Cultural Changes and Environmental Worldviews. n Cultural Changes –Major Human Cultural Changes n...

Cultural Changes and Cultural Changes and Environmental Environmental

WorldviewsWorldviews

Cultural Changes and Cultural Changes and Environmental WorldviewsEnvironmental Worldviews

Cultural ChangesCultural Changes

– Major Human Cultural ChangesMajor Human Cultural Changes Agricultural RevolutionAgricultural Revolution Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution



– Impacts of Major Human Cultural Impacts of Major Human Cultural ChangesChanges

Increased energy supplyIncreased energy supply New technologies to alter and New technologies to alter and

control the planet to meet our needscontrol the planet to meet our needs



– Impacts of Major Human Cultural Impacts of Major Human Cultural ChangesChanges

Expanded food suppliesExpanded food supplies Increased population Increased population Increased life spansIncreased life spans Increased resource use and pollutionIncreased resource use and pollution



– Hunter-gatherers Hunter-gatherers Lived in small nomadic bandsLived in small nomadic bands Subsisted on wild plants, hunting, Subsisted on wild plants, hunting,

fishingfishing Possessed expert knowledge of their Possessed expert knowledge of their

natural surroundingsnatural surroundings



– Hunter-gatherers Hunter-gatherers Had available to them three main Had available to them three main

energy sources:energy sources:– Sunlight captured by plants (perpetual Sunlight captured by plants (perpetual

and potentially renewable resources)and potentially renewable resources)– FireFire– Their own muscle powerTheir own muscle power



– Hunter-gatherers Hunter-gatherers High infant mortality ratesHigh infant mortality rates Estimated life span = 30-40 yearsEstimated life span = 30-40 years Very slow population growth ratesVery slow population growth rates



– Hunter-Gatherers Hunter-Gatherers Environmental Impacts Environmental Impacts

– Use of fire converted forests into Use of fire converted forests into grasslandsgrasslands

– Possible extinction of some large animalsPossible extinction of some large animals



– Hunter-Gatherers Hunter-Gatherers Environmental ImpactsEnvironmental Impacts

– Changes in plant diversity distributionChanges in plant diversity distribution– Overall, the impacts were localized, Overall, the impacts were localized,

limited, and easily repaired by natural limited, and easily repaired by natural processesprocesses



– Agricultural RevolutionAgricultural Revolution Began 10,000-12,000 years agoBegan 10,000-12,000 years ago Earliest form of agriculture was Earliest form of agriculture was

subsistence farmingsubsistence farming– Family only grew enough food/livestock Family only grew enough food/livestock

for itselffor itself– Depended on human muscle and crude Depended on human muscle and crude

implementsimplements



– Agricultural RevolutionAgricultural Revolution Methods of subsistence farming:Methods of subsistence farming:

– AgroforestryAgroforestry– Slash-and-burnSlash-and-burn– Shifting cultivationShifting cultivation



– Agricultural RevolutionAgricultural Revolution Subsistence evolved to farming Subsistence evolved to farming

methods that relied extensively on methods that relied extensively on domesticated animalsdomesticated animals– Pulling plowsPulling plows– Hauling loadsHauling loads– Meat and milkMeat and milk– ManureManure



– Agricultural RevolutionAgricultural Revolution Environmental ImpactsEnvironmental Impacts

– Using domesticated animals allowed for Using domesticated animals allowed for the expansion of agriculturethe expansion of agriculture

– Increase in birth rates and population Increase in birth rates and population due to a larger and more reliable food due to a larger and more reliable food supplysupply




– Increases in farm area as people cleared Increases in farm area as people cleared more landmore land

– Widespread use of irrigation systems to Widespread use of irrigation systems to transfer watertransfer water




– Surplus of food Surplus of food

– Growth of cities and development of Growth of cities and development of merchant and artisan professionsmerchant and artisan professions




– Expansion of commerce and tradeExpansion of commerce and trade

– Increased demand for metals and other Increased demand for metals and other nonrenewable mineral resourcesnonrenewable mineral resources




– Land and water disputesLand and water disputes– Loss of biodiversity Loss of biodiversity – Soil erosionSoil erosion– Increased waste generationIncreased waste generation– Spread of diseaseSpread of disease– Fall of civilizationsFall of civilizations



– Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution Began in England in mid-1700sBegan in England in mid-1700s Major transformations:Major transformations:

– Potentially renewable to nonrenewable Potentially renewable to nonrenewable energy sources to fuel technology explosionenergy sources to fuel technology explosion

– Increased per capita energy consumptionIncreased per capita energy consumption– Expansion in production, commerce, and Expansion in production, commerce, and

trade trade



– Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution Environmental ImpactsEnvironmental Impacts

– Increased urbanizationIncreased urbanization– Forced child laborForced child labor– Unsafe working conditionsUnsafe working conditions– Pollution-pollution-pollution!Pollution-pollution-pollution!– Isolation of more people from natureIsolation of more people from nature


Environmental WorldviewsEnvironmental Worldviews

– Worldview - how people think the Worldview - how people think the world works, what they think world works, what they think their role in the world should be, their role in the world should be, and what they believe is right and what they believe is right and wrong environmental and wrong environmental behavior (environmental ethics)behavior (environmental ethics)



– Two Major Environmental Two Major Environmental WorldviewsWorldviews

Individual Centered Individual Centered (Atomistic/Frontier)(Atomistic/Frontier)

Earth-Centered (Holistic)Earth-Centered (Holistic)



– Individual-Centered WorldviewsIndividual-Centered Worldviews Human-Centered (Anthropocentric)Human-Centered (Anthropocentric) Life-Centered (Biocentric)Life-Centered (Biocentric)

– Species-CenteredSpecies-Centered– Individual-CenteredIndividual-Centered



– Earth-Centered WorldviewsEarth-Centered Worldviews Biosphere-CenteredBiosphere-Centered Ecosystem-CenteredEcosystem-Centered



– Human-Centered Worldview - Human-Centered Worldview - Basic BeliefsBasic Beliefs

Grounded in the concept of Grounded in the concept of “planetary management”“planetary management”

Human beings are the planet’s most Human beings are the planet’s most important species, and we are in important species, and we are in charge of the rest of nature charge of the rest of nature



– Human-Centered Worldview - Basic Human-Centered Worldview - Basic BeliefsBeliefs

Nature can be conquered and controlledNature can be conquered and controlled Earth has unlimited resourcesEarth has unlimited resources Resource conservation and Resource conservation and

environmental management is environmental management is unnecessary unnecessary



– Human-Centered Worldview - Human-Centered Worldview - Basic BeliefsBasic Beliefs

Focuses on short-term economic Focuses on short-term economic growth regardless of long-term growth regardless of long-term consequencesconsequences



– Earth-Centered Worldview - Basic Earth-Centered Worldview - Basic BeliefsBeliefs

Nature cannot and should not be Nature cannot and should not be conqueredconquered

All life forms have inherent valueAll life forms have inherent value Earth does not have infinite Earth does not have infinite

resourcesresources




Nature cannot and should not be Nature cannot and should not be conqueredconquered

All life forms have inherent valueAll life forms have inherent value Nature is interconnected and Nature is interconnected and

integrated, not fragmentedintegrated, not fragmented




Humans areHumans are part part of nature, not of nature, not apartapart from naturefrom nature

Earth does not have infinite resourcesEarth does not have infinite resources Must not engage in activities that Must not engage in activities that

degrade earth’s life-support systemsdegrade earth’s life-support systems

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