Problems of the Environment

What are some of the primary environmental problems faced today? What groups in society are the most concerned about the environment? – Age? – Gender? – Political affiliation? ???

Environmental Problems Global Warming Ozone depletion Pollution (Water, air and land) Depletion of natural resources – Deforestation and desertification Threats to Biodiversity Environmental injustice & global inequality

Is it the right of humanity to assume that this world was made for people, and that all other species were placed here for our use and exploitation? Are humans separated from nature and above nature? – Will this belief system lead to the total destruction of the planet and humanity itself? Underline Philosophical Assumption

Technology and the Environment Social Construction: Technology will save humanity -Will it? Destruction of life on earth Extraction and consumption of earth’s resources Production of waste

– Have corporate interests influenced the public debate concerning environmental social problems? Corporate Interests and the Environment

…Concerning the environment, elite interests are far less subtle Corporate Suasion – Environmentalists seek regulation, while most corporations are highly opposed Are the interests of large multinational corporations the same as the public’s interests? Corporate Interests and the Environment

Regarding issues of ozone depletion and global warming, there is scientific uncertainty, which is exploited for corporate interests. – I.e.-Tobacco, asbestos, and lead industries Efforts to postpone regulations on greenhouse emissions have followed this pattern as evidence surfaces to the dismay of skeptics: – 1) There was no evidence, then… – 2)Global warming was not due to human activity, now skeptics argue… – 3)Consequences won’t be too severe Corporate Suasion: Exploiting Scientific Uncertainty

Can we trust the industry defenders who say that corporations will look after the public’s interest and that government regulation is not needed? What could have happened if past battles for environmental regulation were never won? Is now the time to be cutting back on government regulation regarding environmental issues?

Corporate Suasion Public Relations Firms- Corps hire PR firms to fight battles against environmentalists – Front Groups and Press Releases (I.e: GCC) SLAPPS- Use of Lawsuits to intimidate and drain funds of activist groups The Media & Corporate Censorship-Corporate interests often shape media content

What are the causes of environmental problems?

Population growth Industrialization and economic development – Dependence of Energy – Capitalism and economic growth Growth=consumption; increased consumption=environmental deterioration (Polluting emissions, resource depletion, and generation of waste) Cultural values – Attitudes such as individualism, materialism, and militarism. Social Causes of Environmental Problems

Individualism- Putting individual interests over collective welfare – Recycling Consumerism- the belief that personal happiness depends on the purchasing of material possessions – In U.S. Quality of life is often related to one’s ability to purchase items – Americans are bombarded with thousands of advertisements each day Cultural Values and Attitudes

Inequality and the Environment Environmental Injustice and Conflict theory – Environmental justice movement- A fusion of civil rights and environmental activism

Global Inequality and the Environment Developing countries and poverty – Pollution – Lack of access to drinking water and sanitation – High levels of air pollution – Malnutrition and hunger linked to environmental problems

The demands that humanity makes on the earth’s natural resources – Determined by the patterns of production and consumption within one’s culture Ecological debt- Collectively, human demand on the earth’s natural resources exceeds earth’s capacity – To continue at current patterns of consumption, we would need two earth’s by 2030 (WWF 2008) Environmental Footprint