Chapter 25 Environmental Worldviews, Ethics, and Sustainability Summary 1. The planetary management worldview is the human-centered environmental worldview that guides most industrial societies. This worldview has as a key component the idea that humans are the most important species and that the earth should be managed for our benefit. Variations include the no-problems school, the free-market school, the responsible planetary management school, the spaceship school, and the stewardship school. 2. Life-centered and earth-centered worldviews include environmental wisdom worldview, species centered, biosphere centered, and ecosystem centered. All of these worldviews have far less emphasis on management for human benefit alone and all are far less human-centered. 3. Education is an important component of living sustainably. Education includes understanding ecosystems, developing environmental literacy, and viewing the earth as a complex, interconnected system. 4. We can live sustainably through pollution prevention, waste prevention, species protection, and environmental restoration. Outline 25-1 What Are Some Major Environmental Worldviews? CORE CASE STUDY: Biosphere 2 was an expensive experiment designed to mimic the earth’s life support systems. In the end, there were rampant environmental problems, and the monetary expenditure of $200 million failed to be sufficient to provide a life support system for eight humans for two years. A. Environmental worldviews are how people think the world works, where they fit, and ethics. Environmental worldviews can be human-centered or earth centered, or some combination of both. B. Human-centered views think humans to be the most important species and stewards of the earth. 1. People with a planetary management worldview think humans are the dominant species and should manage the earth for our own benefit. 2. People with the stewardship worldview think humans have an ethical responsibility to care for the earth. C. Life-centered and earth-centered worldviews: People with a life-centered worldview believe humans have an ethical responsibility to avoid causing the premature extinction of species. D. People with the environmental wisdom worldview think that humans are not in charge and should study the history of the earth to determine how it has maintained itself. 25-2 What Is the Role of Education in Living More Sustainably? A. Environmentally literate citizens are needed to build a more environmentally sustainable society. 1. Requires an understanding of how the earth works, our interactions with the earth, and the methods we use to deal with environmental problems. 2. Environmental literacy includes three ideas: natural capital matters, our ecological footprints are large and expanding, and ecological tipping points are irreversible. B. Nature must be experienced directly to complete environmental education. 25-3 How Can We Live More Sustainably? A. Six ethical guidelines for a more sustainable society are: use the principles of sustainability, do not deplete natural capital, do not waste matter or energy, protect biodiversity, repair ecological damage, and leave the earth in as good a condition as we found it. B. Learning to live more simply with fewer material things is a key component of sustainable lifestyle. C. The largest human impacts are agriculture, transportation, home energy use, and overall resource consumption and waste. Sustainable lifestyles will involve changes in all these components of our interaction with the earth. D. Effective environmental citizens avoid feelings of hopelessness and blind technological optimism. E. Sustainability is an achievable goal. Teaching Tips Small and Large Lecture Classes: In courses where this section is taught toward the end of the class, this lecture is an opportunity to highlight innovative new approaches and lifestyles. There has been dramatic change in agriculture (e.g., organics), energy (e.g., wind and solar), and transportation (e.g., hybrids, new public transportation systems) in recent years. While there is much that still needs to be done, this chapter is a chance to leave students with a sense that sustainability is possible. Key Terms environmental ethics environmental worldviews environmental-wisdom worldview planetary management worldview stewardship worldview Term Paper Research Topics 1. Beliefs of human-centered worldviews: technological optimism; substitution for scarce resources; no limits; superiority of the human species. 2. Alternatives to planetary management worldviews: biocentrism; ecocentrism; deep ecology; ecofeminism; social ecology. 3. Personal perspectives: What is necessary for happiness? 4. Environmental education: history and future. 5. Social justice and the environment. 6. The animal rights movement: history and philosophy. 7. The ecofeminism movement: history and philosophy. 8. Biosphere 2: What failed and why? Discussion Topics 1. What is your worldview? Is it changing? Answer: My worldview is grounded in valuing diversity, inclusivity, and a commitment to understanding different perspectives. This perspective is evolving as I engage with more global issues and diverse viewpoints, enhancing my understanding of complex societal dynamics. 2. What are the most effective ways to communicate about sustainability? Does guilt work? Answer: Effective communication about sustainability includes using clear, relatable messages, highlighting positive impacts, and encouraging actionable steps. Guilt can be a motivator, but it is often more effective when combined with solutions and positive reinforcement rather than solely relying on negative emotions. 