Environmental Understanding, Ethics and Philosophy

http://asymptotia.com/wp-images/2008/07/ucs_cartoons_2008-7.jpg

 

Environmental History of the World:

  1. BIBLE- nature: dark + evil (viewed by Western Civilization)
  2. UTILITARIAN Conservation- Nature is for man's use.
    ~Gifford Pinchot- 1st head of Forest Service
    ~anthropocentric- what's in it for man?
  3. BIOCENTRIC Preservation- nature for nature's sake.
    ~ John Muir -started Sierra Club. Wrote about Yosemite.
  4. MODERN ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT-
    ~Rachel Carson- wrote Silent Spring (DDT softens egg shells)

 

Population Explosion:

  • 6.9 billion & averaging 85 million more each year. That's a 140 people net gain per minute
  • Most populated countries: China and India
  • Most growth occurring in the cities of poor countries
  • Are there enough resources to provide for this population increase (drinkable water, food, distribution, shelter, etc.)?

Deforestation: "destruction of tropical forest, wetland, coral reefs"

  • reduces biological diversity and abundance
  • extreme loss of species and threat to endangered species
  • loss of plants for health, food, aesthetics

Pollution:

  • 50% toxic waste produced by U.S.
  • 26% toxic air emissions by U.S.
  • Growing problem in industrialized nations
    - Hundreds of millions of toxic waste is produced annually
  • NIMBY: "Not in my back yard!"
    -When there is no room left, where will waste go and at what cost?
  • Combination of toxic waste & other environmental ills cause more destruction than infectious diseases

Global Warming:

warm

  • Fossil Fuels : burning oil, coal, gas for energy
  • 80% of energy used in industrialized nations (non-renewable....yikes!)
  • Burning fossil fules= Co2 & heat absorbing gases= *GLOBAL WARMING!!!!!!!!
  • Effects: melting ice caps, sea level rises, drastic weather changes, die off of species

GOOD NEWS:

  1. Some cities are cleaner and less polluted than in the past
  2. Population stabilized in industrialized countries
  3. Number of kids/couple in 1983= 6.1 --decreased today to= 3.4
  4. Life expectancy nearly doubled

Interrelationship of society and the environment

  • North/South Division. East/West spread of crops/livestock
  • Income ratio of poor to wealthy in 2000= 100 to 1

Economic Classification:

First World- industrialized, democratic, market economies.
Second World- previous socialist countries.
Third World- developing, non-industrialized.

20% world making less than $1/day.
How can we work within the boundaries of nature and continue to improve economic status of all
humanity? Sustainable Development!

 

Read The Earth is Full by Thomas Friedman