SOCI 100B Lecture 9: Challenges to the Global Environment 29 March 2016
23 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Environmental sociology: is the study of interaction between human society and the physical environment. Ecology: is the study of how living organisms interact with the environment. Ecosystem: is the community of all living things in their interrelationships. No part of the system is independent of any other. Anthropocentrism: is the perspective that the environment exists for the pleasure and exploitation of human beings regardless of impact. Example: the language we use reinforces this: virgin lands, lands that need to be broken , clean energy . However, the contemporary view is called the new environmental paradigm that sees human activity as part of, and influencing, the larger ecosystem which is far more ecocentric (humans are just one part of the larger system) than earlier views. In 1992, ulrich becker"s book, risk society, pointed out about natural disasters challenges are less human-made ones. Example: new orleans is below sea-level, chemical/ nuclear welfare, terrorism, climate- change, dependency on fossil fuels, etc.
