This document summarizes the views of Murray Bookchin and William Morris on the relationship between humanity and nature in their ecological utopian visions. Bookchin saw humanity as "participants" in nature, arguing that domination of nature stems from domination of humans by humans. He advocated for non-hierarchical relationships between humanity and the environment. Morris portrayed a society with a partnership between humanity and nature, where people lived in harmony with the landscape through small-scale industries and stewardship of the land. Both thinkers provide instructive visions of sustainable societies through a rebalancing of humanity's relationship with the natural world.
Humans are part of nature and our futures are intertwined. We must recognize this and respect all life forms, taking care not to exploit nature for human ends. Environmental ethics calls for a relationship of care between humans and the non-human world. We should strive to live sustainably and in harmony with the Earth community as equals, rather than dominating other species and the planet for our own gain.
Ecopsychology Fosters Sustainable Behavior-Final PaperJason E Evitt
This document discusses how alienation from nature leads to unsustainable behavior and how ecopsychology aims to repair the division between humans and the natural world. It provides examples of how spending time in nature can have positive psychological benefits and healing effects. The document argues that reconnecting with nature through restoring ecosystems and changing education policy could help shift societies toward a new ecological paradigm with healthier relationships between humans and the environment.
Anthropocentrism is a philosophical viewpoint that argues humans are the central or most significant entities in the world. It views humans as separate from and superior to nature, where nature and other entities only have value as they benefit humanity. Some trace the roots of anthropocentrism to Genesis in the Bible, where humans are instructed to have "dominion" over Earth and other creatures. Anthropocentrism influences how humans view their relationship with nature as superior and nature as something that can be exploited for human benefit.
Western culture lives in fear of wild nature, both external and internal, writes ecotherapist Mary-Jayne Rust. How can we find a way of working with nature in this consumerist age?
Mary mellor, an eco feminist proposal, nlr 116 117, march june 2019Conor McCabe
This document summarizes Mary Mellor's proposal for an eco-feminist model of "sufficiency provisioning" as an alternative economic strategy. The key points are:
1) Current economic models and green strategies fail to recognize the essential role of unpaid reproductive labor, mainly done by women, that sustains both human and environmental life.
2) An eco-feminist model of "sufficiency provisioning" would make meeting basic human needs like housing, food, and care for all within environmental limits the top priority, guided by principles of social justice and sustainability.
3) Democratizing the money system could help transition to this model by supporting more localized, cooperative production to meet needs rather than
The document discusses several key concepts in permaculture, including definitions, ethics, and design principles. It defines permaculture as "consciously designed landscapes which mimic nature's patterns to yield abundance while caring for Earth and people." The three core ethics are care for the Earth, care for people, and sharing surpluses. Design principles emphasize observing and interacting with natural systems, applying permaculture to meet diverse human needs, and cooperation over competition.
This document provides an overview of Chapter 4 from Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si'. The chapter discusses integral ecology, which recognizes the interconnected relationship between environmental, economic, cultural, and social issues. It addresses cultural ecology and the importance of protecting cultural heritage and diversity. The document also discusses the ecology of daily life, the principle of the common good, and intergenerational justice and solidarity in caring for the environment we leave to future generations.
Humans are part of nature and our futures are intertwined. We must recognize this and respect all life forms, taking care not to exploit nature for human ends. Environmental ethics calls for a relationship of care between humans and the non-human world. We should strive to live sustainably and in harmony with the Earth community as equals, rather than dominating other species and the planet for our own gain.
Ecopsychology Fosters Sustainable Behavior-Final PaperJason E Evitt
This document discusses how alienation from nature leads to unsustainable behavior and how ecopsychology aims to repair the division between humans and the natural world. It provides examples of how spending time in nature can have positive psychological benefits and healing effects. The document argues that reconnecting with nature through restoring ecosystems and changing education policy could help shift societies toward a new ecological paradigm with healthier relationships between humans and the environment.
Anthropocentrism is a philosophical viewpoint that argues humans are the central or most significant entities in the world. It views humans as separate from and superior to nature, where nature and other entities only have value as they benefit humanity. Some trace the roots of anthropocentrism to Genesis in the Bible, where humans are instructed to have "dominion" over Earth and other creatures. Anthropocentrism influences how humans view their relationship with nature as superior and nature as something that can be exploited for human benefit.
Western culture lives in fear of wild nature, both external and internal, writes ecotherapist Mary-Jayne Rust. How can we find a way of working with nature in this consumerist age?
Mary mellor, an eco feminist proposal, nlr 116 117, march june 2019Conor McCabe
This document summarizes Mary Mellor's proposal for an eco-feminist model of "sufficiency provisioning" as an alternative economic strategy. The key points are:
1) Current economic models and green strategies fail to recognize the essential role of unpaid reproductive labor, mainly done by women, that sustains both human and environmental life.
2) An eco-feminist model of "sufficiency provisioning" would make meeting basic human needs like housing, food, and care for all within environmental limits the top priority, guided by principles of social justice and sustainability.
3) Democratizing the money system could help transition to this model by supporting more localized, cooperative production to meet needs rather than
The document discusses several key concepts in permaculture, including definitions, ethics, and design principles. It defines permaculture as "consciously designed landscapes which mimic nature's patterns to yield abundance while caring for Earth and people." The three core ethics are care for the Earth, care for people, and sharing surpluses. Design principles emphasize observing and interacting with natural systems, applying permaculture to meet diverse human needs, and cooperation over competition.
This document provides an overview of Chapter 4 from Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si'. The chapter discusses integral ecology, which recognizes the interconnected relationship between environmental, economic, cultural, and social issues. It addresses cultural ecology and the importance of protecting cultural heritage and diversity. The document also discusses the ecology of daily life, the principle of the common good, and intergenerational justice and solidarity in caring for the environment we leave to future generations.
- Anthropocentrism views humans as the central element of the universe, placing value on nature only based on its usefulness to humans, while ecocentrism sees intrinsic value in all living things and their environment regardless of human priorities or uses.
- The rise of scientific inventions and unchecked industrialization has degraded Earth's ecosystem balance, advocating for a shift towards ecocentrism which recognizes humans as part of nature rather than separate from or in control of it.
- Literature can be evaluated based on how far it presents nature as a presence in itself rather than a background for human affairs and suggests human accountability and interconnectedness with the environment.
The Teacher´s Guide_Introduction_Worldview_DimensionGaia Education
The Teacher´s Guide-Design for Sustainability is a practical manual for sustainability teachers, ecovillage and community design educators and facilitators who are conducting courses on the broad sustainability agenda.
In this 333 page-manual you will find a comprehensive guide packed with innovative materials, methodological approaches and tools that have been developed and tested by sustainable communities and transition settings worldwide.
It covers all aspects of the transition of sustainable human settlements arranged into four distinct areas: the Social, Ecological, Worldview and Economic dimensions of sustainability. Some of the key topics covered in this guide include: creating community & embracing diversity, decisions that everyone can support, circular leadership from power over to power with, shifting the global economy, plugging the leaks of your local economy, local currencies, appropriate use of natural resources, urban agriculture and food resilience, transformation of consciousness.
The document discusses the relationship between capitalism, socialism, and ecology. It presents perspectives from Marx, Engels, and other thinkers on how capitalism damages the environment and the metabolic relationship between humans and nature, and how socialism and ecosocialism could establish a more sustainable relationship. It also discusses the need for struggle and transformation to establish an ecosocialist system, referring to examples from Cuba, the USSR, and indigenous communities.
Sustainability through Informality
Cristina Dreifuss-Serrano
Abstract
In precarious environments, such as squatter settlements, sustainability can be achieved as an economic resource. It is important, however, to start with assuring a sense of belonging in the members of the communities. Through observation in squatter settlements and conversations with their inhabitants, this paper presents a view on informal sustainability through participative
processes. We argue that if we begin by looking at cultural sustainability, people’s sense of belonging becomes a key factor in taking care of the environment. We aim to demonstrate that even if squatter settlements are regarded as areas of conflict in terms of pollution, occupation of the land, and waste disposal, through informal processes people can achieve a degree of awareness that will not only result in sustainable practices, but that can also propose new creative ways to achieve them, with
economical considerations in mind.
