Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews

n Cultural Changes –Major Human Cultural Changes n Agricultural Revolution n Industrial Revolution

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Impacts of Major Human Cultural Changes n Increased energy supply n New technologies to alter and control the planet to meet our needs

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Impacts of Major Human Cultural Changes n Expanded food supplies n Increased population n Increased life spans n Increased resource use and pollution

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Hunter-gatherers n Lived in small nomadic bands n Subsisted on wild plants, hunting, fishing n Possessed expert knowledge of their natural surroundings

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Hunter-gatherers n Had available to them three main energy sources: –Sunlight captured by plants (perpetual and potentially renewable resources) –Fire –Their own muscle power

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Hunter-gatherers n High infant mortality rates n Estimated life span = years n Very slow population growth rates

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Hunter-Gatherers n Environmental Impacts –Use of fire converted forests into grasslands –Possible extinction of some large animals

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Hunter-Gatherers n Environmental Impacts –Changes in plant diversity distribution –Overall, the impacts were localized, limited, and easily repaired by natural processes

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Agricultural Revolution n Began 10,000-12,000 years ago n Earliest form of agriculture was subsistence farming –Family only grew enough food/livestock for itself –Depended on human muscle and crude implements

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Agricultural Revolution n Methods of subsistence farming: –Agroforestry –Slash-and-burn –Shifting cultivation

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Agricultural Revolution n Subsistence evolved to farming methods that relied extensively on domesticated animals –Pulling plows –Hauling loads –Meat and milk –Manure

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Agricultural Revolution n Environmental Impacts –Using domesticated animals allowed for the expansion of agriculture –Increase in birth rates and population due to a larger and more reliable food supply

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Agricultural Revolution n Environmental Impacts –Increases in farm area as people cleared more land –Widespread use of irrigation systems to transfer water

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Agricultural Revolution n Environmental Impacts –Surplus of food –Growth of cities and development of merchant and artisan professions

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Agricultural Revolution n Environmental Impacts –Expansion of commerce and trade –Increased demand for metals and other nonrenewable mineral resources

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Agricultural Revolution n Environmental Impacts –Land and water disputes –Loss of biodiversity –Soil erosion –Increased waste generation –Spread of disease –Fall of civilizations

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Industrial Revolution n Began in England in mid-1700s n Major transformations: –Potentially renewable to nonrenewable energy sources to fuel technology explosion –Increased per capita energy consumption –Expansion in production, commerce, and trade

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Cultural Changes –Industrial Revolution n Environmental Impacts –Increased urbanization –Forced child labor –Unsafe working conditions –Pollution-pollution-pollution! –Isolation of more people from nature

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Environmental Worldviews –Worldview - how people think the world works, what they think their role in the world should be, and what they believe is right and wrong environmental behavior (environmental ethics)

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Environmental Worldviews –Two Major Environmental Worldviews n Individual Centered (Atomistic/Frontier) n Earth-Centered (Holistic)

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Environmental Worldviews –Individual-Centered Worldviews n Human-Centered (Anthropocentric) n Life-Centered (Biocentric) –Species-Centered –Individual-Centered

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Environmental Worldviews –Earth-Centered Worldviews n Biosphere-Centered n Ecosystem-Centered

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Environmental Worldviews –Human-Centered Worldview - Basic Beliefs n Grounded in the concept of “planetary management” n Human beings are the planet’s most important species, and we are in charge of the rest of nature

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Environmental Worldviews –Human-Centered Worldview - Basic Beliefs n Nature can be conquered and controlled n Earth has unlimited resources n Resource conservation and environmental management is unnecessary

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Environmental Worldviews –Human-Centered Worldview - Basic Beliefs n Focuses on short-term economic growth regardless of long-term consequences

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Environmental Worldviews –Earth-Centered Worldview - Basic Beliefs n Nature cannot and should not be conquered n All life forms have inherent value n Earth does not have infinite resources

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Environmental Worldviews –Earth-Centered Worldview - Basic Beliefs n Nature cannot and should not be conquered n All life forms have inherent value n Nature is interconnected and integrated, not fragmented

Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews n Environmental Worldviews –Earth-Centered Worldview - Basic Beliefs n Humans are part of nature, not apart from nature n Earth does not have infinite resources n Must not engage in activities that degrade earth’s life-support systems