1.

1 Environmental value systems

https://pixabay.com/p-158929/?no_redirect
IBDP Environmental systems and societies
Significant idea: Historical events, among other influences, affect the
development of environmental value systems (EVSs) and environmental
movements.

VALUE
SYSTEMS
U E N C E
INFL
EVE NT
S

http://image.flaticon.com/icons/png/512/110/110418.png
Significant idea: There is a wide spectrum of EVSs, each with its own
premises and implications. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Spectrum.svg/2000px-Spectrum.svg.png

ANTHROPOCENTRISM

TECHNOCENTRISM
(People-centered)
(Earth-centered)

(Tech-centered)
ECOCENTRISM
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Thoreau’s Walden
● 1854
● Transcendentalism - nature is divine
● Society corrupts
● People should be self-reliant → early
ecocentric EVS

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Walden_Pond,_2010.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Yellowstone National Park

● 1872
● USA
● First ‘wild area’ set aside globally
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2941/15266522767_f84d221308_b.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

John Muir & Sierra Club

● 1892
● USA
● First large environmental preservation
society
● Ecocentrism expanded
● Conservationists lost battle over big
dams to environmental managers
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Theodore-Roosevelt-and-John-Muir_1906.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Passenger pigeon extinction

● 1914
● North America
● Common bird (many billions)
● Seemed limitless
● Hunted to extinction
● Aroused interest in conservation
● Changed extinction attitudes
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Passenger_pigeon_shoot.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Dust Bowl
● 1930s
● North America
● Massive loss of soil due to
overgrazing, plowing,
● Families lost everything
● Spurred new agricultural
techniques → soil conservation
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Dust-storm-Texas-1935.png
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Green Revolution
● 1940s
● Reliance on mechanization and
technology - very technocentric
● Intensified agriculture → reliance
on heavy inputs
● Minimal environmental concern

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5168/5250023362_c43c23b87d_z.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Sand County Almanac

● 1949
● Aldo Leopold
● Introduced the idea of
stewardship

http://www.flyfishingwis.com/assets/images/hex_water_01.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Minamata
● 1956
● Japan
● Disease caused by mercury poisoning from
factory polluting the bay
● Demonstrated link between human health
and pollution
● Bioaccumulation and biomagnification
http://www.documentingmedicine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/williameugenesmith1971minamata.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Silent Spring
● 1962
● USA
● Book by Rachel Carson
● showed link between pesticide use
and ecosystem health
● raised awareness of pesticides of
Americans http://indiatravelogue.com/images1/book/
silentspring.jpg
http://static.wixstatic.com/media/
f6a384_17075b1957b84bbe84a730744afa07f2.jpg/
● beginning of the end: DDT v1/fill/w_600,h_846,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/
f6a384_17075b1957b84bbe84a730744afa07f2.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Desert Solitaire and Monkey

Wrench Gang
● Late 1960s to 1970s
● Books by Edward Abbey
● Idea of wilderness as sacred
● Environmental activism in the
face of moneyed interests

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/The_Organ_at_Arches_National_Park_Utah_Corrected.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

CITES
● 1973
● International agreement on
endangered species
● Global application, local
enforcement

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Nairobi-Ivory-Burn-by-Mwangi-Kirubi-10.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Love Canal
● 1976-1978
● Niagara Falls, NY
● School built on former toxic
waste dump
● High rates of birth defects and
cancer
● Dangers denied for a long time
● Only came clear after grass-roots
activism http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/infogram-particles-700/tcreighton12141365169905.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Gaia Hypothesis
● Late 1970s
● James Lovelock
● Earth is a synergistic, self-regulating
system
● Planet functions as an organism

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/James_Lovelock_in_2005.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

UN Brundtland Report
● 1983
● Introduced idea of sustainable development
● Meeting needs of today without sacrificing
tomorrow

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Circles_of_Sustainability_image_(assessment_-_Melbourne_2011).jpg/847px-Circles_of_Sustainability_image_(assessment_-_Melbourne_2011).jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

3-mile Island
● 1979
● Pennsylvania, USA
● Near meltdown of nuclear power
plant
● Decrease in belief of safety of
nuclear energy industry
● Lead to heavy regulation of
nuclear industry
http://www.djc.com/stories/images/20091125/ThreeMileIsland_big.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Bhopal disaster
● 1984
● India
● Gas leak killed 1,000s of people
● Union Carbide corporation escaped
criminal penalties
● brought about realization that
‘ugly’ side of industrialization
happens in impoverished areas
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/06/07/article-1284623-09EDD37E000005DC-830_468x308.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Chernobyl meltdown
● 1986
● Ukraine (then USSR)
● worst nuclear disaster ever
● complete meltdown released
radioactive waste over Europe
● Impacted human health and wildlife
● demonstrated that environmental
issues are not national issues http://media.paperblog.fr/i/429/4295575/radioactivite-L-PBnkjY.jpeg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Montreal Protocol
● 1987
● International agreement
● voluntary
● Phased out CFCs, refrigerants, and
other HOGs
● Largely successful

http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/86000/86869/spozonemaxarea_omi_2015275.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Rio Earth Summit

● 1992
● Agenda 21: global sustainable
development goals
● Defined national and state
responsibilities
● Principles for global forest
management, particularly
tropical rainforests
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Kyoto Accord
● 1997
● committed countries to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions
● global warming exists
● Caused by anthropogenic CO2 emissions
● MEDC resistance for economic and http://www.carbonify.com/images/carbon-emission-chart.png

political reasons
http://see-the-sea.org/topics/pollution/air/INDUSTRY.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Deepwater Horizon
● 2010
● Gulf of Mexico
● Explosion and record-setting oil spill
● Massive economic losses in local
communities
● Compensation demanded from BP
● Negative impact on future offshore drilling
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Dtfew6xyQ8g/maxresdefault.jpg
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological

http://exopolitics.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341c73dd53ef01a511662131970c-pi
developments.