Keywords: Cultural sustainability, informality, human development, squatter settlements, identity
what is society, culture and environment
#difference and interaction between them.
#characteristics of culture
#examples that how cultured is learned
#tragedy of commons
#Influence of physical environment.
# negative impact on environment.
Local Sustainable Economic Development: Insights from the Food SystemAsaf Raz
This document discusses local sustainable food systems and debates around their sustainability. It begins by exploring early concepts of local food promoting sustainability. However, it later questions if local always means sustainable, discussing issues like who defines local and if local contexts are static. Case studies on meat and saffron networks illustrate both place-based localizing and challenges in maintaining networks. The document also examines arguments that local can promote elitism or narrow interests. It concludes by looking at future connections between local, global, health and climate issues and the role of researchers in supporting local actors working for transformation.
This document discusses the philosophy of deep ecology. It begins with quotes highlighting nature's spiritual and ethical importance. It then discusses the origins of deep ecology, with Arne Naess coining the term and defining its principles with George Sessions. Deep ecology sees humans as part of nature rather than above it, and recognizes nature's intrinsic value. The document explores key thinkers and concepts in deep ecology such as self-realization, diversity, complexity, and symbiosis. Wilderness is seen as providing spiritual wisdom. Deep ecology calls for asking deeper questions of society and shifting to a holistic, ecological worldview.
Outlines on environmental philosophy part 7Steven Ghezzo
A study on the environmental issue from historical, anthropological, social, psychological, philosophical, economic, political and juridical perspectives
1. The document discusses the urbanization of nature and its historical development from the 19th century ideas of Marx and Engels to the present.
2. It analyzes the concepts of urban sustainability, environmental injustice, and urban political ecology. Urban political ecology views urbanization as producing socio-environmental inequalities through the commodification and control of nature.
3. The document argues that current approaches have reached an impasse and calls for re-politicizing urban political ecology by making equality and democracy the foundation for eco-political demands aimed at more just and sustainable urban environments.
Permaculture is a design system that aims to integrate human settlements and agriculture into sustainable ecosystems modeled after natural ecologies. It takes a holistic approach, applying ethics and design principles to seven domains including land stewardship, built environment, community, and economics. The goal is to meet human needs through renewable resources by focusing on regenerative systems that conserve energy, water, and biodiversity. Permaculture emphasizes observing natural patterns and replicating them to create self-sustaining landscapes and communities. It has spread globally through the Permaculture Design Course and grassroots networks, though faces challenges from entrenched political and economic powers invested in the status quo.
The document discusses concepts related to ecology, urban ecology, and ecologically sustainable development (ESD). It defines ecology as the study of relationships between organisms and their environment. Urban ecology deals specifically with these relationships in urban settings. ESD aims to use resources in a way that maintains ecological processes for current and future generations. The document outlines principles of ESD, such as the precautionary principle, and approaches to integrate ESD into urban and transport planning. It provides Curitiba, Brazil as an example that implemented innovative planning strategies to promote sustainability.
This document discusses the themes of the past five years of International Youth Day, which is focused on encouraging youth civic engagement globally. The themes from 2010-2011 aimed to promote dialogue between youth, inspire change through small initiatives, and call youth to help change the world. However, the document notes that while events and initiatives have proven effective, more must be done to ensure dialogue continues and youth voices are heard, especially in conflict areas. It also stresses the importance of educational projects integrating youth trends and talents to determine their own futures. Overall, the document evaluates efforts to raise awareness for youth issues through the yearly IYD themes, but sees room for improving youth inclusion and ensuring the sustainability of initiatives.
This document discusses several key concepts in environmental philosophy:
- Humans are interconnected with nature and impact the environment, while environmental changes also impact humanity.
- There are three main perspectives on the human-environment relationship: anthropocentrism focuses on human use of nature, biocentrism values all organisms, and ecocentrism emphasizes ecosystems and communities.
- As rational beings, humans have a responsibility to understand nature and address growing environmental problems through sustainable use of resources and international cooperation on issues like climate change.
This chapter discusses different environmental worldviews and approaches to environmental ethics. It presents several philosophies for determining what is right and wrong from an environmental perspective, such as utilitarianism which evaluates based on the greatest good, and biocentrism which views all life as intrinsically valuable. It also outlines various worldviews including viewing humans as stewards of the planet versus being in charge of managing Earth. The chapter concludes by discussing the need for environmentally literate citizens to build a more sustainable society through understanding our interactions with nature and effective problem solving approaches.
Exploring the Perception of Community Residents on Promoting Urban Agricultureinventionjournals
Under the influences of rapid global population growth, climate change, and urbanization, the ecological environment is gradually being destroyed. High-density residential environments are causing the residential problems of urban residents to be increasingly serious. Therefore, this study attempted to introduce the concept of urban agriculture into the residential environment of a community such that combining labor resources and activating the land and landscape can bring a sense of accomplishment as well as health benefits to community residents, in order to break through the urban concrete jungle and inject vitality into communities. Taking the Minsheng community of Taipei City as an example, this study conducted in-depth interviews with 12 community residents to explore the influences of setting up urban agriculture with respect to three aspects of community residents at the psychological, social, and environmental levels. It is hoped urban agriculture can be constructed that is suitable for community development and complies with the residential environment, so that urban residents can achieve more friendly social interactions
The document discusses the linear "story of stuff" system of extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal that is causing environmental degradation. It leads to social inequities as powerful entities exploit resources and communities for profit. Different views on environmentalism are examined, but the root cause is identified as the wasteful and polluting nature of capitalist production solely for profit, which destroys the environment and leads to crisis.
Author Dr. Mirela Newman Wings Of Green Urbanism Ecological Cities, Sustainab...NewmanMirela
The document summarizes the origins and key concepts of the ecological city approach. It traces the origins of the idea back to 1975 in Berkeley, California, with the founding of the Urban Ecology organization. Major developments included Richard Register's 1987 book Eco-City Berkeley which introduced the concept, and the First International Eco-City Conference in 1990. The ecological city aims to achieve a balanced, sustainable city in harmony with nature by integrating social, economic, and environmental objectives. It acknowledges ecological limits and promotes diversity, community, and fulfilling human needs within those limits.
Ecofeminism examines the connections between the domination and oppression of women and nature. It argues that patriarchal societies treat women and nature in similar ways by exerting unjust dominance. Ecofeminism advocates for equality between genders and respect for all life. It emerged from the environmental and feminist movements of the 1970s-1980s and combines concerns about gender issues and the environment. Ecofeminists believe the liberation of women is connected to preserving nature and life on Earth.
This chapter discusses the evolution and industrialization of agriculture. It covers traditional agricultural practices like subsistence farming and pastoralism. It then outlines the three agricultural revolutions that transformed farming: 1) the initial domestication of plants and animals, 2) improvements in tools and farming techniques, and 3) the modern industrialization of agriculture through mechanization, chemicals, and global supply chains. The industrialization process is explored in depth, covering the replacement of human labor by machines, use of synthetic fertilizers and chemicals, and development of food processing industries. Impacts of these changes on the environment and food systems are also examined.
Slide show prepared for a series of lectures on environmentalism for PS 240 Introduction to Political Theory at the University of Kentucky, Fall 2007. Dr. Christopher S. Rice, Lecturer.
This document provides a weekly lesson plan for a birds classroom with daily activities organized by time of day. The plan includes:
1. Large group morning activities focused on songs, calendar, weather, and books.
2. Small group activities in the morning and afternoon covering a range of topics like letters, stories, sensory play.
3. References to Ohio's Early Learning and Development Standards and HighScope Key Developmental Indicators addressed.
4. Afternoon enrichment activities like cooking, art projects, outdoor play to extend learning.
The document discusses how humans tend to overcomplicate and seek meaning where there is none, driven by living in narrow societies and curiosity, whereas nature simply exists without such concerns. It notes that while humans strive for knowledge, nature lives peacefully without these mental preoccupations, as plants and animals simply grow, fly, search for food and die without pondering their existence or role in the universe.