3. Do current college students have a different worldview than previous generations? How? Answer: Current college students often have a more global perspective, shaped by digital connectivity and increased awareness of social issues. They tend to prioritize sustainability, social justice, and inclusivity more than previous generations, reflecting broader cultural and technological shifts. Attitudes and Values 1. Do you believe that we have an obligation to leave Earth for future generations of humans and other species in as good a shape as we found it, if not better? Did past generations do this for you? Answer: Yes, I believe we have a moral obligation to leave Earth in a better condition for future generations. Past generations made significant advancements but also left us with environmental challenges. It is crucial for us to address these issues to ensure a sustainable future. 2. Do you think your environment will be more livable, about the same, or less livable 10 years from now? Answer: The livability of the environment in the next decade will likely depend on the effectiveness of current sustainability efforts and policies. If we continue to address climate change and environmental degradation proactively, it could be more livable; otherwise, it might become less so. 3. Do you think that humans can bring about a major change within your lifetime that involves helping sustain rather than degrade Earth? Answer: Yes, I believe that significant positive changes are possible within our lifetime through collective action, technological advancements, and strong environmental policies. However, this requires a concerted effort from individuals, governments, and organizations worldwide. 4. Do you believe that most environmental issues are overblown by environmentalists and the media? Answer: While some environmental issues may be sensationalized, many concerns are based on scientific evidence and need urgent attention. The media and environmentalists play a crucial role in raising awareness, even if some issues are presented with varying degrees of urgency. Activities and Projects 1. Find and share with the class songs, folklore, literary passages, and art works that reflect U.S. land-use values and ethics as they have evolved from the frontier era to the present. Be sure to include Native American works. What can be discerned about the relationship of humans to nature in different cultures through their expressions of art? 2. For the benefit of your class, arrange a panel discussion among spokespersons for the religious community in your locale. Ask the panel to address the subject of religion as a driving force for sustainable-earth behavior and to respond to critics who argue that Judeo-Christian beliefs are at the root of the environmental crisis. 3. Invite a professor of philosophy to discuss ecofeminism and deep ecology with the class. 4. As a class project, poll the students at your school on the subject of environmental protection and its importance. Investigate their beliefs and opinions regarding a variety of environmental quality management issues and alternatives. 5. Have your students write scenarios describing what everyday life would be like in the United States after a transition is made to a sustainable-earth society. Identify areas of consensus and disagreement. 6. As a class exercise, have each student write out and hand in anonymously a list of the essential components of "the good life." Read some or all of the lists aloud to the class. Write a composite list on the blackboard and discuss each component in terms of sustainable-earth values and guidelines. 7. As a class project, analyze use of resources at your college. Consider all of the things that must be done to place the management of the institution and its physical plant on a sustainable-earth footing—such as energy conservation, water conservation, frugal consumption of materials, reuse of materials and recycling, solid-waste management, noise control, provision of wildlife habitat, integrated pest management, designing for people, toxic-waste disposal, and environmental education. Study the decision-making structure of your institution. Try to convince the administration to implement your plan. Evaluate your success. Develop alternative strategies as needed. Additional Video Resources Making Sense of Place – Phoenix the Urban Desert (TV series, 2007) http://www.makingsenseofplace.org/ BBC Planet Earth (Series, 2007) Last disk in series, segments on wilderness and sustainability. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/planetearth/ Environmental Ethics (Video Series, 2005) http://www.videoproject.com/env-906-p.html Conversations for a Sustainable Society (1993, 45 min., GF) Discussions with Amory and Hunter Lovins, Dennis Meadows, Dana Jackson, David Orr, and others. http://www.griesingerfilms.com/vid_ss.html Environmental Ethics: Constructive Approaches to Difficult Issues (1996, 40 min., VP) Provides educators with a model for discussing environmental issues, getting at the origins of our beliefs. http://www.horticulturevideos.com/environment.html God's Earth: A Call for Environmental Stewardship (1998, 57 min., FHS) An intellectual discussion of the Judeo-Christian elevation of humankind at the expense of nature and the environment. http://ffh.films.com/id/9826/Gods_Earth_A_Call_for_Environmental_Stewardship.htm The Lorax (Animated, Dr. Seuss, 1972, Online) Animated version of the classic book about an Industrialist and the destruction of the environment. http://www.foxhome.com Web Resources U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Site about sustainability. http://www.epa.gov/Sustainability/ Sustainable Communities Network Local sustainability ideas and conversations. http://www.sustainable.org/ City of San Francisco Sustainable future plan. http://www.sustainable-city.org/ Suggested Answers to End of Chapter Questions Review Questions 1. Review the Key Questions and Concepts for this chapter on p. 662. Describe the Biosphere 2 project and the major lessons learned from this project (Core Case Study). Answer: • See Science Focus: Biosphere 2—A Lesson in Humility. In 1991, eight scientists were sealed inside Biosphere 2, an enclosure designed to be a self-sustaining life-support system that would increase our understanding of Biosphere 1: the earth’s life-support system. The sealed system of interconnected domes contained artificial ecosystems and was designed to mimic the earth’s natural chemical recycling systems. The Biospherians were to be isolated for 2 years and to raise their own food using intensive organic agriculture. They were to breathe air recirculated by plants and to drink water cleansed by natural recycling processes. From the beginning, many unexpected problems cropped up and the life- support system began unraveling. With much hard work, the Biospherians were also able to produce 80% of their food supply. In the end, an expenditure of $200 million failed to maintain a life-support system for eight people for 2 years. The scientists who evaluated the project concluded, “No one yet knows how to engineer systems that provide humans with life-supporting services that natural ecosystems provide for free.” 2. What is an environmental worldview? What are environmental ethics? Distinguish among the following environmental worldviews: planetary management, stewardship, and environmental wisdom. What are three variations of the planetary management worldview? Discuss the controversy over whether we can effectively manage the earth. Answer: • Environmental worldviews are how people think the world works and what they believe their role in the world should be. • Environmental ethics is what one believes about what is right and what is wrong in our behavior toward the environment. • Planetary management worldview sees humans as the planet’s most important and dominant species, and we can and should manage the earth mostly for our own benefit. • Stewardship worldview assumes that we have an ethical responsibility to be caring and responsible managers, or stewards, of the earth. • Environmental wisdom worldview sees us as part of, not apart from, the community of life and the ecological processes that sustain all life. • The three variations are the no-problem school, the free-market school, and the spaceship-earth school. • Human-centered worldviews may wrongly assume that we now have, or could possibly attain enough knowledge to effectively manage the earth. This is a highly debatable stance, as we currently have much to learn about the workings of the natural systems around us. 3. Discuss the controversy over how far we should extend our ethical concerns for various forms of life (Figure 25-5). Give two reasons why we should not cause the premature extinction of any species. Explain why talking about saving the earth is nonsense. Answer: • People differ in the extent to which their ethical concerns extend along the scale from self to species to biosphere. • First, each species is a unique storehouse of genetic information that should be respected and protected simply because it exists. Second, each species has potential economic benefit for human use. • The earth does not need us to manage it in order for it to survive, whereas we need the earth for our survival. 4. What three ideas make up the foundation of environmental literacy? List six questions that an environmental literate person should be able to answer. Answer: • Three ideas that make up environmental literacy are that natural capital matters, our ecological footprints are immense and are expanding rapidly, and ecological and climate-change tipping points are irreversible and should never be crossed. • The six questions at the heart of environmental literacy are: ○ How does life on earth sustain itself? ○ How am I connected to the earth and other living things? ○ Where do the things I consume come from and where do they go after I use them? ○ What is environmental wisdom? ○ What is my environmental worldview? ○ What is my environmental responsibility as a human being? 5. Describe how we can learn from direct experience with the earth. Explain the difficulty that many people have in getting this experience. What is a sense of place and why is it important? Answer: • Direct experiences with nature can reveal parts of the complex web of life that cannot be bought, recreated, or reproduced. Directly experiencing nature can help to foster within us the ethical commitment that we need in order to live more sustainably on this earth. • The technological gadgetry with which we surround ourselves serves to divert our attention from the natural world. • A sense of place is any piece of the earth with which we feel as one in a place we know, experience emotionally, and love. Once we have a sense of place we will be driven to defend and protect it. 6. Describe Aldo Leopold’s principles of environmental ethics. List six guidelines for achieving more sustainable and compassionate societies. Answer: • Aldo Leopold believed that we should see communities as networks of interdependent things and value every member or species for the role it plays; we should respect the landscape and see ourselves as members of the ecological communities around us. • Some guidelines for achieving more environmentally sustainable and compassionate societies. ○ Learn about, respect, and mimic how nature sustains itself. ○ Do not degrade or deplete the earth's natural capital. ○ Take no more from nature than what nature can replenish. ○ Do not waste matter and energy resources. ○ Protect biodiversity. ○ Avoid climate-changing activities. ○ Help maintain the earth's capacity for self-repair. ○ Repair ecological damage that we have caused. ○ Leave the world in as good a condition as we found it, or better. ○ Cultivate a passion for sustaining all life and let this passion energize our actions. 