either column

Assessment Questions: Place the following sample individuals on the continuum of environmental philosophies a Muslim subsistence farmer in West Africa a wealthy Christian doctor in Western Europe a Buddhist monk living in Thailand an agnostic investment banker in New York City a Catholic lumberjack in southern Chile

Personal EVS Reflect upon where you stand on the continuum of environmental philosophies with regard to Population control Resource exploitation Sustainable development