- Anthropocentrism views humans as the central element of the universe, placing value on nature only based on its usefulness to humans, while ecocentrism sees intrinsic value in all living things and their environment regardless of human priorities or uses.
- The rise of scientific inventions and unchecked industrialization has degraded Earth's ecosystem balance, advocating for a shift towards ecocentrism which recognizes humans as part of nature rather than separate from or in control of it.
- Literature can be evaluated based on how far it presents nature as a presence in itself rather than a background for human affairs and suggests human accountability and interconnectedness with the environment.
The Teacher´s Guide_Introduction_Worldview_DimensionGaia Education
The Teacher´s Guide-Design for Sustainability is a practical manual for sustainability teachers, ecovillage and community design educators and facilitators who are conducting courses on the broad sustainability agenda.
In this 333 page-manual you will find a comprehensive guide packed with innovative materials, methodological approaches and tools that have been developed and tested by sustainable communities and transition settings worldwide.
It covers all aspects of the transition of sustainable human settlements arranged into four distinct areas: the Social, Ecological, Worldview and Economic dimensions of sustainability. Some of the key topics covered in this guide include: creating community & embracing diversity, decisions that everyone can support, circular leadership from power over to power with, shifting the global economy, plugging the leaks of your local economy, local currencies, appropriate use of natural resources, urban agriculture and food resilience, transformation of consciousness.
The document discusses the relationship between capitalism, socialism, and ecology. It presents perspectives from Marx, Engels, and other thinkers on how capitalism damages the environment and the metabolic relationship between humans and nature, and how socialism and ecosocialism could establish a more sustainable relationship. It also discusses the need for struggle and transformation to establish an ecosocialist system, referring to examples from Cuba, the USSR, and indigenous communities.
Sustainability through Informality
Cristina Dreifuss-Serrano
Abstract
In precarious environments, such as squatter settlements, sustainability can be achieved as an economic resource. It is important, however, to start with assuring a sense of belonging in the members of the communities. Through observation in squatter settlements and conversations with their inhabitants, this paper presents a view on informal sustainability through participative
processes. We argue that if we begin by looking at cultural sustainability, people’s sense of belonging becomes a key factor in taking care of the environment. We aim to demonstrate that even if squatter settlements are regarded as areas of conflict in terms of pollution, occupation of the land, and waste disposal, through informal processes people can achieve a degree of awareness that will not only result in sustainable practices, but that can also propose new creative ways to achieve them, with
economical considerations in mind.
Keywords: Cultural sustainability, informality, human development, squatter settlements, identity
what is society, culture and environment
#difference and interaction between them.
#characteristics of culture
#examples that how cultured is learned
#tragedy of commons
#Influence of physical environment.
# negative impact on environment.
Local Sustainable Economic Development: Insights from the Food SystemAsaf Raz
This document discusses local sustainable food systems and debates around their sustainability. It begins by exploring early concepts of local food promoting sustainability. However, it later questions if local always means sustainable, discussing issues like who defines local and if local contexts are static. Case studies on meat and saffron networks illustrate both place-based localizing and challenges in maintaining networks. The document also examines arguments that local can promote elitism or narrow interests. It concludes by looking at future connections between local, global, health and climate issues and the role of researchers in supporting local actors working for transformation.
This document discusses the philosophy of deep ecology. It begins with quotes highlighting nature's spiritual and ethical importance. It then discusses the origins of deep ecology, with Arne Naess coining the term and defining its principles with George Sessions. Deep ecology sees humans as part of nature rather than above it, and recognizes nature's intrinsic value. The document explores key thinkers and concepts in deep ecology such as self-realization, diversity, complexity, and symbiosis. Wilderness is seen as providing spiritual wisdom. Deep ecology calls for asking deeper questions of society and shifting to a holistic, ecological worldview.
Outlines on environmental philosophy part 7Steven Ghezzo
A study on the environmental issue from historical, anthropological, social, psychological, philosophical, economic, political and juridical perspectives
1. The document discusses the urbanization of nature and its historical development from the 19th century ideas of Marx and Engels to the present.
2. It analyzes the concepts of urban sustainability, environmental injustice, and urban political ecology. Urban political ecology views urbanization as producing socio-environmental inequalities through the commodification and control of nature.
3. The document argues that current approaches have reached an impasse and calls for re-politicizing urban political ecology by making equality and democracy the foundation for eco-political demands aimed at more just and sustainable urban environments.
Permaculture is a design system that aims to integrate human settlements and agriculture into sustainable ecosystems modeled after natural ecologies. It takes a holistic approach, applying ethics and design principles to seven domains including land stewardship, built environment, community, and economics. The goal is to meet human needs through renewable resources by focusing on regenerative systems that conserve energy, water, and biodiversity. Permaculture emphasizes observing natural patterns and replicating them to create self-sustaining landscapes and communities. It has spread globally through the Permaculture Design Course and grassroots networks, though faces challenges from entrenched political and economic powers invested in the status quo.
The document discusses concepts related to ecology, urban ecology, and ecologically sustainable development (ESD). It defines ecology as the study of relationships between organisms and their environment. Urban ecology deals specifically with these relationships in urban settings. ESD aims to use resources in a way that maintains ecological processes for current and future generations. The document outlines principles of ESD, such as the precautionary principle, and approaches to integrate ESD into urban and transport planning. It provides Curitiba, Brazil as an example that implemented innovative planning strategies to promote sustainability.
This document discusses the themes of the past five years of International Youth Day, which is focused on encouraging youth civic engagement globally. The themes from 2010-2011 aimed to promote dialogue between youth, inspire change through small initiatives, and call youth to help change the world. However, the document notes that while events and initiatives have proven effective, more must be done to ensure dialogue continues and youth voices are heard, especially in conflict areas. It also stresses the importance of educational projects integrating youth trends and talents to determine their own futures. Overall, the document evaluates efforts to raise awareness for youth issues through the yearly IYD themes, but sees room for improving youth inclusion and ensuring the sustainability of initiatives.
This document discusses several key concepts in environmental philosophy:
- Humans are interconnected with nature and impact the environment, while environmental changes also impact humanity.
- There are three main perspectives on the human-environment relationship: anthropocentrism focuses on human use of nature, biocentrism values all organisms, and ecocentrism emphasizes ecosystems and communities.
- As rational beings, humans have a responsibility to understand nature and address growing environmental problems through sustainable use of resources and international cooperation on issues like climate change.
This chapter discusses different environmental worldviews and approaches to environmental ethics. It presents several philosophies for determining what is right and wrong from an environmental perspective, such as utilitarianism which evaluates based on the greatest good, and biocentrism which views all life as intrinsically valuable. It also outlines various worldviews including viewing humans as stewards of the planet versus being in charge of managing Earth. The chapter concludes by discussing the need for environmentally literate citizens to build a more sustainable society through understanding our interactions with nature and effective problem solving approaches.
Exploring the Perception of Community Residents on Promoting Urban Agricultureinventionjournals
Under the influences of rapid global population growth, climate change, and urbanization, the ecological environment is gradually being destroyed. High-density residential environments are causing the residential problems of urban residents to be increasingly serious. Therefore, this study attempted to introduce the concept of urban agriculture into the residential environment of a community such that combining labor resources and activating the land and landscape can bring a sense of accomplishment as well as health benefits to community residents, in order to break through the urban concrete jungle and inject vitality into communities. Taking the Minsheng community of Taipei City as an example, this study conducted in-depth interviews with 12 community residents to explore the influences of setting up urban agriculture with respect to three aspects of community residents at the psychological, social, and environmental levels. It is hoped urban agriculture can be constructed that is suitable for community development and complies with the residential environment, so that urban residents can achieve more friendly social interactions
The document discusses the linear "story of stuff" system of extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal that is causing environmental degradation. It leads to social inequities as powerful entities exploit resources and communities for profit. Different views on environmentalism are examined, but the root cause is identified as the wasteful and polluting nature of capitalist production solely for profit, which destroys the environment and leads to crisis.
