Week 9B: The Environment PDF

Week 9B: The Environment ------------------------ - What are the environmental challenges we are facing? - What is anthropocentrism (and where does it come from)? - How are capitalism and corporations related to the environment? What are the environmental challenges we are facing? --------...

Week 9B: The Environment ------------------------ - What are the environmental challenges we are facing? - What is anthropocentrism (and where does it come from)? - How are capitalism and corporations related to the environment? What are the environmental challenges we are facing? ---------------------------------------------------- - Environmental sociology - Relationship between climate change and mental health - "Ecoanxiety" What is anthropocentrism (and where does it come from)? ------------------------------------------------------- - Anthropocentrism - Enlightenment - Technology - Early Sociology - Capitalism (and Communism!) - Lynn White How are capitalism and corporations related to the environment? --------------------------------------------------------------- Capitalism - Treadmill of Production Theory - Schnaiberg - Humans: constant state of interaction with world \- **Withdrawals**: extracting raw materials \- **Additions**: wastes and byproducts created through production \- Leads to ecological "**disruptions**" - Treadmill \- Capitalism: based on necessity of growth - Contradiction: capitalist appetite for growth vs. earth's capacity - Governmental role \- Influenced by need for economic growth - Triple Bottom Line \- Elkington \- Traditional bottom line: "profits" \- "People" account: social responsibility \- "Planet" account: environmental responsibility - What you measure is what you get - Ecological Modernization Theory \- Optimistic \- Faith in technology \- Capitalism: responds to market demand for environmentally responsible products and practices \- Eventually: capitalism more sustainable, damage lessened