1.1B Environmental value system Notes

1. An Environmental Value System (EVS) is a model that explains how people’s perspectives and actions regarding the environment are shaped by various influences.
2. It represents a system of inputs, processes, and outputs that describe how individuals or groups perceive, evaluate, and respond to environmental issues.

Structure of an EVS

Inputs

1. Sources of information, beliefs, and experiences that shape environmental understanding.
2. Common inputs include:
   1. Education and science
   2. Media coverage
   3. Cultural influences
   4. Economic priorities
   5. Political ideology (e.g., capitalism, communism)
   6. Religious beliefs
   7. Worldviews or ethics

Processes

1. Inputs are interpreted through personal and cultural filters such as values, assumptions, and moral beliefs.
2. These filters determine how individuals process environmental information.

Outputs

1. Tangible and behavioural outcomes derived from processed inputs, including:
   1. Judgements (what is right or wrong)
   2. Positions (opinions or stances on issues)
   3. Choices (personal or collective decisions)
   4. Actions (policy-making, activism, consumption habits)

EVS as a System

1. Just like ecosystems, EVSs have inputs, outputs, and feedback loops.
2. Instead of energy and nutrient flows, EVSs circulate ideas, information, and values through societies.
3. EVSs exist within social systems, which include:
   1. Class-based or democratic societies
   2. Religion-based or industrial communities
   3. Capitalist or communist economies

Classifying Environmental Perspectives

1. Environmental perspectives, or worldviews, can be categorized into three broad types: Technocentric, Anthropocentric, and Ecocentric.
2. These categories help explain how individuals and societies view the environment and their relationship to it.
3. However, it's important to note that these categories are not always rigid, as people may hold complex and evolving positions that change over time and in different contexts.

1. Ecocentric Worldview (Nature-Centred)

1. Values the intrinsic worth of nature, independent of its usefulness to humans.
2. Sees humans as part of the biosphere, not masters of it.
3. Encourages self-restraint, small-scale community living, and education for sustainability.
4. Supports biocentric ethics and “biorights”, the right of species and ecosystems to exist.

Deep Ecologists

1. Believe nature’s value surpasses that of humanity.
2. Promote radical change, reducing population growth, consumption, and industrialization.

Self-Reliance Soft Ecologists

1. Emphasize small-scale, community-based living.
2. Reject materialism and large-scale technology.
3. Value local participation, equity, and sustainability.

2. Anthropocentric Worldview (People-Centred)

1. Sees humans as managers of the planet, responsible for sustainable management through laws, taxes, and regulations.
2. Supports debate, consensus, and reform over radical change.
3. Considers environmental protection as necessary for human survival and economic stability.
4. Promotes sustainable development, balancing human progress and environmental care.
5. Uses legislation, policy, and education to guide behaviour.

3. Technocentric Worldview (Technology-Centred)

1. Places faith in technology and innovation to solve environmental problems.
2. Believes human ingenuity can overcome natural limits.
3. Sees environmental issues as challenges for science, not signs of crisis.
4. Often aligns with cornucopian and environmental manager viewpoints.

Cornucopians

1. Optimistic about endless human progress and resource availability.
2. Believe any problem can be solved through science, innovation, and market efficiency.
3. Support economic growth and industrial development as essential for improving living standards.

Environmental Managers

1. Support sustainable growth through technological regulation, using tools like carbon capture, desalination, or renewable energy.
2. Accept that development can continue if environmental impacts are mitigated.

Example

Development of carbon capture and storage projects to offset CO₂ emissions from industry (BP In Salah project, Algeria).

How and Why Perspectives Evolve

1. Environmental beliefs change over time due to:
   1. Education and awareness campaigns (government, NGOs).
   2. Scientific discoveries (e.g., climate change evidence).
   3. Socio-economic transitions (industrialization, urbanization).
   4. Demographic shifts (younger generations often hold stronger pro-environmental views).
   5. Cultural globalization (spread of ideas via media and internet).

Role of Generational Change

1. Millennials and Gen Z show stronger engagement with climate change, sustainability, and ethical consumption.
2. Older generations often prioritize stability and economic development.
3. Surveys show a steady increase in willingness to volunteer, donate, and advocate for environmental causes among younger cohorts.

Behaviour-Over-Time Graphs (BoTGs)

Purpose

1. BoTGs display how a particular behaviour (e.g., recycling, smoking, meat consumption) changes over time.
2. Time = x-axis, Behaviour/Attitude = y-axis.
3. Helps visualize trends, causes, and implications of social or environmental shifts.

Steps to Interpret a BoTG

1. Identify the variable changing.
2. Describe the trend (increasing, decreasing, fluctuating).
3. Explain causes driving the change.
4. Discuss implications or significance.