Author Dr. Mirela Newman Wings Of Green Urbanism Ecological Cities, Sustainab...NewmanMirela
The document summarizes the origins and key concepts of the ecological city approach. It traces the origins of the idea back to 1975 in Berkeley, California, with the founding of the Urban Ecology organization. Major developments included Richard Register's 1987 book Eco-City Berkeley which introduced the concept, and the First International Eco-City Conference in 1990. The ecological city aims to achieve a balanced, sustainable city in harmony with nature by integrating social, economic, and environmental objectives. It acknowledges ecological limits and promotes diversity, community, and fulfilling human needs within those limits.
Ecofeminism examines the connections between the domination and oppression of women and nature. It argues that patriarchal societies treat women and nature in similar ways by exerting unjust dominance. Ecofeminism advocates for equality between genders and respect for all life. It emerged from the environmental and feminist movements of the 1970s-1980s and combines concerns about gender issues and the environment. Ecofeminists believe the liberation of women is connected to preserving nature and life on Earth.
This chapter discusses the evolution and industrialization of agriculture. It covers traditional agricultural practices like subsistence farming and pastoralism. It then outlines the three agricultural revolutions that transformed farming: 1) the initial domestication of plants and animals, 2) improvements in tools and farming techniques, and 3) the modern industrialization of agriculture through mechanization, chemicals, and global supply chains. The industrialization process is explored in depth, covering the replacement of human labor by machines, use of synthetic fertilizers and chemicals, and development of food processing industries. Impacts of these changes on the environment and food systems are also examined.
Slide show prepared for a series of lectures on environmentalism for PS 240 Introduction to Political Theory at the University of Kentucky, Fall 2007. Dr. Christopher S. Rice, Lecturer.
This document provides a weekly lesson plan for a birds classroom with daily activities organized by time of day. The plan includes:
1. Large group morning activities focused on songs, calendar, weather, and books.
2. Small group activities in the morning and afternoon covering a range of topics like letters, stories, sensory play.
3. References to Ohio's Early Learning and Development Standards and HighScope Key Developmental Indicators addressed.
4. Afternoon enrichment activities like cooking, art projects, outdoor play to extend learning.
The document discusses how humans tend to overcomplicate and seek meaning where there is none, driven by living in narrow societies and curiosity, whereas nature simply exists without such concerns. It notes that while humans strive for knowledge, nature lives peacefully without these mental preoccupations, as plants and animals simply grow, fly, search for food and die without pondering their existence or role in the universe.
Este documento proporciona información sobre la reproducción humana. Explica los sistemas reproductores masculino y femenino, incluyendo órganos como los testículos, ovarios, útero y vagina. También describe la madurez sexual y el ciclo menstrual femenino. Finalmente, resume los procesos de la fecundación, el embarazo y el parto, señalando que el embarazo dura nueve meses y pasa por tres trimestres de desarrollo del feto.
Bio-related technology involves the application of biological processes and materials in technological applications. It includes fields such as biotechnology, which uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof to make or modify products or processes for specific use. Examples include using microorganisms to produce pharmaceuticals, applying biotechnology in agriculture and food production, and developing biomedical devices.
Technology and human knowledge are closely intertwined. As technology advances, it expands what is known and enables new discoveries through tools and research. However, technology is created by humans based on our existing understanding, so advances in our collective wisdom also drive new technological possibilities.
The document discusses the importance of recycling batteries, which contain valuable metals like zinc, steel, and manganese. Over 5 billion batteries are sold in the US each year and contain these recyclable metals. It is important to recycle batteries to reduce mining for resources, prevent heavy metals from leaching into the environment from landfills, and because it is illegal in many states to dispose of certain types of batteries like car batteries in the trash. The document provides information on common battery types like alkaline batteries and encourages contacting a company for battery recycling programs.
El resumen describe las observaciones de una maestra de tercer grado llamada Elsa Guadalupe Cárdenas en la primaria Independencia en Los Mochis, México. La maestra divide al grupo en secciones de estudiantes inteligentes y no tan inteligentes, y adapta las lecciones a las necesidades de los estudiantes. Ella identifica a los estudiantes que necesitan más apoyo en lectura y escritura. Sin embargo, la maestra es estricta y rara vez ofrece ayuda individualizada a los estudiantes. También no utiliza recursos didá
Word 2015 permite personalizar la configuración del programa de procesamiento de textos de Microsoft para mejorar la productividad y la experiencia del usuario. Se pueden ajustar opciones como la interfaz, atajos de teclado, correcciones automáticas y complementos para adaptar el software a las necesidades y preferencias individuales.
Cecilia Bouaichi is a senior at Miami University expected to graduate in May 2017 with experiences in research, volunteering, and shadowing medical professionals. She has worked as an intern at Eli Lilly conducting research, and has held various jobs and leadership roles in volunteer organizations focused on mentoring and assisting others. Her resume demonstrates academic honors and involvement in multiple pre-medical programs and activities during her time at both Miami University and Carmel High School.
Este documento presenta el volumen VIII de una revista de criminología, el cual contiene artículos de países como Corea del Sur, España, México y Perú sobre temas como criminología biológica, justicia restaurativa, victimología animal, criminalidad juvenil, ciencias de la seguridad, sicarios, criminología global, reclutamiento policial, terrorismo y violencia de pareja. Además, se lanzó una colección de libros derivados de los artículos publicados en la revista sobre criminología, criminalística y victimolog
La circular anuncia la séptima jornada de la XXII Liga Escolar de Menores que tendrá lugar el 19 de octubre en La Albericia, Santander. Incluye el horario detallado de las pruebas de carrera, saltos y lanzamientos para diferentes categorías, así como instrucciones especiales para algunas pruebas y plazos de inscripción. Se destacan algunas pruebas no habituales con el objetivo de enfatizar el carácter lúdico del atletismo para menores.
This document discusses entrepreneurship and different types of entrepreneurs. It defines an entrepreneur as an innovator who develops and leads new projects. It lists some key characteristics of entrepreneurs as being innovative, willing to take risks, motivated to succeed, flexible, able to work well with others and have strong leadership skills. The document outlines different types of entrepreneurs such as lifestyle entrepreneurs, micropreneurs and growth entrepreneurs. It also discusses how to become a social entrepreneur through developing and leading social projects, seeking innovations, being a visionary, fundraising and working in the non-profit sector.
NRWConf, DE: Defensive programming, resilience patterns & antifragilityDaniel Fisher
Cloud computing, DevOps, IOT or just connecting the local active directory or {put any LOB system here}: The applications we build are getting more and more distributed. Now guess who's guilty if your application fails, because there was some error outside of your code (even outside of your control influence)? This session is about designing, developing and deploying rock solid applications.
Humans and the environmentLECTURE 1Environment and P.docxsheronlewthwaite
Humans and the
environment
LECTURE 1
Environment and Policy
Dr Aideen Foley [email protected]
Objective
Explore environmental policy with
an emphasis on the actors and
values that shape it.
Key content
Environmental and social principles
relating to policy-making
Regulatory, market-based and non-
legislative policy tools.
Environmental policy challenges,
successes and failures
Module
overview
1. Humans and the environment
2. Environmental principles
3. Social principles in
environmental policy-making
4. Environmental governance and
participation
5. Fundamentals of sustainability
6. Environmental regulation
7. Environmental issues as market
problems
8. Environment and business
responsibility
9. Climate change policy
10. Climate change ethics
Module
overview
Assessment
2 x 3500 word learning journals.
1 question to consider each week.
Critical thinking is key.
1-5 due by 6pm, November 12th
6-10 due by 6pm, January 14th
Assignment clinics:
Lectures 5 and 10.
Humans and the Environment
How do people ‘value’ the environment?
How do people perceive environmental risk?
Key concepts
▪ Environmental worldviews
▪ Cultural Theory of risk
▪ Political economy of risk
Why does this matter?