7. Describe the relationship between owning things and being happy. What is voluntary simplicity? What is the principle of “enoughness?” How do we distinguish between basic needs and wants? Answer: • Seeking happiness through the pursuit of material things is considered folly by almost every major religion and philosophy. Yet, modern advertising persistently encourages people to buy more and more things to fill a growing list of wants as a way to achieve happiness. According to research by psychologists, deep down what a growing number of people really want is more community, not more stuff. They want greater and more fulfilling interactions with family, friends, and neighbors and a greater opportunity to express their creativity and to have more fun. • A lifestyle of voluntary simplicity, in which people seek to learn how to live with much less than they are accustomed to having. They are living with fewer material possessions and using products and services that have a smaller environmental impact. • Enoughness refers to the fact that the earth can supply everything to fulfill our needs, but not our greed, and in being greedy, we are taking away from others, borrowing from the future, or destroying the environment. • One must ask how much is enough and what one really needs. We must all decide the answers to these questions for ourselves. 8. List eight important steps that individuals can take in learning to live more simply and sustainably. Answer: • Eight ways to live more sustainably include: ○ Reduce meat consumption ○ Buy or grow organic food and buy locally grown food ○ Reduce car use by walking, biking, carpooling, car-sharing, and using mass transit ○ Drive an energy-efficient vehicle ○ Insulate your house, plug air leaks, and install energy efficient windows ○ Use energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, lights, and appliances ○ Reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, and share ○ Use renewable energy resources whenever possible 9. Describe two mental traps that can lead to denial, indifference, and inaction concerning the environmental problems we face. List the major shifts involved in achieving more sustainable societies. List two pieces of good news about our ability to make a cultural shift. Answer: • The two mental traps are gloom-and-doom pessimism and blind technological optimism or the idea that science and technology will save us. • The major shifts focus on how we approach: ○ Energy and climate ○ Matter ○ Life • The good news is that we can change faster than we think, and we only need 5-10% of the population to make it work. 10. How would you summarize the main goal of this textbook? What are this chapter’s three big ideas? Describe connections between Biosphere 2 (Core Case Study), the transition to more environmentally sustainable societies, and the three principles of sustainability. Answer: • The main goal of this book was to focus on three scientific laws (the law of conservation of matter and the two laws of thermodynamics) and three principles of sustainability to help foster an understanding of the environmental problems we face and to evaluate proposed solutions to these problems. • The three big ideas are: ○ Our environmental worldview plays a key role in how we treat the earth that sustains us and how we treat ourselves. ○ We need to become more environmentally literate about how the earth works, how we are affecting its life-support systems that keep us and other species alive, and what we can do to live more sustainably. ○ Living more sustainably means learning from nature, living more lightly on the earth, and becoming active environmental citizens who leave small environmental footprints on the earth. • In Biosphere 2, scientists tried to create a microcosm of the earth that would help us understand how to live more sustainably. As we explore different paths to sustainability we must understand that our lives and societies depend on natural capital and that one of the biggest threats to our ways of life is our active role in natural capital degradation. With that understanding, we begin the search for solutions to difficult environmental problems. Competing interests working together to find the solutions must make trade- offs, because this is the essence of the political process. In an environmentally sustainable society, natural habitats and biodiversity will be preserved, there will be less reliance on fossil fuels, less waste of resources and the size and growth rate of the human population will be in balance with the earth’s available resources. Critical Thinking The following are examples of the material that should be contained in possible student answers to the end of chapter Critical Thinking questions. They represent only a summary overview and serve to highlight the core concepts that are addressed in the text. It should be anticipated that the students will provide more in-depth and detailed responses to the questions depending on an individual instructor’s stated expectations. 1. Some analysts argue that the problems with Biosphere 2 (Core Case Study) resulted mostly from inadequate design and that a better team of scientists and engineers could make it work. Explain why you agree or disagree with this view. Answer: The Biosphere 2 experiment illustrated how difficult it is to engineer systems that are as complex as those that sustain life on earth. In my view, it is unlikely that a different set of scientists could have done any better because despite extensive efforts, it remains nearly impossible to create a self-sustaining system of this type. Nearly every other effort to build human outposts in remote locations (e.g., the space station) require continual inputs of material illustrating that closed systems are very difficult to sustain. 