I.

EnvironmentalWorldviews
EnvironmentalWorldviews:howpeoplethinktheworldworksandwhattheybelieve
theirroleintheworldshouldbe
EnvironmentalEthics:whatpeoplebelieveisrightandwrongenvironmentalbehavior
II.HumanCenteredandLifeCenteredEnvironmentalWorldviews
A.HumanCenteredEnvironmentalWorldviews
PlanetaryManagementWorldview:wearetheplanetsmostimportantanddominant
species,andwecanandshouldmanagetheearth,mostlyforourownbenefit
ThreeVariations:
NoProblemSchool:wecansolvetheenvironmental,population,or
resourceproblemswefacewithmoreeconomicgrowthand
development
FreeMarketSchool:thebestwaytomanagetheplanetforhuman
benefitisthroughafreemarketglobaleconomywithminimal
governmentinterference.
Allpublicpropertyshouldbeconvertedtoprivateproperty
resources
SpaceshipEarthSchool:Theearthisacomplexmachinethatwecan
understand,dominate,andmanagetopreventenvironmentaloverload
andprovideagoodlifeforeveryone
StewardshipOverview:assumesthatwehaveanethicalresponsibilitytobecaringand
responsiblemanagersofearth
B.LifeCenteredandEarthCenteredEnvironmentalWorldviews

 Mostpeoplewithalifecenteredworldviewbelievewehaveanethicalresponsibilityto
avoidcausingtheprematureextinctionofspeciesthroughactivitiesfortworeasons:
1. Eachspeciesisauniquestorehouseofgeneticinformationthatshouldbe
respectedandprotectedsimplybecauseitexists
2. Eachspeciesisapotentialeconomicgoodforhumanuse
Issuesfordecidingwhetherallspeciesshouldbeprotectedfromprematureextinction:
Shouldallspeciesbeprotectedfromprematureextinctionbecauseoftheir
intrinsicvalue,orshouldonlycertainonesbepreservedbecauseoftheirknown
orpotentialvalueinstrumentalvaluetousorinecosystems?
Shouldallinsectandbacterialspeciesbeprotected,orshouldweattemptto
exterminatethosethateatourcrops,harmus,ortransmitdiseaseorganisms?
Shouldweemphasizeprotectionofkeystoneandfoundationspeciesoverother
speciesthatplaylesserrolesinourecosystems?
EnvironmentalWisdomWorldview:Wearepartofnotapartfromthecommunityof
lifeandtheecologicalprocessesthatsustainalllife
Shouldstrivetocareforallspeciesandallhumanity
C.DeepEcologyEnvironmentalWorldview
Consistsofeightpremisesdevelopedin1972byArneNaess,GeorgeSessions,andBill
Devall
1. Eachnonhumanformoflifehasinherentvalue,independentofitsvalueto
humans
2. Thefundamentalinterdependenceanddiversityoflifeformscontributetothe
flourishingofhumanandnonhumanlifeonearth

3. Humanshavenorighttoreducethisinterdependenceanddiversityexceptto
satisfyvitalneeds
4. Presenthumaninterferencewiththenonhumanworldisexcessive,andthe
situationisworseningrapidly
5. Becauseofthedamagecausedbythisinterference,itwouldbebetterfor
humans,andmuchbetterfornonhumans,iftherewereasubstantialdecreasein
thehumanpopulation
6. Basiceconomicandtechnologicalpoliciesmustthereforebechanged
7. Thepredominantideologymustbechangedsothatthemeasurementsof
qualityoflifefocusontheoverallhealthoftheenvironmentandallliving
things,ratherthanonthematerialwealthofhumanindividualsandsocieties
8. Thosewhosubscribetothesepointshaveanobligationdirectlyorindirectlyto
trytoimplementthenecessarychanges
Summary:Inthischapter,welearnedaboutdifferentenvironmentalworldviewsandthedifferences
betweenboththehumanandlifecenteredworldviewsandthesubviewswithineachofthem.The
chapteralsodiscussesdifferentethicalissuesaroundtheenvironment.Finally,thechaptertouchedon
wayswecanchangeourperceptionoftheenvironmentissuesathandandwaystobecomemore
sustainable.

Themajorfiguresofthechapter:

Figure262(616)Thisfigureshowsaspectrumofenvironmentalworldviewsapersoncould
havebasedonwhattheybelieveisimportant.

Figure264(618)Thisfigureshowsascaleoftherangeofaperson'sethicalconcerns.