If we consider misplaced values and
perceptions as one cause of
environmental problems, we need to
understand theoretical frameworks that
attempt to explain peoples’
relationships with the environment in
order to respond to that.
1. Environmental worldviews
Environmental values, like all psychological and social constructs,
are found ‘within’ human individuals, institutions and societies,
and find expression and representation across all human
activities, relationships, and cultural products.
Reser, J.P. and Bentrupperbäumer, J.M., 2005. What and where are environmental values? Assessing the
impacts of current diversity of use of ‘environmental’and ‘World Heritage’values. Journal of Environmental
Psychology, 25(2), pp.125-146.
Ecocentric
The person is not above or
outside of nature. E.g. Deep
ecology, eco-feminism.
Biocentric
Does not distinguish
between humans and other
life on Earth.
Environmental worldviews
Commonly shared beliefs that give groups of people a sense
of how humans should interact with the environment.
Anthropocentric
Humans should manage
Earth's resources for our
own benefit. E.g. Planetary
management, stewardship,
‘no-problem’.
“…sowing and planting of trees had to
be regarded as a national duty of
every landowner, in order to stop the
destructive over-exploitation of
natural resources…”
John Evelyn (1662), English writer, gardener and diarist
Planetary management
“It is a well-provisioned ship, this on which we
sail through space. If the bread and beef above
decks seem to grow scarce, we but open a
hatch and there is a new supply, of which
before we never dreamed. And very great
command over the services of other ...
Ecocriticism-During the last few decades, Environment has pose.docxpauline234567
Ecocriticism
-During the last few decades, Environment has posed a great threat to human society as well as the mother earth. The extensive misuse of natural resources has left us at the brink of ditch. The rainforests are cut down, the fossil fuel is fast decreasing, the cycle of season is at disorder, ecological disaster is frequent now round the globe and our environment is at margin.
-Under these circumstances, there arose a new theory of reading nature writing during the last decade of the previous century called Ecocriticism. It is a worldwide emergent movement which came into existence as a reaction to man's anthropocentric attitude of dominating nature.
-We should make change in our attitude to nature. Literature does not float above life, so it has its role to play.
-The term ecocriticism was first coined by William Rueckert in his critical writing "Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism" in 1978.
-It also advocates systematic usages of natural resources like coal, gas, forests, oil, etc. for a sustainable future.
-Ecocriticism gives emphasis on this eco-consciousness removing the ego-consciousness man .The present environmental crisis is a bi-product of human culture.
-There are two waves of ecocriticism as identified by Lawrence Buell. The first
wave ecocritics focused on nature writing, nature poetry, and wilderness
fiction"(Buell 138)They used to uphold the philosophy of organism. Here
environment effectively means natural environment. (Buell 21)The aim of the
wave was to preserve 'biotic community'(Coupe 4)
-The second wave ecocritics inclined towards environmental justice issues and a 'social ecocriticism' that takes urban landscape as seriously as 'natural landscape' (Buell 22). This wave of ecocriticism is also known as revisionist ecocriticism. It seeks to locate the vestiges of nature in cities and exposes crimes of eco-injustice against society's marginal section.
-Ecocriticism is not merely the study of nature as represented in literature. Nature here does not mean a mere fancy of its beautiful aspects like plants and animals. Nature here means the whole of the physical environment consisting of the human and the nonhuman. The interconnection between the two creates a bond which is the basis of Ecocriticism. As long as there is a harmony between the living and the non-living, there prevails a healthy eco-system for the benevolence of mankind as well as the earth.
-Anthropocence vs Biosense: Human nature is essentially anthropocentric which positions humans on top. As earth's only literary being, man considers himself as superior to every other organism. But ecocriticism decentres humanity's importance to every object of environment. In ecology, man's tragic flaw is his anthropocentric as opposed to biocentric vision, and his compulsion to conquer , harmonise ,domesticate ,violate and exploit every natural thing. Anthropocentric assumes the primacy of humans, who either sentimentalise or dominate.
This document summarizes Lucy Sargisson's discussion of contemporary environmental political theory moving towards a more democratic relationship between humanity and nature. It discusses thinkers like John Dryzek and Andrew Dobson who argue for expanding democratic participation to include nature. The document analyzes two examples - Councils of All Beings workshops that aim to "give voice" to nature, and Marge Piercy's novel Woman on the Edge of Time which depicts a participatory democracy where environmental advocates represent nature's interests. While these approaches raise issues, the document suggests they provide a space to imagine developing a more inclusive political community from an ecological perspective.
This document discusses different perspectives on humanity's relationship with the environment. It begins by describing early Greek philosophers' more rational approach to explaining the natural world. It then contrasts the anthropocentric view that humans are superior to nature with the ecocentric view that sees humans as part of the natural world with responsibilities toward the environment. The document outlines several theories that promote environmental protection such as deep ecology, social ecology, and ecofeminism. It advocates adopting a more ecocentric perspective and moving away from exploiting nature solely for human interests.
This slideshow explores the prevailing ethics and value systems that have shaped culture and guided human behavior. It looks at philosophical as well as religious & spiritual systems, and discusses today's dominant, neoliberal point of view about the nature of the world and its resources.
A Reading of Leslie Marmon Silko’s Almanac of the Dead as a Post-colonial Eco...QUESTJOURNAL
ABSTRACT: Since the turn of the twenty-first century a growing amount of scholarship has focused on the correlations between postcolonial studies and environmental criticism or eco-criticism. Despite the numerous ethical and political connections of global social justice and ecological crisis, postcolonial and eco-critical approaches have historically remained distant from one another. The emergence of postcolonial eco-criticism as a theoretical perspective much recently, however, has aimed to move beyond the mutual unease that has characterized the relationship of these two critical perspectives, formulating a more ecologically aware postcolonialism and a more politically conscious eco-criticism. Postcolonial Eco-criticism thus examines environment from an interdisciplinary point of view, where the very supremacy of the „human‟ over the „nonhuman‟ world is questioned; at the same time positing questions such as what precisely, is meant by the word „nature‟; and whether the examination of “place” should be a distinctive category, much like class, gender, or race which finds sufficient prominence in postcolonial studies. In keeping with this perspective, Leslie Marmon Silko‟s Almanac of the Dead, challenges the assumption that nature is merely a thing for humans to appropriate and misuse. In this novel Silko alludes to the history of Uranium mining and the widespread, indiscriminate effects of that industry—which informs the imperial occupations of forcefully acquiring of tribal lands and its subsequent misuse
This document discusses biodiversity and its importance for human life and society in India. It argues that human civilization has largely been based on destroying and exploiting natural elements and biodiversity for wealth maximization. This has degraded the environment and made the planet ill. Only 4% of land remains for other species as humans have captured 96% of available areas. To save biodiversity from further human disruption, the document calls for better education about the consequences of ignoring natural elements and an approach of coexistence rather than exploitation.
This document discusses biodiversity and its importance for human life and society in India. It argues that human civilization has largely been based on destroying and exploiting natural elements and biodiversity for wealth maximization. This has degraded the environment and made the planet ill. Only 4% of land remains for other species as humans have captured 96% of available areas. Greed has allowed commercialization and destruction of protected natural areas. To save biodiversity, we must recognize nature's gifts and establish equal value for other species through education to cultivate coexistence rather than exploitation. The future of biological diversity depends on addressing the impacts of human greed and commercialization on the fragile ecosystem.
The document discusses the concepts of environmental ethics and ecology. It defines environmental ethics as the study of humans' moral obligation to preserve the natural environment and order. It discusses the theory of moral extensionism, which argues that natural entities have intrinsic value beyond their usefulness to humans. The document also defines ecology as the study of organism-environment interactions and interrelations. It provides examples of climatic, chemical, and biological environmental conditions. Finally, it discusses humans' relationship with nature and technology's impacts on degrading the environment.
