EVS

what is an environmental value system?

what is an environmental value system?

particular worldview that shapes the way individuals or societies percieve and evaluate environmental issues. its influences by cultural, econocmic, religious, sociopolitic, development (MEDC or LEDC), type of government, and other states.

what does it mean to have a systems approach to EVS

if you consider EVS as a system, there is these components

• input —> education, experience, religoius doctrines (can come from films, books, newspapers,etc.)

• outputs —> actions or decisions (these are determined by the procesion of the input)

Information to societies are processed into changes in perception and how to react. some inputs have no inmediate response, while others can lead to direct action

there is also a division based on the information

• producers —> make media based on the EVS

• consumers —> consume the new ideas and can be changed of mind

what are the historical influences on the modern environmental movement?

• advancment in techmology

• improved communication

• human influence on the environemnt became widespread

• industrialization

Minamata Bay, Japan

• fist pollution disaster

• 1956

• mercury was discharged into the bay by a local factory —> posioned people living near the factory

why are environmentl disaster important?

motivate politicians and members of the population to become more involved in environmental issues —> they have lead to the formation of important parties that advocate for the environmant and the establishment of different EVSs

silent spring

• 1962

• bioacummulation of ppesticides on populations of predatory birds

• the book brought environmental concerns to the public and impacted political laws —> led to DDT to be banned (in the US)

  rachel carsol (writer and journalist) —> concerned about the over use of chemical pesticides in agriculture. She published a book in 1962 that challed modern agriculture techniques and called for a change in the way the natural world is viewed.

Save the Wales

• 1975

• greenpaece was founded

• launched the first anti-whaling campaing

• taking agressive and direct action againts Soviet whalling ships —> attention became worlwide and spred in other countries

• commercial whaling was banned in 1986

• greenpeace continued to protest —> againts nuclear testing

• greenpeace became very famous

bophal disaster

• 1984

• serious gas leak at the Union Carbide pesticide factory —> Indian city of Bophal

• more that 500k were exposed to methyl isocynate

• 25k of deaths were atributed to the exposure of chemicals and many people became desabled or with other health issues

chernobyl

• 1986

• nuclear disaster

• emergency shutdown failed after a rutine test of a power plant

• the plant exploded and sent radioactive slouds into the athmosphere impacting the inmediate radio and other neighbouring cities

• 350k people evacuated in Belorus, Russia and Ukraine

• 900k death induced by radiation such as cancer, malformations, burning, intoxication, etc.

an inconvinient truth

• 2006

• film promoted by a US vice precident

• put the issues of cllimate change in front of a wide audience

• raised awarness and informed about global warming

• supplied to schools, colleges and techears

deepwater horizon

• 2010

• oil spill from a ruptured drilling site for 3 motnth

• gulf of mexico

• largest marine oil spil

• deeply harmed marine life and wildlife ecosystems, fishing and tourisim

• there was little to be done

• changed the policy laws of prevention

fukushima

• 2011

• nuclear accident

• power station was hit by a huge tsunami

• the plant was not build to withstant such huge wave

• japan was very prepared to evacuate in a case like this and there wasnt major nuclear problems

• it may take decades to decontaminate sorrounding areas

• millions of people watched this unforld (unlike chernoby where there was no communication)

what are ther three general ctegorias for environmental philosophies

1. ecocentric —> nature centred

2. anthopocentric —> human centred

3. technocentric —> techlogy centred

ecocentrist

• distrust mmodern technology and large scale prodiction

• mantain a natural environmental systen in a small scale

• humans under nature control

• there is a limit to earths resources

• deep ecologist are extreme ecocentrist —> nature > humans

• minimun disturbance to nature

• can have spiritual dimensions

• susteinability and self reliance for everyone

• complete pacifists towards animals —> no hunting

• we are all animals

technocentric

• resourcefullness of humans will allow us to control the environment

• optimistic

• natural process must be undertood —> and then controlled

• scientific reaserch is crucial (for policy making)

• resource replecement solves resource depletion

• technology will always privide a solution

anthropocentric

• include both viewpoints

• people as environmental manargers of sustainable global systems

• regulatioon by independent authorites

• ussually its MEDC

• humans as a dominant species that manages the environment towards their own requirments

what are the subdivision of these main philosophies?

• deep ecologist

• self reliance soft ecologist

• envirionemntal managers

• cornucopians

deep ecologist

• ecological and natural laws define mans morality

• biorights —> envrinmental rights of endargered species and unqiue landscapes —> unmolested

• lack of faith in big technology —> anti democratic institutions

• againts materialism —> can be battled by providing only the basic need

self reliance soft ecologist

• believe in the smallnes of the work

• work and leisure in personal and communal improvemnt

• participation of community —> such as education or political function

• lack of faith in big technology —> anti democratic institutions

• againts materialism —> can be battled by providing only the basic need

environmental manager

• economic growth and resource explotatition is ok as long as: adjusment to taxes and feed, improvement in legal rights in environmental aspect, compensation to those who are affected by any kind of exploitatiion

• they are not opposed to new technologyyy and new projects but everyone has to be on board with their condition

cornucopians

• man can manage eny environmental damage

• growth in aspects such as technology or society can allow environmental changes to better itself

• human knowladge and advancment provide enough expertise for helath, public safety, etc

• all impediments can be overcome if we really want to

• extreme

what is green politics?

political parties or discussion in which people express their EVS and encourage people to infuelnce decisions made about the environment.

• ecocentric ideology —> ecologicaly sustainable society that protects the environment

• began in the 1970

• 1972 —> Australia

• 1972 —> Swistserland (Popular Movement for the Environment)

• 1973 —> UK (the Green Party)

what are the main focusses in green politics?

• reduce deforestation

New Zealand (Green Part) called for:

• reducation of rainforests

• loss of biodiversity

• loss of homes and livelihood of poeple who live in the rainforest

• emssions of greenhouse gasses by deforestation

Uk called for

• international agreement to stop global deforestation

• traditiona land for indigenous people rights are recognised

• global ban on logging and burning of old forest and ecological restoration of degraded ancient forests

views of water resources

ecocentric

• conservation and recycling water

• used sustaiably

• no harm to th environment

• use of meter and monitoring to keep water usage to a minimun

technocentric

• provide water for the future by using technology

• use technology to limit water use

• desalination of sea, seeding cloud to produce rain

views for climate change

technocentrits

• spray salt into clouds that would create condensation and could reflect the radiation back to the sun

ecocentrits

• limit on the consumption of fossil fuels

• modify farming methods

• reduce dependency on livestock such as cattle )that have inrease levels of greenhouse gasses=

• replanting trees

• increase the phytoplankton

• use renewable energy sources

views on climate chance

technocentric or extreme cornucopian

• alternative energy souces

• no changing lifestyles only changing technology

• capture and storage of CO2 by plants and the soil or stored in containers so its no longer in the athmosphere

ecocentric

• limiting emissions that are permitted to realse )reduce them)

• limited carbon credits for companies such as airlines —> more credits can be bough

what is an ecological footprint? examples of the causes and how to reduce this

the hypothetical amount of land that requires fto satisfy all its need for resourced and to asimilate all its wastes. societys consume more than its suatinable by:

• reliance on fossil fuels

• use of technology

we can reduce this by:

• recycling

• limited pollution

• reducinf the use of resource