ENV100Y5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Environmental Ethics, Anthropocentrism, Ecocentrism
ENV100 Chapter 2 Notes:
Trade-offs between economic benefits + ethical issues = cause environmental problems
For us to understand the environment, we need to understand how people see the environment, how we relate to it and
how much we value it. → Ethics + economics
- All our actions affect the environment → eg. Growing food – need cultivation + irrigation, building houses – need
land + wood
- Our decisions on how we use environment depends on the costs/benefits + culture
- Culture = beliefs/values/knowledge shared by a group of people → it influences our view of world (worldview)
- So people have different worldview and come up with different conclusions
Religion and similar experiences shape worldviews, as can politics.
Anyone who is interested in the outcome of a decision has a vested interest.
Ethics = studies good and bad, right and wrong – how do people judge from wrong → people of different cultures may
differ in what they consider right and wrong → we use ethics in decision making
- Using ethics between humans + non-humans = environmental ethics
- In history, people have increased the number of things they feel deserve ethical consideration
- Anthropocentrism = human centered view of our relationship with environment – cares about impact on people
- Biocentrism = considers all living things, human and others
- Ecocentrism = considers all ecological systems, protects species + ecosystem
During industrial revolution, more machines/cities began which increased use of natural resources + pollution increased
The economy depends on environment – we get input from it, process it then release the waste → economies are open
system but earth is a closed system
- Economies use natural resources from environment – fossil fuels, lumber
- Economic activity are increasing – this brought many people more wealth
- Resources for growth are limited and non-stop growth isn’t sustainable
- Wealth is growing because of technology – more tech helps us get fossil fuels + minerals – tech has allowed us
to grow more food which increases agriculture
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ENV100Y5 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
Trade-offs between economic benefits + ethical issues = cause environmental problems. For us to understand the environment, we need to understand how people see the environment, how we relate to it and how much we value it. All our actions affect the environment eg. growing food need cultivation + irrigation, building houses need land + wood. Our decisions on how we use environment depends on the costs/benefits + culture. Culture = beliefs/values/knowledge shared by a group of people it influences our view of world (worldview) So people have different worldview and come up with different conclusions. Religion and similar experiences shape worldviews, as can politics. Anyone who is interested in the outcome of a decision has a vested interest. Ethics = studies good and bad, right and wrong how do people judge from wrong people of different cultures may differ in what they consider right and wrong we use ethics in decision making.