Cultural anthropology examines how humans interact with their environment for survival. This document discusses Jamaica, noting that its culture historically involved farming, hunting, fishing and cattle raising under British colonial rule. It transitioned to industry and tourism as its dominant economic sectors. Jamaica has a tropical climate with environmental stresses like hurricanes and poverty that impact many citizens' ability to subsist.
Eco-criticism analyzes literature's relationship with the environment and advocates for environmental protection. It was first coined in 1978 to highlight the connection between ecology and literature. Eco-criticism seeks to inspire environmental activism and real change through examining how nature is portrayed in works and the values they represent. Pioneers like Jonathan Bate promoted environmental consciousness through their writing. Works like James Thomson's "The Seasons" and novels by Indian authors like R.K. Narayan incorporate nature elements and eco-critical perspectives. The theory continues to develop and influence the study of human relationships with nature and the environment.
1) The document summarizes a postcolonial ecocritical study of the novel "How Beautiful We Were" by Imbolo Mbue. It discusses how the novel depicts the exploitation of nature through the development of an oil field in a small African village.
2) The villagers struggle as their water, air, and land become polluted from the oil drilling, leading to many early deaths of children from diseases. They try to fight back against the oil company and government who ignore their grievances.
3) The study aims to examine how the novel portrays the exploitation of nature and human's relationship with nature, as well as how literacy has impacted humanity's relationship with the natural world.
This document discusses land ethics and how various farming communities maintain strong connections to the land. It examines the Hopi, Mexican farmers in Tucson, Colorado acequia farmers, and Amish farmers. These groups pass down knowledge across generations through working the same land as their ancestors. They view land boundaries based on water systems rather than political borders. Outsiders sometimes try to impose external naming systems or farming practices, but the communities' long relationships with the land give them nuanced understanding. Maintaining land ethics requires acknowledging humanity's interdependence on the earth.
This document discusses ecojustice theory and pedagogy. It explores the roots of ecojustice, including ecofeminism, indigenous education, and eco-spirituality. It discusses how ecojustice theory views the relationship between domination over nature and domination over people. It also discusses how an ecojustice pedagogy aims to help students connect with nature and identify sustainable relationships. Finally, it discusses concepts like earth democracy and the importance of reducing the influence of Western ideology that sees nature as subordinate to human needs.
The document discusses the destruction of Mother Earth through pollution and overconsumption of resources. It notes that 110 million Americans live in areas with harmful air pollution, and that the US uses 30% of the world's resources despite having only 5% of the population. This level of destruction and selfishness is unsustainable and will eventually lead to problems like homelessness and starvation. The document calls for people to come together to heal the Earth and live more sustainably.
The Land Ethic by Aldo Leopold 1949 [ This essay .docxcherry686017
The Land Ethic
by Aldo Leopold
1949
[ This essay is excerpted from Aldo Leopold's book A Sand County Almanac. ]
When god-like Odysseus returned from the wars in Troy, he hanged all on one rope a
dozen slave-girls of his household whom he suspected of misbehavior during his
absence.
This hanging involved no question of propriety. The girls were property. The disposal of
property was then, as now, a matter of expediency, not of right and wrong.
Concepts of right and wrong were not lacking from Odysseus' Greece: witness the
fidelity of his wife through the long years before at last his black-prowed galleys clove
the wine-dark seas for home. The ethical structure of that day covered wives, but had
not yet been extended to human chattels. During the three thousand years which have
since elapsed, ethical criteria have been extended to many fields of conduct, with
corresponding shrinkages in those judged by expediency only.
THE ETHICAL SEQUENCE
This extension of ethics, so far studied only by philosophers, is actually a process in
ecological evolution. Its sequences may be described in ecological as well as well as in
philosophical terms. An ethic, ecologically, is a limitation on freedom of action in the
struggle for existence. An ethic, philosophically, is a differentiation of social from anti-
social conduct. These are two definitions of one thing. The thing has its origin in the
tendency of interdependent individuals or groups to evolve modes of co-operation. The
ecologist calls these symbioses. Politics and economics are advanced symbioses in
which the original free-for-all competition has been replaced, in part, by co-operative
mechanisms with an ethical content.
The complexity of co-operative mechanisms has increased with population density, and
with the efficiency of tools. It was simpler, for example, to define the anti-social uses of
sticks and stones in the days of the mastodons than of bullets and billboards in the age
of motors.
The first ethics dealt with the relation between individuals; the Mosaic Decalogue is an
example. Later accretions dealt with the relation between the individual and society. The
Golden Rule tries to integrate the individual to society; democracy to integrate social
organization to the individual.
There is as yet no ethic dealing with man's relation to land and to the animals and plants
which grow upon it. Land, like Odysseus' slave-girls, is still property. The land-relation is
still strictly economic, entailing privileges but not obligations.
The extension of ethics to this third element in human environment is, if I read the
evidence correctly, an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity. It is the third
step in a sequence. The first two have already been taken. Individual thinkers since the
days of Ezekiel and Isaiah have asserted that the despoliation of land is not only
inexpedient but wrong. Society, however, has not yet affirmed their bel ...
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LESSON 5- HUMAN PERSON IN HIS/HER ENVIRONMENT Cynalyn1
This document discusses different perspectives on human beings and their environment. It provides definitions of a human person and environment. It then summarizes some key pre-Socratic philosophers who shifted from mythical to rational explanations of the cosmos, including Anaximander and Pythagoras. It also discusses modern thinkers' views such as Immanuel Kant on beauty and morality, and Herbert Marcuse and George Herbert Mead on human power over and duties to nature. The conclusion calls for taking good care of nature to maintain balance in life.
Józef Raczek (1922-1990) – malarz, rzeźbiarz, kolekcjoner,
autor sztuk teatralnych i bajek.
„Orędownik Sądecczyzny” swój dom, zwany „Oficyną Raczków”,
zamienił w niezwykłą galerię grafik, obrazów i rzeźb. Przez wiele lat było to miejsce spotkań i twórczej pracy artystów. W pokoju „Pod muzami” Raczek podejmował gości winem własnego wyrobu z owoców głogu i dzikiej róży.
Sztuka była dla niego niczym pamiętnik – uwiecznił starosądecki rynek, klasztor klarysek, kapliczki, św. Kingę. Malowidła znajdujące się w sieni przybliżają nam kulturę i historię Starego Sącza, a na podwórku wciąż jeszcze rzeczywistość miesza się z bajką.
HCL Notes und Domino Lizenzkostenreduzierung in der Welt von DLAUpanagenda
Webinar Recording: https://www.panagenda.com/webinars/hcl-notes-und-domino-lizenzkostenreduzierung-in-der-welt-von-dlau/
DLAU und die Lizenzen nach dem CCB- und CCX-Modell sind für viele in der HCL-Community seit letztem Jahr ein heißes Thema. Als Notes- oder Domino-Kunde haben Sie vielleicht mit unerwartet hohen Benutzerzahlen und Lizenzgebühren zu kämpfen. Sie fragen sich vielleicht, wie diese neue Art der Lizenzierung funktioniert und welchen Nutzen sie Ihnen bringt. Vor allem wollen Sie sicherlich Ihr Budget einhalten und Kosten sparen, wo immer möglich. Das verstehen wir und wir möchten Ihnen dabei helfen!
Wir erklären Ihnen, wie Sie häufige Konfigurationsprobleme lösen können, die dazu führen können, dass mehr Benutzer gezählt werden als nötig, und wie Sie überflüssige oder ungenutzte Konten identifizieren und entfernen können, um Geld zu sparen. Es gibt auch einige Ansätze, die zu unnötigen Ausgaben führen können, z. B. wenn ein Personendokument anstelle eines Mail-Ins für geteilte Mailboxen verwendet wird. Wir zeigen Ihnen solche Fälle und deren Lösungen. Und natürlich erklären wir Ihnen das neue Lizenzmodell.
Nehmen Sie an diesem Webinar teil, bei dem HCL-Ambassador Marc Thomas und Gastredner Franz Walder Ihnen diese neue Welt näherbringen. Es vermittelt Ihnen die Tools und das Know-how, um den Überblick zu bewahren. Sie werden in der Lage sein, Ihre Kosten durch eine optimierte Domino-Konfiguration zu reduzieren und auch in Zukunft gering zu halten.
