Topic 7- Environmental Value Systems

What is a EVS? A worldview that shapes the way

people perceive and evaluate environmental issues.

Influenced by cultural, economic and soicio-political factors.

Environmental Philosophies

Ecocentrism – Nature Centered• Holistic and sustainable

worldview, minimum disturbance of nature

• 1. Deep Ecologists Natural laws dictate

human morality Nature is needed for

humanity and has rights• 2. Self-Reliance soft

ecologists Focus on community

involvement to change political policies an practices

Environmental Philosophies Anthropocentrism-

People Centered• Humans are responsible

for sustainable global systems through control of population and resource use

• 1. Environmental Managers Economic growth and

resource use can continue if adjustments are made to policies (taxes, laws…)

Environmental Philosophies

Technocentrism – Technology Centered• Technology can keep pace and provide

solutions to environmental issues.• 1. Cornucopian

Man can always find a way out of any difficulties

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?

Historical InfluenceMinamata, 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 InfluenceBhopal, 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 InfluenceChernobyl, 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

EVS of two named societies

Buddhist • Separation of body and soul • Birth, aging, suffering and death

all conjoined in one journey• Humans are not self sufficient or

more important than the Earth Judaeo-Christian

• Separation of body and soul, matter and spirit

• Genesis demonstrates stewardship of the Earth or control?

• “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

Personal EVS Reflect upon where you stand on the

continuum of environmental philosophies with regard to

Population control Resource exploitation, Sustainable development

Assessment Questions: Choose one of the following sample

individuals and place them on the continuum of environmental philosophies described above and in Figure 6.• 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