2. Do you believe that we have an ethical responsibility to leave the earth’s natural systems in as good, or better, a condition as they are now? Explain. List three aspects of your lifestyle that hinder implementing this ideal and three aspects that promote this ideal. Answer: Yes, I do believe we have an ethical responsibility to leave the earths systems in as good a condition as they are now or better. I feel that my children and grandchildren should have the same opportunity as I have to experience the aesthetic and practical benefits of the natural systems of the earth. Three areas in my life that help this goal are my attempt to eat mostly locally grown foods, to use less water in my home, and to buy electricity from green sources. Three areas of my life that hinder this goal are my extensive airline travel (and the associated CO2 emission), my car travel, and my use of resources that are produced non-sustainably. 3. This chapter summarized several different environmental worldviews. Go through these worldviews and find the beliefs you agree with, and then describe your own environmental worldview. Which of your beliefs were added or modified as a result of taking this course? Compare your answer with those of your classmates. Answer: I have always believed that life in all forms, large and small, should be treated with utmost respect, and humans as the dominant species on the planet have a moral responsibility to act as wise stewards of the earth and the creatures that live on it. So I suppose I fall under the Stewardship category of thinking. But this class has helped me realize and appreciate the many natural systems of the earth, and the connections they cause within the global biodiversity. My curiosity has been sparked, and I’m finding myself leaning more toward the Environmental Wisdom camp every day. 4. Explain why you agree or disagree with the following ideas: (a) everyone has the right to have as many children as they want; (b) all people have a right to use as many resources as they want; (c) individuals should have the right to do whatever they want with land they own, regardless of whether such actions harm the environment, their neighbors, or the local community; (d) other species exist to be used by humans; (e) all forms of life have a right to exist. Are your answers consistent with the beliefs that make up your environmental worldview, which you described in question 3? Answer: There will be a diversity of answers to these questions. The examples below are of a fairly extreme view. For grading this question, it should be clear that the student understands the type of worldview they are articulating. (a) No, it should be illegal for any woman to bear more than two children in her lifetime. Why? Because we have overcome nature and those natural forces such as disease, food shortages, and overcrowding that are intended to cap population growth, with our technology. Nature can’t limit us as it used to, so we must limit ourselves. (b-c) Human beings have a horrible tendency to use as much resources as they have access to, or can afford to import. We should develop units of land (property), energy, food, water, and raw materials for each individual human being that cannot be exceeded. Some people might call this communism, or the redistribution of wealth. I call it proper management of resources. (d) No. As the dominant species on the planet, we have an obligation to protect the creatures beneath us on the food chain. If we don’t, then nothing else will. (e) Absolutely. Each species of animal is unique in infinite ways, and our biosphere depends on large amounts of diversity for stability. A loss of any species is a loss of diversity, and a loss of diversity is a nonrenewable loss of ecological stability. 5. The American theologian Thomas Berry (1914-2009) calls the industrial–consumer society, built on the human-centered, planetary management environmental worldview the “supreme pathology of all history.” He said, “We can break the mountains apart; we can drain the rivers and flood the valleys. We can turn the most luxuriant forests into throwaway paper products. We can tear apart the great grass cover of the western plains, and pour toxic chemicals into the soil and pesticides onto the fields, until the soil is dead and blows away in the wind. We can pollute the air with acids, the rivers with sewage, the seas with oil. We can invent computers capable of processing 10 million calculations per second. And why? To increase the volume and speed with which we move natural resources through the consumer economy to the junk pile or the waste heap. If, in these activities, the topography of the planet is damaged, if the environment is made inhospitable for a multitude of living species, then so be it. We are, supposedly, creating a technological wonder world. But our supposed progress is bringing us to a waste world instead of a wonder world.” Explain why you agree or disagree with this assessment. If you disagree, answer at least five of Berry’s charges with your own arguments as to why you think he is wrong. If you agree, cite evidence as to why. Answer: I agree completely. We are sucking the earth dry of nonrenewable resources, and we seem to believe that our cities and marvelous manmade landscapes are based on something other than Mother Earth. But we are very much a part of this intricate earth we are rapidly degrading. We still rely on the plants on land and in the oceans to cycle our oxygen, and we still rely on the fertile land and the oceans to supply and grow our food. What will we do when these things are gone? Will our technology fill the biological gap that we are progressively widening? Or will it all collapse like a house built on a rock that the owner continually chips away at to construct the upper floors? 