Diese Themen werden behandelt
- Reduzierung der Lizenzkosten durch Auffinden und Beheben von Fehlkonfigurationen und überflüssigen Konten
- Wie funktionieren CCB- und CCX-Lizenzen wirklich?
- Verstehen des DLAU-Tools und wie man es am besten nutzt
- Tipps für häufige Problembereiche, wie z. B. Team-Postfächer, Funktions-/Testbenutzer usw.
- Praxisbeispiele und Best Practices zum sofortigen Umsetzen
Essentials of Automations: The Art of Triggers and Actions in FMESafe Software
In this second installment of our Essentials of Automations webinar series, we’ll explore the landscape of triggers and actions, guiding you through the nuances of authoring and adapting workspaces for seamless automations. Gain an understanding of the full spectrum of triggers and actions available in FME, empowering you to enhance your workspaces for efficient automation.
We’ll kick things off by showcasing the most commonly used event-based triggers, introducing you to various automation workflows like manual triggers, schedules, directory watchers, and more. Plus, see how these elements play out in real scenarios.
Whether you’re tweaking your current setup or building from the ground up, this session will arm you with the tools and insights needed to transform your FME usage into a powerhouse of productivity. Join us to discover effective strategies that simplify complex processes, enhancing your productivity and transforming your data management practices with FME. Let’s turn complexity into clarity and make your workspaces work wonders!
Infrastructure Challenges in Scaling RAG with Custom AI modelsZilliz
Building Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems with open-source and custom AI models is a complex task. This talk explores the challenges in productionizing RAG systems, including retrieval performance, response synthesis, and evaluation. We’ll discuss how to leverage open-source models like text embeddings, language models, and custom fine-tuned models to enhance RAG performance. Additionally, we’ll cover how BentoML can help orchestrate and scale these AI components efficiently, ensuring seamless deployment and management of RAG systems in the cloud.
In his public lecture, Christian Timmerer provides insights into the fascinating history of video streaming, starting from its humble beginnings before YouTube to the groundbreaking technologies that now dominate platforms like Netflix and ORF ON. Timmerer also presents provocative contributions of his own that have significantly influenced the industry. He concludes by looking at future challenges and invites the audience to join in a discussion.
CAKE: Sharing Slices of Confidential Data on BlockchainClaudio Di Ciccio
Presented at the CAiSE 2024 Forum, Intelligent Information Systems, June 6th, Limassol, Cyprus.
Synopsis: Cooperative information systems typically involve various entities in a collaborative process within a distributed environment. Blockchain technology offers a mechanism for automating such processes, even when only partial trust exists among participants. The data stored on the blockchain is replicated across all nodes in the network, ensuring accessibility to all participants. While this aspect facilitates traceability, integrity, and persistence, it poses challenges for adopting public blockchains in enterprise settings due to confidentiality issues. In this paper, we present a software tool named Control Access via Key Encryption (CAKE), designed to ensure data confidentiality in scenarios involving public blockchains. After outlining its core components and functionalities, we showcase the application of CAKE in the context of a real-world cyber-security project within the logistics domain.
Paper: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-61000-4_16
Have you ever been confused by the myriad of choices offered by AWS for hosting a website or an API?
Lambda, Elastic Beanstalk, Lightsail, Amplify, S3 (and more!) can each host websites + APIs. But which one should we choose?
Which one is cheapest? Which one is fastest? Which one will scale to meet our needs?
Join me in this session as we dive into each AWS hosting service to determine which one is best for your scenario and explain why!
Ivanti’s Patch Tuesday breakdown goes beyond patching your applications and brings you the intelligence and guidance needed to prioritize where to focus your attention first. Catch early analysis on our Ivanti blog, then join industry expert Chris Goettl for the Patch Tuesday Webinar Event. There we’ll do a deep dive into each of the bulletins and give guidance on the risks associated with the newly-identified vulnerabilities.
“An Outlook of the Ongoing and Future Relationship between Blockchain Technologies and Process-aware Information Systems.” Invited talk at the joint workshop on Blockchain for Information Systems (BC4IS) and Blockchain for Trusted Data Sharing (B4TDS), co-located with with the 36th International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE), 3 June 2024, Limassol, Cyprus.
Ocean lotus Threat actors project by John Sitima 2024 (1).pptxSitimaJohn
Ocean Lotus cyber threat actors represent a sophisticated, persistent, and politically motivated group that poses a significant risk to organizations and individuals in the Southeast Asian region. Their continuous evolution and adaptability underscore the need for robust cybersecurity measures and international cooperation to identify and mitigate the threats posed by such advanced persistent threat groups.
Generating privacy-protected synthetic data using Secludy and MilvusZilliz
During this demo, the founders of Secludy will demonstrate how their system utilizes Milvus to store and manipulate embeddings for generating privacy-protected synthetic data. Their approach not only maintains the confidentiality of the original data but also enhances the utility and scalability of LLMs under privacy constraints. Attendees, including machine learning engineers, data scientists, and data managers, will witness first-hand how Secludy's integration with Milvus empowers organizations to harness the power of LLMs securely and efficiently.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 6DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 6. In this session, we will cover Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI.
UiPath Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI webinar offers an in-depth exploration of leveraging cutting-edge technologies for test automation within the UiPath platform. Attendees will delve into the integration of generative AI, a test automation solution, with Open AI advanced natural language processing capabilities.
Throughout the session, participants will discover how this synergy empowers testers to automate repetitive tasks, enhance testing accuracy, and expedite the software testing life cycle. Topics covered include the seamless integration process, practical use cases, and the benefits of harnessing AI-driven automation for UiPath testing initiatives. By attending this webinar, testers, and automation professionals can gain valuable insights into harnessing the power of AI to optimize their test automation workflows within the UiPath ecosystem, ultimately driving efficiency and quality in software development processes.
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into integrating generative AI.
2. Understanding how this integration enhances test automation within the UiPath platform
3. Practical demonstrations
4. Exploration of real-world use cases illustrating the benefits of AI-driven test automation for UiPath
Topics covered:
What is generative AI
Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI.
UiPath integration with generative AI
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Your One-Stop Shop for Python Success: Top 10 US Python Development Providersakankshawande
Simplify your search for a reliable Python development partner! This list presents the top 10 trusted US providers offering comprehensive Python development services, ensuring your project's success from conception to completion.
HCL Notes and Domino License Cost Reduction in the World of DLAUpanagenda
Webinar Recording: https://www.panagenda.com/webinars/hcl-notes-and-domino-license-cost-reduction-in-the-world-of-dlau/
The introduction of DLAU and the CCB & CCX licensing model caused quite a stir in the HCL community. As a Notes and Domino customer, you may have faced challenges with unexpected user counts and license costs. You probably have questions on how this new licensing approach works and how to benefit from it. Most importantly, you likely have budget constraints and want to save money where possible. Don’t worry, we can help with all of this!
We’ll show you how to fix common misconfigurations that cause higher-than-expected user counts, and how to identify accounts which you can deactivate to save money. There are also frequent patterns that can cause unnecessary cost, like using a person document instead of a mail-in for shared mailboxes. We’ll provide examples and solutions for those as well. And naturally we’ll explain the new licensing model.
Join HCL Ambassador Marc Thomas in this webinar with a special guest appearance from Franz Walder. It will give you the tools and know-how to stay on top of what is going on with Domino licensing. You will be able lower your cost through an optimized configuration and keep it low going forward.
These topics will be covered
- Reducing license cost by finding and fixing misconfigurations and superfluous accounts
- How do CCB and CCX licenses really work?
- Understanding the DLAU tool and how to best utilize it
- Tips for common problem areas, like team mailboxes, functional/test users, etc
- Practical examples and best practices to implement right away
Fueling AI with Great Data with Airbyte WebinarZilliz
This talk will focus on how to collect data from a variety of sources, leveraging this data for RAG and other GenAI use cases, and finally charting your course to productionalization.