Fukushima nuclear meltdown

● 2011 tsunami
● Japan
● Radiation released across Pacific Ocean
● Renewed questions about safety of nuclear energy
● Human health effects just now coming to light (2015)
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.
Paris Climate Conference
● 2015
● 188 countries commit to reduce
CO2 emissions
● Reductions increase over time
● Aims to mitigate climate change
impacts
● Largest environmental agreement
ever
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Here’s a (not comprehensive) list of environmental disasters via Wikipedia. Click on the buttons
for hyperlinks. Some are in addition to the historical events shown earlier in the presentation.

Aussie Dutch Elm Pacific Garbage 3 Gorges

Aral Sea Patch
Rabbits Disease Dam

Exxon
Dust Bowl Fukushima Killer Bees Great Smog
Valdez

Chestnut Cuyahoga Deepwater Ozone Coral

Blight River Horizon Depletion Bleaching
1.1.U1 Significant historical influences on the development of the
environmental movement have come from literature, the media, major
environmental disasters, international agreements and technological
developments.

Here’s a brief list of some of the most famous/influential international environmental

agreements via Wikipedia. Click on the buttons for hyperlinks.

CITES Montreal Brundtland

Kyoto Protocol
Endangered Protocol Report
CO2
species Ozone hole Sustainability
1997
1973 1987 1983
1.1.U2 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.
Environmental Issue Ecocentrist Anthropocentrist Technocentrist
International ivory “Stop the slaughter! “How can farmers co- “Can we flood the
trade and poaching: Jail the poachers! exist with market with synthetic
Educate the pachyderms?” ivory to drive down
consumers!” the price?”
Rainforest destruction “Save the trees! It’s “Can we sustainably “Farmers will stop
the animals’ home harvest timber and cutting the forest if
first!” grow crops on existing they have more inputs
land?” to boost yields.”
1.1.U3 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).

INPUTS:
- Education OUTPUTS:
PERSONAL - Actions
- Experiences WORLDVIEW - Decisions
- Culture (EVS) - Evaluations
- Media
1.1.U3 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).

INPUTS:
- Education OUTPUTS:
PERSONAL - Actions
- Experiences WORLDVIEW - Decisions
- Culture (EVS) - Evaluations
- Media

Classroom image: https://socialissuesindia.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/classroom.jpg

TV rots your brain image: http://www.krishnapath.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/spiritual-pollution-tv-1024x544.gif
1.1.U3 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).

INPUTS:
OUTPUTS:
Education PERSONAL - Actions
Experiences WORLDVIEW - Decisions
Culture (EVS) - Evaluations
Media
1.1.U4 There is a spectrum of EVSs, from ecocentric through
anthropocentric to technocentric value systems.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Spectrum.svg/2000px-Spectrum.svg.png
DEEP ECOLOGISTS

CORNUCOPIANS
ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGERS
1.1.U5 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.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DEfvEhpXoAMSZUd.jpg
1.1.U6 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.
Even though ecological factors
are considered, the needs of
people are still the central
motivation.
https://j07diaz.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/anthro3-2.jpg
1.1.U7 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.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.illustrationsource.com/huge.5.25000.JPG
1.1.U8 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.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Spectrum.svg/2000px-Spectrum.svg.png

DEE ENV COR

P EC IRON N UC
OLO
GIST MAN MENT OPIA
S AGE AL N S
RS
1.1.U9 Different EVSs ascribe different intrinsic value to components of
the biosphere.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c2/fd/f0/c2fdf0c1a739911f33c69c5bf2196b22.jpg

https://www.businessballs.com/images/treeswing/treeswing_corporate.jpg
1.1.A1 Discuss the view that the environment can have its own intrinsic
value.

http://www.open.edu/openlearn/ocw/pluginfile.php/102010/mod_oucontent/oucontent/1243/94515790/88ccedaf/td866_2_f012i.jpg
1.1.A2 Evaluate the implications of two contrasting EVSs in the context
of given environmental issues.
How do these philosophies perceive and deal with:
• Air pollution from vehicle (smog, CO2 emissions)
• Deforestation and habitat destruction
• Poaching and loss of biodiversity
• Nuclear energy
• Other examples...

Research current news to identify where in the world some of these

issues are taking place due to the philosophy of leaders/policy
makers/government.
1.1.A3 Justify, using examples and evidence, how historical influences
have shaped the development of the modern environmental
movement.

https://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/media//gallery_images/earthdays_gallery_10.jpg
International-mindedness: Ecosystems may often cross national
boundaries and conflict may arise from the clash of different value
systems about exploitation of resources (for example, migration of
wildlife across borders in southern Africa).

International-mindedness: Differences in cultures and societies may

influence the development of environmental value systems.

Theory of knowledge: EVSs shape the way we perceive the

environment—which other value systems shape the way we view the
world?
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