6. Some analysts believe that trying to gain environmental wisdom by experiencing the earth and forming an emotional bond with its life forms and processes is unscientific, mystical nonsense based on a romanticized view of nature. They believe that gaining a better scientific understanding of how the earth works and inventing or improving technologies are the best ways to achieve sustainability. Do you agree or disagree? Explain. Answer: I agree that the environmental wisdom comes from having an emotional bond with life on earth, but I also feel that science plays an important role. Many of the key insights that are changing the way we view our world (e.g., understanding of climate change, the ozone hole, pollution) are basically scientific insights. It is hard to imagine moving toward a more sustainable society without scientific understanding of the world. At the same time, it often takes a non-scientist or non-scientific approach to make change happen (e.g., Rachel Carson), so science alone is not enough. In this sense, I neither agree nor disagree with this question—I think a little of both is what is needed. 7. Revisit the Core Case study in Chapter 1 (p. 5) entitled “A Vision of a More Sustainable World in 2060.” Now that you are near the end of this textbook and course, do you feel that we have a reasonable chance of making the transition described on page 5? Explain. Is your view more or less hopeful than it was when you began this course? Compare your answers with those of your classmates. Answer: Reflecting on the Core Case study “A Vision of a More Sustainable World in 2060” from Chapter 1, I believe we have a reasonable chance of making the transition described, but it requires significant commitment and global cooperation. Technological advancements, increased awareness, and policy shifts towards sustainability give hope. However, challenges such as political resistance, economic interests, and unequal access to resources remain obstacles. My view is cautiously more hopeful than at the beginning of the course. This optimism stems from witnessing growing global initiatives and advancements in renewable energy, sustainable practices, and societal shifts towards eco-friendly lifestyles. However, the pace and scale of change are still concerns. Comparing with classmates, opinions may vary, with some feeling more optimistic due to technological progress and policy changes, while others may remain skeptical, considering the persistent socio-political and economic challenges. The diversity of perspectives underscores the complexity of achieving a sustainable future. 8. Do you believe that we have any ethical obligations to maintain a livable world for future generations of (a) humans and (b) other species? Explain. Answer: (a) The most basic form of ethical concern is for the individual self. From there concern is extended to other humans in the community and to the world at large. We most definitely have an ethical obligation to live sustainably so as to maintain a livable world for future generations. (b) We should extend our ethical obligations to all species on earth because each species should be respected and protected simply because it exists and each species has potential benefit to humans. 9. If you could use television or YouTube to speak to everyone in the world today about our environmental problems, what are the three most important pieces of environmental wisdom that you would give in your speech? What beliefs from your environmental worldview influenced your selection of these three items? Compare your choices with those of your classmates. Answer: 1. I would say that environmental stewardship is one area where we can all find common ground and leave politics behind; 2. I would argue that we have an obligation to our children and grandchildren to protect the resources they will depend on; and 3. I would say that we benefit from finding more sustainable lifestyles both because it reduces the volatility of our world (e.g., resource conflicts) and because there are many solutions to problems that can be applied within a market system. These are mostly based on a stewardship worldview since they all emphasis a human-centered (albeit more sustainable) approach to environmental problems. 10. List two questions that you would like to have answered as a result of reading this chapter. Answer: 1. What specific strategies can individuals and communities implement to effectively contribute to the vision of a more sustainable world by 2060? 2. How can governments and businesses be incentivized to prioritize long-term environmental sustainability over short-term economic gains? Ecological Footprint Analysis As a class, conduct an ecological footprint analysis of your campus. Work with a partner, or in small groups, to research and investigate a system in your school such as recycling/composting; water use; food service practices; energy use; building management and energy conservation; transportation (both on- and off-campus school-related trips); grounds maintenance; institutional environmental awareness; and environmental education curriculum. Depending on your school and its location, you may be able to add more areas to the investigation. You may decide to study the campus as a whole, or you may decide to break down the campus into smaller research areas, such as dorms, administrative buildings, classroom buildings, grounds, and other areas. 1. After deciding on your group’s research area, conduct your analysis. As part of your analysis, develop a list of questions that will help to determine the ecological impact related to your chosen topic. Each question item in the audit could have a range of responses on a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent). Or, you may come up with your own measurement system. 2. Analyze your results and share them with the class to determine what can be done to shrink the ecological footprint of your school. 