EVS (def). a worldview or paradigm that shapes the way an individual perceives and evaluates environmental issues

• influenced by culture, education, religion, economic context, societal context and political context

• imposes certain intrinsic values on things like the environment, technology and society

ANTHROPOCENTRIC

• in the middle of both views

• requires societies to manage their own environmental impact

• use of taxes, legislation and environmental regulation to solve or manage environmental problems

• centered on humanity and its relationship with nature

• humans have the responsibility to sustainably manage the environment

• most prominent environmental value system within western societies

• believe that humans can control and manage resources to sustain us and the earth

TECHNOCENTRIC

• places value on technological solutions to environmental problems

• believes that research and scientific development are necessary to solve environmental problems

• cornucopians (def). extreme technocentrists - may believe that technology based solutions are the only solutions for environmental problems

• sees humans as the dominant species on earth

• “whatever we do, we can solve it”

CONRUCOPIANS

• subset of the technocentric view

• earth is there to benefit humanity and will always have enough resources to sustain us

• thinks that humans will keep advancing enough to confront any problem that arises from unsustainable resource management or other practices

• often believe that capitalism and a free market economy is also the best move for humanity

• “survival of the fittest” - and humanity will be the fittest

• focused on the growth and advancement of humanity

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS

• sees earth as something to take care of and to help grow

• thinks protecting the environment is the ethical duty of humanity

• adam and eve - originally put on earth as the stewards of the earth - inspiration from that story

• humanity needs to implement environmental protection legislation and not overexploit resources

• they need to look after the planet so it looks after them

• government control/intervention as a solution - duty to intervene

ECOCENTRIC

• places intrinsic value on ecosystems, organisms and the environment

• believes materialistic tendencies of society are negatively effecting society

• need to develop more self-sufficient societies

• respects the rights of nature

• deep ecologists (def). extreme ecocentrists - may place the environment on a higher level than humanity and perhaps human rights

• biocentric (def). - focused on all life inside and outside of humanity

• sees population growth as part of the problems the ecosystem is facing

DEEP ECOLOGISTS

• more value on nature than humanity

• all species and ecosystems have an intrinsic value - biorights

• decrease in population is necessary to protect the environment

• policies should be changed to value the environment over societies

• environments should not be damaged for human comfort

• humans have no rights to interfere with natural processes