1. Environmental Worldviews, Ethics, and Sustainability
Chapter 26
Environmental Worldviews, Ethics, and Sustainability

2. Chapter Overview Questions
What philosophies and religions can help us decide how to value life and distinguish between right and wrong environmental behavior?
What human-centered environmental worldviews guide most industrial societies?
What are some life-centered and earth-centered environmental worldviews?
How can we live more sustainably?

3. Updates Online
The latest references for topics covered in this section can be found at the book companion website. Log in to the book’s e-resources page at to access InfoTrac articles.
InfoTrac: The ethical dilemma of genetically modified food. Valeria Jefferson. Journal of Environmental Health, July-August 2006 v69 i1 p33(2).
InfoTrac: Putting a Price Tag on the Planet. Lila Guterman. The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 7, 2006 v52 i31.
InfoTrac: THE GREEN MACHINE. Marc Gunther. Fortune, August 7, 2006 v154 i3 p42 .
Scientific American: Soccer Goes Green
The Earth Charter Initiative
Common Vision

4. Core Case Study: Biosphere 2 - A Lesson in Humility
Biosphere 2, was designed to be self sustaining life-supporting system for eight people sealed in the facility in The experiment failed because of a breakdown in its nutrient cycling systems.
Figure 26-1

5. ENVIRONMENTAL WORLDVIEWS AND VALUES
Your environmental worldview encompasses:
How you think the world works.
What you believe your environmental role in the world should be.
What you believe is right and wrong environmental behavior.

6. ENVIRONMENTAL WORLDVIEWS AND VALUES
Environmental worldviews lie on a continuum.
Figure 26-2

7. Biosphere- or Earth-centered
More holistic
More atomistic
Biosphere- or Earth-centered
Ecosystem-centered
Biocentric (life-centered)
Anthropocentric (human-centered)
Intrinsic values play bigger role
Planetary
management
Instrumental values play bigger role
Self-centered
Stewardship
Environmental
wisdom
Figure 26.2
Environmental worldviews: worldviews lie on a continuum running from more self- and human-centered (center) to life-, biosphere- or earth-centered (outer rings). (Diagram developed by Scott Spoolman)
Fig. 26-2, p. 616

8. HUMAN-CENTERED AND LIFE-CENTERED ENVIRONMENTAL WORLDVIEWS
The major difference among environmental worldviews is the emphasis they put on the role of humans dealing with environmental problems.
Some view that humans are the planet’s most important species and should become managers or stewards of the earth.

9. Environmental Worldviews
Planetary Management
• We are apart from the rest of
nature and can manage nature to
meet our increasing needs and
wants.
• Because of our ingenuity and
technology we will not run out of
resources.
• The potential for economic
growth is essentially unlimited.
• Our success depends on how
well we manage the earth's life
support systems mostly for our
benefit.
Stewardship
• We have an ethical
responsibility to be caring
managers, or stewards,
of the earth.
• We will probably not run out of
resources, but they should not be
wasted.
• We should encourage
environmentally beneficial forms
of economic growth & discourage
environmentally harmful forms.
• Our success depends on how
well we manage the earth's life
support systems for our benefit
and for the rest of nature.
Environmental Wisdom
• We are a part of and totally
dependent on nature and nature
exists for all species.
• Resources are limited, should
not be wasted, and are not all
for us.
• We should encourage earth
sustaining forms of economic
growth & discourage earth
degrading forms.
• Our success depends on
learning how nature sustains
itself and integrating such lessons
from nature into the ways we
think and act.
Figure 26.3
Comparison of three major environmental worldviews. QUESTION: Which of these environmental worldviews come closest to your beliefs?
Fig. 26-3, p. 617

10. Environmental Worldviews: An Overview
Some analysts doubt that we can effectively manage the earth because we do not have enough knowledge to do so.
Life-centered and earth-centered environmental worldviews believe that we have an ethical responsibility to prevent degradation of the earth’s ecosystems, biodiversity, and biosphere.

11. Environmental Worldviews
Deep ecology calls for us to think more deeply about our obligations toward both human and nonhuman life.
Ecofeminist environmental worldview believes that women should be given the same rights that men have in our joint quest to develop more environmentally sustainable and socially just societies.

12. Shifts in Environmental Values and Worldviews: Some Encouraging Trends
Global and national polls reveal a shift towards the stewardship, environmental wisdom, and deep ecology worldviews.

