Foundation of environmental systems and societies

1.1 ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE SYSTEMS

Significant ideas

There is a wide spectrum of EVSs, each with its own premises and
implications

Historical events, among other influences, affect the development of

environmental value systems (EVSs) and environmental movements
Knowledge and Understanding
• A society is an arbitrary group of individuals who share some common characteristics, such as
geographical location, cultural background, historical timeframe, religious perspective, value system and
so on.
• An EVS is a worldview or paradigm that shapes the way an individual, or group of people, perceives and
evaluates environmental issues, influenced by cultural, religious, economic and socio-political contexts.
• An EVS might be considered as a system in the sense that it may be influenced by education,
experience, culture and media (inputs), and involves a set of interrelated premises, values and
arguments that can generate consistent decisions and evaluations (outputs).
• EVSs are individual; there is no “wrong” EVS.
Knowledge and Understanding
• There is a spectrum of EVSs, from ecocentric through anthropocentric to technocentric
value systems
Ecocentric
• An ecocentric viewpoint integrates social, spiritual and environmental dimensions into a holistic ideal. It puts
ecology and nature as central to humanity and emphasizes a less materialistic approach to life with greater self-
sufficiency of societies. An ecocentric viewpoint prioritizes biorights, emphasizes the importance of education and
encourages self-restraint in human behaviour.
• Holistic world view.
• Nature centred – respects the rights of nature and the dependence of humans on nature.
• lack faith in modern technology and the bureaucracy attached to it.
• Natural world should be respected for its processes and products. Minimum disturbance.
• Self reliant communities within a framework of global citizenship.
• Self imposed restraint on resource use.
Anthropocentric
• An anthropocentric viewpoint argues that humans must sustainably manage the global
system. This might be through the use of taxes, environmental regulation and legislation.
Debate would be encouraged to reach a consensual, pragmatic approach to solving
environmental problems.
• People centred.
• People as environmental managers of sustainable global systems.
• Population control equal weight to resource use.
• Strong regulation by independent authorities required.
Technocentric
• A technocentric viewpoint argues that technological developments can provide solutions to environmental problems.
This is a consequence of a largely optimistic view of the role humans can play in improving the lot of humanity. Scientific
research is encouraged in order to form policies and to understand how systems can be controlled, manipulated or
changed to solve resource depletion. A pro-growth agenda is deemed necessary for society’s improvement.
• Technology centred
• Technology can keep pace with and provide solutions to environmental problems.
• Resource replacement.
• Need to understand natural processes in order to control them.
• Emphasis on scientific analysis prior to policy making.
• Economic growth is important.
 Ecocentrism Anthropocentrism Technocentrism

nature-centered people-centered technology-centered

• Holistic world view • People as environmental managers of • Technology can keep pace with and
sustainable global systems. provide solutions to environmental
problems.

• Minimal disturbance of natural processes • Population • Resource replacement

control given equal weight to resource use. solves resource depletion.

• Integrates spiritual, social, and environmental • Strong regulation by independent • Must understand natural processes in order to
dimensions authorities control them.
required.

• Sustainability for the whole Earth Emphasizes scientific analysis before policies are put in
place.

Self-reliance within a framework of global Markets and economic growth are important.
citizenship

Self-imposed restraint on resource use

EVS
• There are extremes at either end of this spectrum (for example, deep ecologists–ecocentric to
cornucopian–technocentric), but in practice, EVSs vary greatly depending on cultures and time
periods, and they rarely fit simply or perfectly into any classification.
• Different people hold a range of environmental philosophies or value systems which explains
why societies make different choices.
• it influences their decision making process on environmental and other issues.
• As the factors influencing a value system changes, the viewpoint may also change.
• Our value system affects how we view environmental issues and we make various
assumptions based on our values and attitudes.
Ecocentrists
• # lack faith in modern large- scale technology.
# materialism is wrong; economic growth should provide for the basic needs of those below subsistence levels
• Deep ecologists
• @ more value on nature than humanity.
• @ biorights- universal rights where all species and ecosystems have inherent value and humans have no right to interfere with this.
• @ policies should be altered to reduce impact on the environment which includes decrease in human population and consuming
less.
• Self- reliant soft ecologists
• @ importance of small-scale, local community action and actions of individuals make a difference.
• @ integration of concepts of work and leisure through a process of personal and communal improvement.
• @ participation is seen as both a continuing education and a political function.
 • between Anthropocentrists and
Technocentrists
• Economic growth and resource use can
continue as long as...

Environmental • appropriate taxes and fees are adjusted

• legal rights to minimum environmental
Managers quality
• compensation for people negatively affected
by actions
• Economic and resource use decisions based
on consensus among parties involved.
Cornucopians
• Extreme technocentrists
• Believe people will always find a way out of difficulties (political, economic, environmental,
etc.)
• Economic growth defines the value of a project.
• Optimistic about humans' ability to improve the lives of others.
• Scientific and technological expertise will guide economic growth, public health and safety.
• Suspicious of consensus-building approach to decision-making.
• All obstacles can be overcome with sufficient will, ingenuity, and resources generated by
economic growth.
Why do we call it as a “system”?
• Inputs:
• Education
• Cultural influences
• Religious doctrine
• Media
• Peers
• Personal experiences

• Outputs:
• Decisions
• Perspectives
• Courses of action
• Attitudes
Discuss the view that the environment can have its
own intrinsic value.
Intrinsic value is the inward value of nature regardless of its practical (economics)
use to humans
• Ethical, spiritual + philosophical perspectives
• Hard to quantify
• How to debate aesthetic value with an economist?
Historical influences on environmental movement
• Significant historical influences on the development of the environmental movement have come from
literature, the media, major environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.
• A variety of significant historical influences could be covered, but with a minimum of three in-depth
examples. Possible examples could include: James Lovelock’s development of the Gaia hypothesis;
Minamata disaster; Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring (1962); Davis Guggenheim’s documentary An
Inconvenient Truth (2006); Chernobyl disaster of 1986; Fukushima Daiihi nuclear disaster of 2011;
whaling; Bhopal disaster of 1984; Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010; Chipko movement; Rio Earth Summit
2012 (Rio+20); Earth Day; Green Revolution; Copenhagen Accord; recent or local events of student
interest.
• In the range of historical influences selected, it is beneficial to have both local and global examples.
Historical influences
• The environmental movement promotes the idea of stewardship for planet Earth (i.e. the responsible
planning and management of natural resources) both locally and globally.
• These events led to development of environmental pressure groups. Media coverage increased and that
raised public awareness of the issues.
• Significant historical influences on the development of environmental movement has come from:
• Literature (Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring)
• The media (David Guggenheim’s documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’)
• Major environmental disasters (Minamata 1956, Bhopal 1984, Chernobyl 1986)
• International Agreements (UN Earth Summit in Rio 1992)
• Technological developments (Green Revolution)
Rachel Carson’s
‘Silent Spring’
•1962
•Book by Rachel Carson in the US
•Showed the link between pesticides
and ecosystem health
•Raised awareness of pesticides of the
United States
•Resulted in the banning of DDT
UN Earth Summit Rio 1992
• The summit’s message was a change in our attitudes and behaviours towards
environmental issues was required to bring about necessary changes.
• The conference led to adoption of Agenda 21 which is a blueprint for action to
achieve sustainable development worldwide.
Bhopal, 1984
• Union Carbide pesticide plant released poisonous methyl isocyanate from the plant
• Thousands died within hours.
• About half a million people were affected . Many survivors suffered multiple disorders
• Brought about realization the ugly side of industrialization in impoverished areas
• Bhopal remains the worst industrial disaster ever.