Chapter 2: Environmental Ethics and Economics

values and choices

www.aw-bc.com/Withgott

Culture, Worldview and the Environment

Culture is the ensemble of knowledge, beliefs, values and learned ways of life shared by a group of people.

Worldview is a personal culture and experiences that influence his/her behavior towards meaning, operation and essence (point of view).

Guns, Germs & Steel→"why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brought it back to New Guinea but we had little cargo of our own"

World Map

Equator

Tropic of Capricorn

Tropic of Cancer

Arctic circle

Antarctic circle

Tropic of Cancer

Equator

Tropic of Capricorn

www.mhhe.com/Cunningham

Factors shaping the worldview and perception of the environment

Religion– some sites may be sacred in some religions but

not others; for some people, as they migrated, they consider the new place hostile

Political idiology– should government intervene to protect the

environment? Economic factors

– interest in using proper technology vs own gains

Environmental Ethics

Ethics: set of moral values/principles relativists: ethics change with each society,

values may change universalist: different societies do agree in

many moral standards, values are not that different.

Ethical Standard: criteria that helps differentiate right from wrong

Ethical Consideration

Anthropocentrism: humans are the center of the universe, the rest does not matter

Biocentrism: evaluates actions in terms of the impact on the local environment and other species. All living things have equal value.

Ecocentrism: evaluates actions in terms of the integrity of the ecological system

Ecofeminism: argues that the female point of view is more in tune to the environment than that of men.

Conservation & Preservation

conservation: natural resources are there to be used, but with it comes the responsability of managing it wisely.

preservation: we should protect all natural environment in a pristine, unaltered state.

Environmental Justice

Involves the fair and equitable treatment of all people with respect to environmental policy and practice, regardless of their income, race or ethnicity

Consider de place where you grew up. Where were the factories, waste dumps and polluting facilities located? Who lives near by?

Economics: Aproaches and Environmental Implications

Environmental protection is generally good for the economy.

Types of economies capitalist: relation between buyers and sellers

determines the market centrally planned: government determines the

allocation of resources. mixed economies: capitalism-socialism mixed

economies.

Economy & Environment linkage

Ecosystem services: support the life that makes our economic activity possible. Some examples are:– air cycle– water cycle– nutrient cycles– recycling systems– pollination by animals

Economic Activity

www.aw-bc.com/Withgott

Economic Philosophy

Classical: when free to pursue their own economic self-interest in a competitive marketplace, marketplace will behave as if guided by an "invisible hand" that ensures their actions will benefit society as a whole.

Neoclassical: supply and demand are the rules for the pricing of the goods.

Neoclassical Economics and its Implications

The four fundamental assumptions of neoclassical capitalism are:

resourses are infinite or sustainable– Easter island

costs and benefits are only between buyer and seller– ocean pollution today

long-term effects should be discounted– forestry decision

growth is good– used as measurement of development

Ecological vs Environmental economists

Ecological economists argue that the natural systems operate in a self-renewing cylce, it is not a linear progressive manner; and because of it growth can not be sustained as it is today; they advocate steady-state economies.

Environmental Economists on the other hand argue that it can be obtained if following the neoclassical principles and improving it with newer and better technologies.

Measurement of Economic Progress

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) conventional economy in which: positivepositive contributions which are not paid with

money are added (volunteer work, parenting) negativenegative impacts are then substracted

(crime, pollution, social gaps, etc) It is controversial

Giving Monetary Value to Ecosystem Goods and Services

can you give monetary value to rain? clean air? can you value natural meadows or lakes or rivers? ecosystems are said to have nonmarket values

(intangible cultural, ecological, spiritual) These are said to be not compatible with the system

of monetary valuation used today. Contingent valuationContingent valuation uses surveys to determine how

much people are willing to pay to protect or restore a resource.

Other Means of Evaluating Ecosystem Goods

comparison of prices between homes near parks and similar ones in size and types, but away from parks. Gives dollar value to Gives dollar value to landscape, views, peace, quietlandscape, views, peace, quiet..

measuring the costcost required to restore natural systems that have been damaged or to mitigate harm from pollution

Responce of Corporations

green wave consumer preference is now more towards

sustainable products and businesses improve labor conditions (responce to media

coverage and consumer concern) energy efficiency less toxic materials minimize greenhouse gas emissions THE END