13. How Would You Vote?
To conduct an instant in-class survey using a classroom response system, access “JoinIn Clicker Content” from the PowerLecture main menu for Living in the Environment.
Which one of the following comes closest to your environmental worldview: planetary management, stewardship, environmental wisdom, deep ecology, ecofeminist?
a. Planetary management
b. Stewartship
c. Environmental wisdom
d. Deep ecology
e. Ecofeminist
f. Other

14. Which Worldview Is More Likely to Prove Correct?
Using images of economic or ecological collapse can deter us from preventing or slowing environmental degradation.

15. How Would You Vote?
To conduct an instant in-class survey using a classroom response system, access “JoinIn Clicker Content” from the PowerLecture main menu for Living in the Environment.
Do you believe there are physical and biological limits to human economic growth?
a. No. I have faith in human ingenuity and creativity.
b. Depends. Some (but not all) aspects of economic growth are limited.
c. Yes. Ecological economists are generally correct.

16. LIVING MORE SUSTAINABLY
Environmental literate citizens and leaders are needed to build more environmentally sustainable and socially just societies.
In addition to formal learning, we need to learn by experiencing nature directly.

17. LIVING MORE SUSTAINABLY
Some affluent people are voluntarily adopting lifestyles in which they enjoy life more by consuming less.
Figure 26-7

18. Biosphere and Ecosystems Species and Cultures
Individual Responsibility
Help sustain the earth’s natural capital and biodiversity
Avoid premature extinction of any species mostly by protecting and restoring its habitat
Do not inflict unnecessary suffering or pain on any animal
Do the least possible environmental harm when altering nature
Avoid premature extinction of any human culture
Use no more of the earth’s resources than you need
Figure 26.7
Solutions: some ethical guidelines for living more sustainably.
Fig. 26-7, p. 623

19. Developing Environmentally Sustainable Societies
Solutions
Developing Environmentally Sustainable Societies
Guidelines
Strategies
Learn from & copy nature
Sustain biodiversity
Eliminate poverty
Do not degrade or deplete the earth's natural capital, and live off the natural income it provides
Develop eco-economies
Build sustainable communities
Take no more than we need
Do not use renewable resources faster than nature can replace them
Do not reduce biodiversity
Use sustainable agriculture
Try not to harm life, air, water, soil
Depend more on locally available renewable energy from the sun, wind, flowing water, and sustainable biomass
Do not change the world's climate
Do not overshoot the earth's carrying capacity
Emphasize pollution prevention and waste reduction
Figure 26.6
Solutions: guidelines and strategies for achieving more sustainable societies. QUESTIONS: Which three guidelines and which three strategies do you think are the most important? Which of these guidelines and strategies do you follow in your life and lifestyle?
Do not waste matter and energy resources
Help maintain the earth's capacity for self-repair
Recycle, reuse, and compost 60–80% of matter resources
Repair past ecological damage
Maintain a human population size such that needs are met without threatening life support systems
Leave the world in as good a shape as—or better than—we found it
Emphasize ecological restoration
Fig. 26-6, p. 622

20. LIVING MORE SUSTAINABLY
We can help make the world a better place by not falling into mental traps that lead to denial and inaction and by keeping our empowering feelings of hope ahead of any immobilizing feeling of despair.

21. Living More Lightly on the Earth: The Sustainable Dozen
Agriculture
Reduce you meat consumption.
Buy locally grown and produced food.
Buy more organic food and grow your own.
Don’t use pesticides.
Transportation
Drive an energy-efficient vehicle.
Walk, bike, carpool, or take mass transit.
Work at home or live near work.

22. Living More Lightly on the Earth: The Sustainable Dozen
Home Energy Use
Caulk leaks, add insulation, use energy efficient appliances.
Try to use solar, wind, flowing water, biomass for home energy.
Water
Use water-saving showers and toilets, use drip irrigation, landscape yard with natural plants that do not require excess water.

23. Living More Lightly on the Earth: The Sustainable Dozen
Resource Consumption
Reduce your consumption and waste of stuff by at least 10%: Refuse and Reuse.
Figure 26-5

24. LIVING MORE SUSTAINABLY
The Earth Charter calls for us to respect and care for life and biodiversity and to build more sustainable, just, democratic, and peaceful societies for present and future generations.
We need hope, a positive vision of the future, and commitment to making the world a better place to live.