3. Arrange a meeting with school officials to share your action plan with them. 1. Answer: Develop questions based on the chosen topic, such as: "How effective is the recycling program on a scale of 1 to 10?" or "What is the average energy consumption per building?" Use a consistent measurement system to assess and record responses to evaluate the ecological impact. 2. Answer: Review the collected data to identify areas with significant ecological impacts. Discuss findings with your class, focusing on patterns and weaknesses. Propose actionable steps to improve practices, such as enhancing recycling programs, reducing energy use, or increasing awareness. 3. Answer: Schedule a meeting with relevant school officials to present your findings and recommendations. Clearly outline the proposed actions, supported by data from your analysis, and discuss potential implementation strategies to help reduce the school’s ecological footprint. Note to instructors The data obtained from the student ecological footprint analysis will vary from school to school and location to location. If you have colleagues at another institution in another part of the country, you could coordinate with them and their students in conducting audits at more than one school and sharing the findings. You may also wish to alert certain sectors of your campus that this audit is occurring and that they may be visited by students to seek answers to their research questions. Some groups may have to make appointments with individuals in order to conduct their research. Have each student group check their questions with you before the audit is conducted. Examples of the questions they could produce for various research areas include: Recycling/Composting: What proportion of each of the major types of material resources used are recycled, reused, or composted? What priority is given to buying recycled materials? Does your school limit the use of toxic chemicals in its buildings and on its grounds? Are toxic chemicals and devices such as used batteries collected and disposed of safely? Water Use: Where does your campus get its drinking water? How much water does it use each month by month? Do all faucets and showers have flow reducers? Do all toilets use no more than 6.1 liters (1.6 gallons) per flush? Does maintenance regularly check for and repair any water leaks? Are lawns and other areas landscaped with plants that need little or no watering? Where does wastewater go, and how is it treated? Where does runoff from parking lots and streets go and what are the environmental impacts of this runoff Food Service Practices: What percentage of the food served on campus is (a) purchased from nearby farmers and (b) grown by sustainable or organic agriculture? What percentage of food wastes is composted? What percentage of the food served is beef, pork, chicken, or fish? Energy Use: Has an energy audit of the entire campus been made? How much energy is used each year and what portion of it comes from renewable sources? How much does your school emphasize energy efficiency, use of renewable forms of solar energy, and environmental design in developing new buildings and renovating existing ones? Building Management and Energy Conservation: Are any campus buildings LEED certified, and will any new ones be LEED certified? How well are campus buildings insulated? Does maintenance regularly inspect for air leaks and plug them? How widely are energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs and double- or triple-pane windows used? Is there a campus-wide program encouraging everyone to turn off lights, computers, and other electronic equipment when they are not in use? At what temperatures are dorms, classrooms, offices, and other building kept during the summer and winter, and who has control over this? Is laundry washed only in warm or cold water? What percentage of the windows can be opened for cooling and breezes? Is ecologically sound planning used deciding how grounds and buildings are managed and used? Transportation: Does the school use energy-efficient vehicles such as hybrids or other high mileage vehicles? Does it use any vehicles powered by alternatives to gasoline such as natural gas, ethanol, or biodiesel? Are students, professors, and all personnel urged to carpool, walk, ride bikes, or use public transportation in going to and from classes and in moving around the campus? Are their bike lanes and adequate bike racks? Grounds maintenance: Have campus wetlands and streams been protected or restored? What percentage of the vegetation is native to the area? What percentage of the grounds is watered? How are the athletic fields and lawn areas groomed and fertilized? Are pesticides/herbicides used on campus? Institutional environmental awareness and education: Is there a high level of environmental literacy on the campus among (a) students (b) teachers, and (c) administrators? Are their majors in environmental science or environmental studies? How do these departments fare in the annual budgets? What role do students play in helping make decisions about environmental courses and degrees offered and in building and renovating buildings and maintaining grounds in an environmentally responsible manner? Have the students rate each item in this audit on a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (Excellent). Then have them average the number assigned to each category to come up with an overall environmental rating for your school. Compare the ratings with those of the other student groups and come up with a list of the most important things that need to be done to reduce the ecological footprint of your school. Have the students share their findings with school officials. The students could also publish their action plan in the student newspaper or website. Solution Manual for Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions G. Tyler Miller, Scott Spoolman 9780538735346
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