Environmental Worldviews Ethics and Sustainability G Tyler Millers

Environmental Worldviews, Ethics, and Sustainability G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 13 th Edition Chapter 28 Dr. Richard Clements Chattanooga State Technical Community College

Key Concepts Ø Human-centered worldview Ø Life-centered worldviews Ø Earth-centered worldviews Ø Ethical guidelines to work with the Earth Ø Living more sustainably

Environmental Worldviews in Industrial Societies Ø Environmental worldviews Ø Individual-centered Ø Earth-centered Ø Human-centered Ø Life-centered Ø Ecosystem-centered

Environmental Worldviews Fig. 28 -2 p. 742

Values Ø Instrumental (utilitarian) value Ø Intrinsic (inherent) value Ø Anthropocentric worldview Ø Biocentric worldview

Planetary Management Worldview Ø Humans are the most important species Ø There is always more Ø All economic growth is good Ø Human success depends on how humans manage things

Variations on Planetary Management Ø No-problem school Ø Free-market school Ø Responsible planetary management school Ø Spaceship-Earth school Ø Stewardship school

Life-Centered Environmental Worldviews Ø Humans should not cause the premature extinction of species Ø Actively protect species endangered by human activities Ø Some believe all animal species have a right to survive

Earth-Centered Environmental Worldviews Ø Ecocentric worldview Ø Emphasis on preserving functioning ecosystems Ø Humans are part of ecological processes

Environmental Wisdom Worldview Ø Humans are part of nature Ø There is not always more Ø Some types of technology and economic growth are good Ø Human success depends on learning how Earth systems work and applying what we learn Ø Deep ecology (See Spotlight p. 748)

Solutions: Living More Sustainably Ø Biosphere and ecosystem responsibilities Ø Species responsibilities Ø Cultural responsibilities Ø Individual responsibilities

Environmental Education Ø Where do things I consume come from? Ø What do I know about the place where I live? Ø How am I connected to the Earth and other living things? Ø What are my purpose and responsibility as a human being?

Major Components of the Environmental Revolution Ø Efficiency revolution Ø Pollution prevention revolution Ø Sufficiency revolution Ø Demographic revolution Ø Economic revolution