ESPM 161

Environmental Philosophy and Ethics

The Global Ecological Crisis

2. ESPM 161 Books

• Radical Ecology. C. Merchant (2005) Overview of environmental philosophies and movements.
• Ecology. 2nd. ed. C. Merchant (2008). Selections by environmental philosophers and activists.
• Lecture and discussion sections

3. ESPM 161 Reader

• Selections from environmental writers.
• Represent debates about approaches to solving environmental problems.
• Wednesday discussions.
• What is nature?
• Why do we care?
• How should we act?

4. The Global Ecological Crisis leads to Global Revolution: 1970-2050

5. Global Warming: 1880 - 2000

6. Variations of the Earth's Surface Temperature: 1000 - 2100

7. World Energy Demand 1970-2030

8. Global Warming Hiatus, 2000-2014

9. Carbon Dioxide Emissions 1971 - 2030

10. American Images of Global Warming

• Source: Anthony Leiserowitz, Decision Research, ecotone@uoregon.edu

11. Interpretive Community: Naysayers

• Flat Denials: “There is no global warming.”
• It’s Natural: “A natural phenomenon that has been going on for years.”
• Doubting the Science: “Bad science, I don’t believe the data can support the hypothesis that the environment is warming.”
• Doubt Based on Personal Experience: “I think it’s a myth. Summers are getting shorter and winters seem to be getting damper and cooler. It seems to be going the other way.”
• Media Hype: “It is not as bad as the media portrays.”
• Conspiracy Theory: “Fraud. Scientists making up some statistics for their job security.”
• Source: Anthony Leiserowitz, Decision Research, ecotone@uoregon.edu

12. American (U.S.) Environmental Values

• Source: Anthony Leiserowitz, Decision Research, ecotone@uoregon.edu

13. Human-Nature Relationship

• Source: Anthony Leiserowitz, Decision Research, ecotone@uoregon.edu

14. The Earth Charter, 2000

• We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future.
• In the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny.
• It is imperative that we, the peoples of the Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.

15. United Nations' Conference on Sustainable Development, 2012

• Rio + 20 in Rio de Janeiro, June 26 - 22, 2012.
• Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro, 1992 + 20 = 2012.
• U.N. Report: "The Future We Want."
• Common Vision: "Commitment to sustainable development and to ensuring the promotion of an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable future for our planet and for present and future generations."

16. Kyoto Protocol

• Conference on Global Warming, Kyoto Japan, 1997.
• Kyoto Protocol Goal: To cut global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 5% from 1990 levels by 2012.
• Doha, Qatar, Dec. 2012: Doha Amendment.
• Kyoto Protocol, 2nd Commitment Goal: To cut global emissions of GHGs by 18% below 1990 levels by 2020.
• Mechanisms:
• International Emissions Trading; Clean Development Mechanism; Joint Implementation.

17. U. S. and Kyoto Goals

• U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide were the lowest since 1994 at 5.3 metric tons in 2012.

18. Climate Change is the Moral Imperative of Our Time!

• Al Gore. Nobel prize shared with IPCC (2007).
• "An Inconvenient Truth." (2006).
• "The moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity."

19. The Death of Environmentalism

• Bjørn Lomberg. The Skeptical Environmentalist (2001) and Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming (2007).
• Michael Schellenberger and Ted Nordhaus.
• The Death of Environmentalism: Global Warming Politics in a Post Environmental World (2004).
• Essay released at meeting of the Environmental Grant Makers Association.

20. Climate Change as an Issue for the Humanities

• Responses of the humanities to climate change: ethics, justice, history, art, religion.
• Impacts on peoples of different race, class, and gender.
• Contributions of writers, artists, poets, theologians, historians to climate change awareness.
• Listening to those most immediately affected by climate change.

21. Climate Ethics

• Ethics is the principle approach needed to manage global warming.
• Information can be provided by science.
• Decisions are value judgments.

22. Climate Justice Frameworks

• Concepts and frameworks for climate justice.
• Per capita emissions allocations.
• Equity of rights and resources.
• Human health.
• Ecosystem services and habitat loss.

23. Indigenous Peoples

• Inuits have immediate experience of climate change.
• Bring long-held practices, cultural views, and tools to understanding of climate change.
• Unique needs of Native American communities.
• Energy and subsistence crises faced by native peoples.

24. Minorities and Climate Change

• Climate change is a special EJ issue in its global character.
• Differences in culture, worldviews, language.
• Networks needed for social, cultural, political, and economic support.

25. Climate Change and the Arts

• Public awareness can lead to policy changes.
• Art and literature.
• Poets, writers, artists, photographers.
• Newspapers, art galleries, museums.

26. Art Exhibitions

• "Envisioning Change" Exhibit.
• Effects of climate change on global regions such as the North and South poles, the Andes, and the Himalayas.
• Engage viewers on an emotional level.
• Increase awareness of climate change on world's coldest regions to inspire change.

27. Climate Change and Religion

• Katharine Jefferts Schori, Episcopal Bishop, head of U.S. Episcopal church.
• Former oceanographer.
• "Healing Our Planet Earth" conference, 2008.
• Reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 50 percent in 10 years at every church, synagogue, or facility.

28. National Council of Churches

• Relationship with nature; take action to save the earth.
• Protestant, Anglican churches.
• StopGlobalWarming.org.
• Evangelicals: "Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action."

29. Sustainability for the 21st Century

• Environmental humanities as an emerging field.
• Awareness of the consequences of climate change for sustainability.
• Ethical and climate justice frameworks.
• Spiritual/religious and artistic/poetic insights.
• Build a framework for the environmental humanities that will contribute to sustainability in the 21st century.

30. The End