Environmental Sociology Perspectives PDF

Environmental Sociology Perspectives (5) (Course Objective #2) Malthusian Perspective (Thomas Malthus) Modern day Malthusians are referred to as Neo-Malthusians. Population growth is humanity’s greatest challenge. Primarily, agricultural production will not be able to keep pace with population growt...

Environmental Sociology Perspectives (5) (Course Objective #2) Malthusian Perspective (Thomas Malthus) Modern day Malthusians are referred to as Neo-Malthusians. Population growth is humanity’s greatest challenge. Primarily, agricultural production will not be able to keep pace with population growth. The result would be mass starvation and societal collapse. Human Exemptionalism Perspective (HEP) This perspective claims that human-environmental relationships were unimportant because we as humans are 'exempt' from environmental forces. In this view, human intelligence could overcome environmental problems. Culture also has the capacity to innovate, making it capable of solving all natural problems. Conclusion? We as humans are not governed by natural conditions; we have complete control over our own destiny. New Ecological Perspective (NEP) The NEP recognizes the innovative capacity of humans, but says that humans are still ecologically grounded. The NEP notes the power of social and cultural forces but recognizes Earth has a finite level of natural resources and waste repositories. Thus, the natural environment can impose constraints on human activity. This perspective directly challenged Malthusian and HEP proponents. Must take environmental limits into account. Eco-Marxist Perspective This approach focuses on the destructive elements of economic systems (capitalism in particular). First, the economic interest that favors economic expansion will prevail over ecological concerns. Government policy will inevitably maximize immediate economic growth at the expense of the natural environment. Secondly, governments will attempt to control only the most dire of environmental problems to prevent health and economic disasters. This will give the appearance that governments act more environmentally consciously than they really are. Third, he believed that eventually, environmental degradation would become so severe that political forces would respond with environmentally sustainable policies. Unfortunately, tremendous damage to the natural environment will have already occurred. The capitalist economic engine would then be based on economic sustainability. Ecological Modernization Perspective (EMP) Eco-Marxism spawned a perspective that supported the maintenance and continuation of capitalism along with “industrial ecology,” large-scale organic agriculture, agroecology and certain strands of sustainable development—all implying that economic growth is possible if that growth is well organized with the environment in mind.