Lesson 4: Human Person and his Environment

Environment
The sum total of all surroundings
of a living organism, including
natural forces and other living
things, which provide condition
on development, growth as well as
of danger and damage.

Common Environmental Problems

1. Air Pollution
 Contamination of the air in the atmosphere. which is primarily caused by:
o harmful gases and toxins released from the smoke of the industrial factories
o combustion of fossil fuels from our private cars and vehicles, public
transportations facilities,
o agricultural machineries
o burning of fossil fuels like petroleum and coal products from our power plants,
o the use of insecticides, pesticides and fertilizers,
o the release of gases from the household cleaning products and
o the emissions from gas stoves contribute to air pollution
2. Water Pollution
 Environmental problem cause by oil spill, acid rain and another hazardous chemicals that
mixed with water
 According to the World Health Organization (2017), contamination in waters causes
various diseases in human persons, particularly to children. Furthermore, the WHO
 (2017) noted that diarrhea, which is caused by the use of unsafe water, improper hygiene
and poor sanitation, is one of the main contributors to the death rate of children all over
the world.

3. Acid Rain
 According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA), acid rain
occurs when the harmful gases like nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides are released into the
atmosphere through burning of fossil fuels and combustion of vehicle engines. When it
rains, these harmful gases mixed with rainwater droplets which cause heavy damage to
plants, animals and humans (US-EPA, 2017).
4. Climate Change
 It refers to an increase in the average global temperature.
 The excessive increase of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, contributes largely in
climate change.
 According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, different human activities have caused
imbalance in the natural cycle of the greenhouse effects as well as disastrous and deadly
calamities, such as extreme cold winters, heavy rains, stronger storms and El Nino and La
Nina phenomena. It is believed that climate change is caused by human activity and its
consequences are harmful to humans as well as to nature (Joshua Reichert, 2009).
5. Deforestation
 Environmental problem refers to the cutting of trees for agricultural, industrial, housing
or urban use
 Created by humans contributes to various environmental risks that become harmful to
humans, animals and other living creatures. In particular, it creates climate imbalance,
soil erosion, extinction of wildlife animals, flashfloods, and increases global warming.
6. Depletion of Ozone Layer:
 One of the most serious problems that our planet earth is facing today.
7. Waste Pollution:
 Waste pollution is common in urban and densely populated areas
 These wastes are usually in solid form which cause land, air and water pollution if not
properly disposed
 experts agree that the increase in quantity of solid waste is due to overpopulation, lack of
education on waste management and technological advancement
 Most of the epidemic outbreaks such as dengue, malaria, diarrhea and other airborne
diseases in our society are mainly caused by waste pollution.
8. Acidification:
 The acidification of sea waters, according to experts on marine ecosystem, was credited
to excessive amount of carbon dioxide component in the ocean. Carbon dioxide is
produced by human, animals and the burning of fossil fuels.
 The increase in the acidity of our sea waters and higher sea levels poses a danger to the
livelihood and lives of the large number of people living in the coastal areas.
 The acidification of our waters resulted in the depletion of marine resources and
destruction of marine ecosystem.
9. Increase in Sea/Ocean Temperature:
 The rapid increase in sea level and ocean temperature are attributed to climate change and
global warming
10. Overpopulation:
 Most of the environmental risks have both direct and indirect connection to
overpopulation
 The explosion in global population is partly caused by:
o early marriages,
o lack of knowledge in birth control and family planning methods,
o and social pressures.
11. Depletion of Natural Resources
 It is defined on the premise that the value of a resource is measured in terms of its
availability in nature. It occurs when resources are consumed at a faster rate than that of
replacement.
 However, because of the society’s advancements brought about by social and cultural
revolutions, increase in global population, high consumption of resources, as well as
modernization and economic globalization activities, our natural resources are depleting
little by little.

