Chapter 1: Environmental Challenges

Different perspectives on the environment, such as anthropocentric, biocentric, and ecocentric viewpoints, offer varying frameworks for understanding our relationship with nature and guiding environmental policies.

Western Privilege and Anthropocentric Perspective:

The concept of Western privilege highlights how the dominant cultural and economic systems in Western societies often prioritize human needs over environmental concerns. The anthropocentric perspective, common in many Western cultures, places human interests and well-being at the center of moral consideration, sometimes disregarding the intrinsic value of non-human entities and ecosystems.

Biocentric and Ecocentric Perspective:

Biocentrism and ecocentrism are two philosophical perspectives that emphasize the intrinsic value of all living beings and ecosystems. Biocentrism focuses on the inherent worth of individual organisms, advocating for their rights and welfare regardless of their utility to humans. It posits that all life forms have a moral standing and deserve consideration in ethical decision-making. In contrast, ecocentrism broadens this view by prioritizing the health and integrity of entire ecosystems, arguing that the interconnectedness of all life forms and their environments should guide our actions. While biocentrism seeks to protect individual species, ecocentrism emphasizes the balance and sustainability of ecological systems as a whole, highlighting the interdependence of all entities within the biosphere. Together, these perspectives challenge anthropocentric views and promote a more holistic approach to environmental ethics.

Environmental Issues

Let’s look at a few of the emerging environmental issues we face today.

^{UN Environment Programme. (2022, February 16). Emerging environmental issues that we should be paying attention to [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/PPniKJyH_rg}

Environmental Issues in Canada

Canada faces a range of significant environmental issues that reflect both its vast natural resources and the pressures of development. Here’s an overview of some major environmental issues in Canada:

• Climate Change:
  • Rising temperatures leading to extreme weather events (wildfires, floods, droughts).
  • Significant impacts on Arctic ecosystems and indigenous communities.
  • Contributes to global sea-level rise.
• Biodiversity Loss:
  • Diverse ecosystems at risk (boreal forests, coastal habitats).
  • Habitat destruction, pollution, and invasive species contribute to declining wildlife populations.
  • Species at risk include caribou and various bird species; conservation efforts are critical.
• Resource Extraction:
  • Oil, gas, and mining industries cause environmental degradation (deforestation, water contamination, soil erosion).
  • Overfishing in many coastal regions can cause biodiversity loss.
  • Need for policies that promote renewable energy and sustainable practices.
• Environmental Justice:
  • Indigenous communities disproportionately affected by environmental degradation.
  • Importance of recognizing indigenous rights and involving communities in decision-making.
  • Addressing social justice alongside environmental issues is vital for a sustainable future.

The urgencies of these environmental issues require us to think critically, consider various perspectives, and make informed decisions that weigh the benefits and consequences. As future leaders and change-makers, it’s vital to approach these environmental issues with an open mind and seek innovative solutions that respect the environment, uphold social values, and foster economic prosperity.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity reflects the range and variety of life on Earth—and thus the health and resilience of nature—at three levels:

• Ecosystems. Diversity at the level of entire ecosystems—for example, wetlands, grasslands, or forests—is a function of the size of the intact ecosystem area, the magnitude of its biomass, and its ability to provide ecosystem services such as water regulation or air purification.
• Species. The variation in species, including plants, animals, and microorganisms, involves both richness (number of species) and abundance (population for each species) within each ecosystem, as well as the distribution of species across ecosystems.
• Genes. Genetic variability is essential to species’ ability to adapt to environmental changes and their resilience to external threats such as diseases.

Carbon Cycle

The carbon cycle is a natural process that describes the movement of carbon among the atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms, featuring essential sinks, sources, and sequestration processes. Carbon exists in various forms, including carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere and organic carbon in plants and animals.

The cycle begins with photosynthesis, where plants absorb CO2 and convert it into glucose and oxygen, forming the basis of the food web. Significant sinks include forests and oceans, which absorb CO2 during photosynthesis and through marine plant activity. Sources refer to processes or activities that release carbon dioxide (CO₂) or other carbon compounds into the atmosphere. These sources contribute to the overall carbon cycle and can include natural sources like volcanic eruptions and respiration by plants and animals, as well as human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes. Additionally, natural sequestration occurs in these sinks, while technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS) aim to capture CO2 emissions from industrial processes and store them underground.

Human activities, particularly fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, have disrupted the carbon cycle, leading to increased atmospheric CO2 levels and contributing to climate change. Understanding the carbon cycle is essential for developing strategies to mitigate its impacts and promote environmental sustainability.

Environmental Externalities

Understanding environmental externalities is crucial for recognizing their significant impacts on the environment, as they reveal the hidden costs of economic activities that can lead to ecological degradation and affect overall sustainability.

Environmental externalities refer to the unintended side effects of economic activities that impact third parties or the environment, which are not reflected in the costs of goods and services. These externalities can be either positive or negative; for instance, pollution from a factory may harm local ecosystems and public health, representing a negative externality, while a community garden may enhance local biodiversity and improve quality of life, showcasing a positive externality. The presence of externalities often leads to market failures, as businesses may prioritize profit over environmental stewardship, resulting in overexploitation of resources and degradation of natural habitats. Addressing environmental externalities typically requires regulatory interventions, such as taxes, subsidies, or cap-and-trade systems, to ensure that the true costs of environmental impacts are accounted for in economic decision-making, ultimately promoting more sustainable practices.