MODULE 2

APPROACHES
TO
UNDERSTAND ECOLOGY
 TOPICS TO BE COVERED
 Understanding approaches to ecology
 Anthropocentrism
 Biocentrism
 Ecocentrism
 Ecofeminism
 Deep Ecology

• Environment Principles-1
 Sustainability Principle
 Polluter Pays Principle
 Precautionary Principle

 Environment Principles- 2
 Equity Principle
 Human Rights Principle
 Participants Principle
UNDERSTANDING
APPROACHES TO ECOLOGY
 Ecology is the branch of biology which studies
the interactions among organisms and their
environment.

 Objects of study include interactions

of organisms with each other and with abiotic
components of their environment.

 Topics of interest include the biodiversity,

distribution, biomass, and populations of
organisms, as well as cooperation and
competition within and between species.
 Anthropocentrism
 It is a human centered approach

 It regards humans as separate from and

superior to nature and holds that human life
has intrinsic value while other entities (including
animals, plants, mineral resources, and so on)
are resources that may justifiably be exploited
for the benefit of humankind.

 Only humans
 Biocentrism
 It is a life centered approach.

 Biocentrism refers to all environmental ethics

that extend the status of moral object from
human beings to all other living things in
nature. In a narrow sense, it emphasizes the
value and rights of organic individuals, believing
that moral priority should be given to the
survival

 All livings components

 Ecocentrism
 It is a nature-centered approach.

 It holds that humans are only one part of the

complicated system-the earth.

 It believes that everything has intrinsic value

and its places emphasis on the
interconnectedness of all life.

 Living and Non-living

 Ecofeminism
 Feminism can be defined as the thought and movement
toward the political, economic and social equality of
women and men.

 Ecology is the study of the relationship between human

groups and their physical and social environments.

 Ecofeminism is based on the theory that the oppression

of women and the oppression of nature are
fundamentally linked.

 In ecofeminist literature, ecofeminism is often described

as the belief that environmentalism and feminism are
intrinsically connected.

 Environment and women are connected approach

 Deep Ecology
 It is an ecological and environmental
philosophy promoting the inherent worth of living beings
regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs,
plus a radical restructuring of modern human societies in
accordance with such ideas.

 Deep ecology argues that the natural world is a subtle

balance of complex inter-relationships in which the
existence of organisms is dependent on the existence of
others within ecosystems.

 Human interference with or destruction of the natural

world poses a threat therefore not only to humans but to
all organisms constituting the natural order.
Principles of Deep Ecology
Inter-
relationship
of Organisms

Obligations Respect for

to participate living things

Principles of
Appreciation Diversity &
Symbiosis

Changes in Anti-class
Policies Posture

Decrease of
Human
Population
 Sustainability Principle
 It refers to avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in
order to maintain an ecological balance.

 The concept of sustainability is comprised of three pillars

(3Ps)
1. Economic: Profits
2. Environmental: Planet
3. Social: People
Sustainability Principle
 Sustainability in 1960s and 1970s

 Sustainability in 1980s and 1990s

 Sustainability in 2000s
 The Sustainable Development
GOALS 2015-2030

At the Sustainable Development Summit held from 25th to 27th

Sept in New York, the member nations of UN agreed upon 17
goals for sustainable development to transform our world
 17 Goals are:-
1. No Poverty

2. Zero Hunger

3. Good Health and Well Being

4. Quality Education

5. Gender Equality

6. Clean Water and Sanitation

7. Affordable and Clean Energy

8. Decent Work
 17 Goals are:-
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.

10. Reduced Inequalities.

11. Sustainable Cities and Communities.

12. Responsible Consumption and Production.

13. Combat Climate Change.

14. Converse Marine Resources.

15. Protect and Promote Life on Land

16. Promote Peaceful and Inclusive Societies

17. Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

 Polluter Pays Principle
 Introduced in 1970s

 The PPP states: “ whoever is responsible for the

damage to the environment should bear the costs
associated with it.

 The 'polluters pays' principle is the commonly

accepted practice that those who produce pollution
should bear the costs of managing it to prevent
damage to human health or the environment.

