sociology exam 3 - saving the environment

sociological framework of environment and society

the environment and society are immensely intertwined. society affects the environment and the environment affects society

environmental challenges

• air and water pollution

• biodiversity lost

• deforestation

• flooding and drought

• ocean acidification

• extreme weather

• species extinction

social affects of environmental challenges

• economic loss

• displacement

• community damage

• increased costs

• increased health problems

social construction of nature

understanding of nature and the environment is shaped by social, cultural, and historical contexts

examples of social construction of nature

• people filter nature through the social meanings to which they have been socialized

• how we think about nature influences our actions towards it

how do animals relate to the social construction of nature

types of animals that are considered pets differ based on culture individuals are raised in. in US, cows are livestock and dogs are pets but in Eastern countries, dogs are food and cows are pets

information deficit model

common assumption that people who fail to take action lack education about the state of climate change

movement of information deficit model

environmental knowledge —> change in environmental attitude —> pro-environmental behavior

environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior

sociologists argue that knowledge does not lead to action but rather action is mediated by values, emotions, relationships, and external factors

Americans’ perspectives on Climate Change

about 60% of Americans believe climate change is a threat but a majority of fear of climate change is led by democrats

ecological footprint

a measure that calculates human pressure on the planet by assessing the amount of productive land and sea area needed to regenerate the resources a population consumes

ecological footprint stats

• globally, we need 1.75 Earths

• we need 5 Earths if everybody lived like the average US resident

Anthropocene period

period of time when human activities become the main agent of change in our planetary system

trends of population growth

increasing as time continues.

• roughly 8.2 billion today

• estimated 9.8 billion in 2050

• approximately 10.2 billion by 2080

carrying capacity (K)

maximum population size that can be supported long-term by the resources in a specific area

thomas malthus’s theory

population increases exponentially but food increases linearly meaning population outstrips food and resources. believed this would lead to famine, war, disease, etc and that population control is necessary because hundreds of millions of people will die through starvation

critiques on Malthus’s argument

• misread particular historical juncture as reflective of the larger trend

• Europe was in a specific demographic period at the time that did not represent the general populations patterns

• miscalculated the role of innovation (still able to produce food through industrialization to support an increasing population)

• did not consider levels of consumption across different societies

ecological modernization theory

use modern advances to help overconsumption issue that is hurting the environment

examples of ecological modernization theory

modern industrial societies can address environmental problems through institutional changes and technological innovations that still allow companies to grow/profit while also saving the environment

Jevon’s Paradox

technological advancements that improve resource efficiencies can lead to greater consumption meaning that environmental benefits produced by gain in efficiency tend to be offset by greater consumption

example of Jevon’s Paradox

companies made refrigerators more efficient and cheaper to run but this only led to larger refrigerators that require similar amounts of energy as smaller but less efficient fridges

treadmill of production

sociological theory aims to explain how the relations between capitalism, state labor, and the environment produce environmental degradation as part of its operations with little hope for correction without structural transformation

what leads to degradation of the environment from capitalism

competitive pressures require companies to prioritize profit over the environment resulting in more environmental degradation

how can the environment be more sustainable

economic change is necessary to change patterns of capitalistic behaviors

planned obsolescence

ideology that goods are designed to not last so that consumers will continue to buy a companies products

examples of planned obsolescence

single-use products (K-cups), products that become outdated (phones must be updated to properly work and keep up with societal trends), products that are not repairable

global climate change

greenhouse gas emissions are at an all time hight according to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (a panel apart of the UN)

mitigation

strategies to reduce/prevent greenhouse gas emissions

adaptation

adjusting systems, practices, and policies to minimize negative impacts of climate change

examples of mitigation

• carbon taxes to charge business practices

• change lifestyle (increase public transportation, buy locally)

• transition to renewable energy sources and prioritize the restoration of forests

examples of adaptation

raise houses and re-locate flood prone communities

relationship between mitigation and adaptation

less mitigation = more adaptation necessary BUT greater adaptation that is require means more significant disruptions and higher costs for vulnerable populations

environmental inequality

pollution and environmental amenities are unevenly distributed among social groups. specific groups are disproportionately affected by negative environmental conditions

environmental racism

specific form of environmental inequality where a disproportionate amount of environmental hazards and pollution are faced by marginalized groups

Flint, MI water crisis

city that is a poor, minority area where approximately 40% of residents fall below the poverty line. switched water in 2014 to save money, but lead to immense amounts of lead. government dismissed research results that water was contaminated with lead. citizens expressed issue would have been cleared up more quickly is residents were wealthier and white

sacrifice zones

place where residents suffer devastating physical and mental health consequences and human rights as a result of living in pollution hotspots and heavily contaminated areas

climate injustice

unequal impacts of climate change on marginalized and vulnerable populations

example of climate injustice

despite rich countries historically being known to emit the most CO2, they do not seem to suffer. instead, many poor countries are severely affected by decisions of rich countries