The Human Person in Relation to His or Her Environment

Human as Masters of the Environment

God said, “Let us make man in our own image in the likeness of ourselves, and let
them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beast
and all reptiles that crawl upon the earth.” God created man in the image of himself, in
the image of God he created him, male and female, and He created them. God blessed
them saying to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it. Be masters of the
fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all living animals on the earth.”
-Genesis 1:26-28, the Jerusalem Bible
 Three Ethical Perspectives

1. Anthropocentrism
 The belief that human person are the most important entity in the universe.
 Only humans have rights wherein the cost and benefits are measured only according to
their impact on people.
 Anything not providing benefit to people has no value.
2. Biocentrism
 Believes that humans are not the only significant species on the planet, and that all other
organisms have inherent value and should be protected. This view advocates ethical
treatment of animals.
 Certain living things also have value and all life has ethical standing
 Development is opposed if it destroys life, even if it creates jobs.
3. Ecocentrism
 This view believes that humankind is a part of a greater biological system or community
and that we have a significant role as stewards or guardians of nature.
 The whole ecological systems have value and uses the holistic perspective thus it stresses
preserving connections.
 It values the well-being of species, communities or ecosystems

Two Frameworks
According to Payne (2010) there are two frameworks where humans can be related.

1. Anthropocentric Model
 Based on the anthropocentric model, humans are superior and central to the universe,
thus it is human centered.

 Human
 Culture
 Individualism
 Mind
 Calculative
 Human over/against
Environments
 Global/Technological
 What is Anthropocentric?
 People as environmental managers of sustainable global systems.
 Populations control given equal weight to resource use.
 Strong regulation by independent authorities required.
 They people are consider as environmental managers: view the Earth as a garden
that needs tending.
 They hold the view that there are problems and that we need government to
legislate to protect the environment and the resources from overexploitation and
make economies sustainable.

The domination of humanity is linked to the domination of nature based on the

anthropocentric model. An unfair or unjust utilization of the environment result to ecological
crisis. From this view, it follows that human arrogance toward nature is justifiable in order to
satisfy human interest.
Sometimes, humans adopt an exploitive attitude whenever nature is merely considered as
an instrument for one’s profit or gain.

The Impacts of Anthropocentrism in Natural Environment

 Earth Pollution
 Floods (caused by heavy rains)
 Stronger typhoons (caused by climatic weather condition)
 Global Famine
 Soil erosion

Humans as Stewards of the Environment

 Environmental stewardship refers to responsible use and protection of the natural
environment through conservation and sustainable practices.
 It is geared toward harmony with the world without abandoning humanity’s
commitment to social justice
 “The Judeo-Christian Stewardship Attitude to Nature”

Different types of environmental stewards

1. Doers
 They go out and help the cause by taking action.
2. Donors
 The person that financially helps the caused. They can do anything from donating
their money, to hosting public events to raised funds. Typically, they are
governmental agencies.
3. Practitioners
 They work on a day-to-day basis to steer governmental agencies, scientist,
stakeholder groups, or any other group toward a stewardship outcome.

Ecocentric or Biocentric Model (Life-centered)

 Ecocentric model, the ecological or relational integrity of the humans provides meaning
of our morals and values and it is nature centered.
  Devoted to preserving the totality of Earth’s biodiversity and the functioning of its life-
supporting system.
 Nature
 Wild
 Holism
 Body
 Relational
 Earth/Wisdom
 Ecology over/against humans

Ecocentric Model

PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACHES TO ECOLOGY:

Ecology
 Refers to the scientific analysis of the interaction between animals, plants, and their
inorganic environment.

1. Deep Ecology
 It is an ecological philosophy developed by Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess in
the early 1970’s asserting that all life forms have an equal right to exist, and human
needs and desires have no priority over those of other organisms. Believes that the
living environment should be respected and regarded as having rights to flourish,
independent of its utility to humans. Thus, all things in the world has their intrinsic
value.

2. Social Ecology Interrelationship between the human person and his/her environment.
 Interrelationship between the human person and his/her environment. It is a critical
social theory founded by American anarchist and libertarian socialist author Murray
Bookchin. Conceptualized as a critique of current social, political, and anti-ecological
trends, it espouses a reconstructive, ecological, communitarian, and ethical approach
to society.

3. Transpersonal Ecology: To understand not just the importance of the environment to us, but
our role in the life cycle.
As human persons, it is our responsibility to treat with respect not only our fellow humans, but
also everything in our world. Upholding environmentalism and sustainability will enable us to
take the first steps in addressing environmental issues and contribute to solving the greater
environmental challenge of climate change.

Our environment is created for every humans, so you as good as one being must take Good care
of nature!

Remember LIFE is all about BALANCE.