 For instance, a factory that produces a potentially

poisonous substance as a byproduct of its
activities is usually held responsible for its safe
disposal.
The flow chart shows how the cost of a PPP system can affect consumers and
producers. Without a PPP system, the household buys electricity from a firm who is
supplied by a generation firm (often the firm that generates electricity also sells it).
Under the PPP system, the cost of generation is higher because the generation
method has to take into account the effects of it generation in terms of pollution.
Because the firms have to keep costs low, they pass the cost of the PPP system onto
the consumer. In the bottom half, the household pays more to the generation firm
which remits the money to the government to account for the environmental impact
they have
 Precautionary Principle
 Human life is, has always been, and will always
be full of risks. The urge to deal with the risks
we face is a basic condition of our existence.

 Sailors sail on boats with lifeboats not because

they expect wreckage, but because they know
that it would be irrational not to be prepared for
the potential dangers that they might encounter
on their voyage.

 if accompanied by a preventive policy, intended

to limit damage to what could be repaired or
compensated for.
 Precautionary Principle
 This ‘prevention is better than cure’ to protect
humans and the environment against uncertain
risks of human action: the Precautionary
Principle (PP).

 The emergence of the PP has marked a shift

from post damage control to the level of a pre-
damage control (anticipatory measures) of risks.

 To avoid misunderstandings and confusions, it

is useful to elaborate on what the PP is not. The
PP is not based on ‘zero risks’ but aims to
achieve lower or more acceptable risks or
hazards.
 Equity Principle
 Equity means that there should be a minimum level
of income and environmental quality below which
nobody falls.

 Within a community it usually also means that

everyone should have equal access to community
resources and opportunities, and that no individuals
or groups of people should be asked to carry a
greater environmental burden than the rest of the
community as a result of government actions.

 Environmental inequities already exist in all

societies. Poorer people tend to suffer the burden of
environmental problems more than others do.
 Equity Principle
 This is because more affluent people have more choices
about where they live: they can afford to pay more to live
in areas that have not had their environment degraded.

 Also, more affluent people are better able to fight the

imposition of a polluting facility in their neighborhood
because they have better access to financial resources,
education, skills and the decision-making structures.

 Similarly workers in certain industries are often exposed

to higher health risks than the rest of the community–as,
for example, are workers in mining or mineral processing
and the chemical industry. Often, the work-forces in very
hazardous industries are made up of large numbers of
migrants or ethnic minorities.
 Human Rights Principle
 In the 1980s, the principles of human rights was seriously
related to environment issues. The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights was adopted in 1948, well before
environmental concerns were raised.

 According to WB about 20% of diseases in poor countries can

be attributed to environmental factors, including climate
change and pollution.

 Studies conducted in the early 2000s indicate:

i. 12 million people die each year from contaminated water
ii. 2 million people die each year from air contaminated within
their homes
iii. 8 lakh people die each year from outdoor urban air
pollution
 Human Rights Principle
 The given statistics indicate that the environment
protection is essential to safeguard human rights, and
that human rights principles need to guide environmental
policy.

 Other relevant human rights include a person’s right to a

standard of living, adequate for the health and wellbeing
of himself and his family and the right to participate in
governance decisions.

 Human rights agreement affirm that environment

protection is necessary for some of the most fundamental
human rights such as rights to life, human health and
well being.
 Human Rights Principle
❖NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONS:

The right to a healthy environment has been

incorporated into the constitutions of several countries:

o The Constitution of Argentina gives all residents the right

to a healthy and balanced environment (Article 31).

o The South Korean Constitution gives citizens the right to a

healthy and pleasant environment (Article 35)

o The Constitution of Brazil states “Everyone has a right to

an ecologically balanced environment, an assets for
common use by the people, and essential to the
wholesome quality of life.”
 Participants Principle
 Decisions about environmental protection often
formally integrate the views of the public.

 Generally, government decisions to set environmental

standards for specific types of pollution, to permit
significant environmentally damaging activities, or to
preserve significant resources are made only after the
impending decision has been formally and publicly
announced and the public has been given the opportunity
to influence the decision through written comments or
hearings.

 In many countries citizens may challenge in court or before

administrative bodies government decisions affecting the
environment.

 These citizen lawsuits have become an important

component of environmental decision making at both the
national and the international level.