PSCI 3201 Environmental Policy 092507

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PSCI 3201 Environmental Policy09/25/07

• A. Competing perspectives on
• the environment
• B. Introducing the ethical
• perspective

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• Diverse Perspectives on the Environment
• What is the environment problem, and how should
  we solve it?
• Perspective Source of Problem Proposed
  Solution_____________
• Ethical Exploitative world view
  anthropocentrism Change ethics and related
  behavior through
• Problem education and symbolic appeals
• Commons Human nature failure of individual
  Change incentives through governmental
• Problem incentives to protect the environment
  regulation and the threat of punishment
• because it is shared in common
  rather mutual coercion
• than individually owned
• Economics Failure of the economic system to
  Change economic incentives by making it
• Problem adequately address negative more
  expensive to pollute
• externalities expensive to pollute
• Science Failure of society and policy makers to
  Change scientists access to policy making and
• Problem use appropriate scientific information in
  change procedures requiring consideration of

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Introducing Environmental Ethicsas one of the
influences on the development of U.S.
environmental policy
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• Defining Ethics
• A system of moral principles.
• The branch of philosophy dealing with values
  relating to human conduct, with respect to
• Right and wrong
• Good and bad

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• Historic Evolution of
• Environmental Ethics in the U.S.
• Key Historic Markers

• Judeo-Christian orientations
• early American experience (Manifest Destiny)
• wilderness appreciation (Henry David Thoreau)
• wilderness preservation (John Muir)
• conservation, wise use (Gifford Pinchot)
• humans and the biotic community (Aldo Leopold)
• ethnocentrism to ecocentrism (deep ecology)

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Lynn White (1967)The Historical Roots of Our
Ecological Crisis

• Western religious beliefs coupled with the
  development of science and technology led to our
  ecological crises.
• Creation story
• Man is made in Gods image
• Man has dominion over other creatures
• Development of science and technology was
  inspired by these beliefs Provided
  justification for the exploitation of nature

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• Manifest Destiny
• 19th Century doctrine that it was the destiny
  of the U.S. to expand across the continent and
  put the land to productive use.

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Westward movement

• Taming the land and putting resources to use
• The Homestead Act
• Mining claims
• Water rights

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• Henry David Thoreau
• (1817-1862)

Believed that nature has intrinsic value, or
value for its own sake.
Walden Pond, Massachusetts
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• Henry David Thoreau
• (1817-1862)
• My profession is always to be on the alert to
  find God in Nature
• In wildness is the preservation of the
  world.