Unlock the Future of Search with MongoDB Atlas_ Vector Search Unleashed.pdfMalak Abu Hammad
Discover how MongoDB Atlas and vector search technology can revolutionize your application's search capabilities. This comprehensive presentation covers:
* What is Vector Search?
* Importance and benefits of vector search
* Practical use cases across various industries
* Step-by-step implementation guide
* Live demos with code snippets
* Enhancing LLM capabilities with vector search
* Best practices and optimization strategies
Perfect for developers, AI enthusiasts, and tech leaders. Learn how to leverage MongoDB Atlas to deliver highly relevant, context-aware search results, transforming your data retrieval process. Stay ahead in tech innovation and maximize the potential of your applications.
#MongoDB #VectorSearch #AI #SemanticSearch #TechInnovation #DataScience #LLM #MachineLearning #SearchTechnology
Climate Impact of Software Testing at Nordic Testing DaysKari Kakkonen
My slides at Nordic Testing Days 6.6.2024
Climate impact / sustainability of software testing discussed on the talk. ICT and testing must carry their part of global responsibility to help with the climat warming. We can minimize the carbon footprint but we can also have a carbon handprint, a positive impact on the climate. Quality characteristics can be added with sustainability, and then measured continuously. Test environments can be used less, and in smaller scale and on demand. Test techniques can be used in optimizing or minimizing number of tests. Test automation can be used to speed up testing.
OpenID AuthZEN Interop Read Out - AuthorizationDavid Brossard
During Identiverse 2024 and EIC 2024, members of the OpenID AuthZEN WG got together and demoed their authorization endpoints conforming to the AuthZEN API
1. Marius de geus
illustrations: anna zabdyrska
natURe
and sUstainability
in tHe eCoLoGiCaL
UtoPian
tRadition
ROWNOWAGA_1_UK_cs4-3.indd 8
13-10-30 14:38
2. I
n our era of large scale environmental
degradation and increasing climate problems, there is a need for counter images
of an alternative ecologically sustainable
society, one that protects and respects nature.
Often it is forgotten that in the ecological
utopian tradition one may find instructive
visions, as well as highly evocative images of
a sustainable society. It appears that society is letting an opportunity pass by, by not
fully recognizing the true value that lies in
the ‘ecotopian’ tradition. I shall investigate
whether ecological utopias are capable of providing a meaningful contribution to the quest
for an environmentally sustainable society.
More particularly: what is the significance
of various ‘ecological utopias’ for interpretations of mankind’s attitudes towards nature,
and the modern social debate about the
meaning of ecological sustainability?
huMans as partiCipants
in nature
In the work of American political philosopher Murray Bookchin (1921-2006) one can
observe the view of humans as ‘participants’ in their relation towards the natural
environment. In The Ecology of Freedom (1991)
Bookchin argues that the fundamental roots
of the present ecological crisis must be found
‘in the underlying institutional, moral and
spiritual changes in human society that produced hierarchy and domination – not only
in bourgeois, feudal and ancient society, but
at the very dawn of civilization’1. His central
thesis is that the idea that humanity must
dominate and explore nature, historically
stems from the domination and exploitation
of humans by humans.
M. Bookchin, The Ecology of Freedom. The Emergence and
Dissolution of Hierarchy, Montreal: Black rose Books, 1991,
p. 44
Historically, this conception can be traced
back to a period when men began to dominate women:
‘From that point onward, human beings
were regarded as mere resources, as objects
instead of subjects. The hierarchies, classes,
propertied forms, and statist institutions
that emerged with social domination were
carried over conceptually into humanity’s
relationship with nature. Nature too became
increasingly regarded as a mere resource,
an object, a raw material to be exploited as a
mere resource as slaves on a latifundium.’2
In reaction to this development, Bookchin
argues for a more ‘holistic’ analysis of
relationships in nature and society. In his
view, natural evolution does not develop in
the direction of a simplification of forms of
life, but in the direction of growing complexity and variety. Hence, respect for nature is
paramount: ecosystems are much too variegated to be left to humans and their claim
to sovereignty and complete domination over
nature.
In essence, natural ecosystems resemble
food webs rather than stratified pyramids.
Ecosystems are organized non-hierarchically
and rely heavily on forms of participation.
What makes Bookchin’s ‘social ecology’of
the utmost importance is ‘that it offers no
case whatsoever for hierarchy in nature and
society; it decisively challenges the function
of hierarchy as a stabilizing or ordering principle in both realms. The association of order
as such with hierarchy is ruptured’3
Bookchin argues in favor of making these
principles the basic premises of a new bal-
1
ance between humanity and nature: mankind must strive for the maintenance of
ecological spontaneity and non-hierarchical
organization of the political, social and
ecological systems. It also means that in the
future agricultural and industrial practices,
urbanization and the use of technology will
have to be carefully tailored to the natural requirements of local and regional ecosystems.4
In his analysis, up to now human kind as
well as nature have been the victims of a hierarchically structured society. The individuals are unfree because of the institutions and
values of hierarchical society: citizens lack
both power and opportunity to control their
destinies and lives. These hierarchical social
relations have a direct impact on humanity’s
attitudes and behavior towards nature.
An ecologically responsible society can only
be accomplished when all the spheres of life
that are contaminated by domination are
‘decontaminated’, for instance the relations
between men and women, politicians and
citizens, as well as the relationship between
humanity and nature itself. In Bookchin’s
view the introduction of an ‘anarchist society’ is vital in ending the dominant attitude
of humans towards nature and in realizing
an equilibrium between humanity and its
environment.5
huMans as partners
with nature
English designer, writer, architect and
craftsman William Morris (1834-1896) was one
of the first utopians who gave an aesthetic
portrayal of an ecologically balanced society.
Ibidem, s.41
M. Bookchin, Post-Scarcity Anarchism, Montreal: Black
rose Books, 1990, p.19-32
4
2
3
Ibidem
Ibidem, p.37
5
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3. In his News from Nowhere (1891) Morris first
provides a critical analysis of 19th century
English capitalist society and the natural
environment in his days which, as he put
it, have grown ‘ugly’. He then sketches an
extremely detailed alternative, where society
and the natural environment are relieved of
their ugliness and the world is once again
‘beautiful and harmonious’.
In his work, Morris provides an even more
nature friendly and far going view
on the relationships between human kind
and nature than Bookchin. William Morris
had an extremely sharp eye for ‘modern’
problems such as large scale industrialization, environmental degradation, waste of
natural resources, ongoing urbanization, and
the destruction of valuable, traditional landscapes. According to him, the capitalist industrial system had deeply affected people’s
attitudes towards nature. He describes how
in general people led lives in which humans
and nature were separated from each other,
and nature was even treated as a slave:
‘…a life which was always looking upon
everything, except mankind, animate and
inanimate – “nature”, as people used to call
it – as one thing, and mankind as another. It
was natural to people thinking this way, that
they should try to make “nature” their slave,
since they thought “nature” was something
outside them.’6
In his interpretation, the industrialized 19th
century society lacked a sense of nature and
the Earth as a comprehensive whole. The
natural surroundings were viewed by the
inhabitants ‘ as an ugly characterless waste,
6
W. Morris, News from Nowhere, London: Kegan Paul,
1983, p. 154
with no delicate beauty to be guarded’. 7In
reaction to this, Morris describes the need for
a social, political and ecological revolution.
The country would be divided in small scale
decentralized unit (a commune, a ward, a parish), which would be self-governing. Private
property of the means of production would no
longer exist: large-scale factories, heavily polluting the natural surroundings and wasting
energy and materials, would be replaced by
environmentally friendly cottage industries
and small scale workshops where products are
made under safe working conditions.8
Morris accentuates that parallel to these
drastic political and economic changes, an
ecological revolution has to take place to
ensure the people’s complete happiness. The
perfect starting point of this ecological revolution was a completely different attitude of
humans towards nature. Morris indicates in
News from Nowhere that the inhabitants of this
new society felt a deep ‘affection’ for their
natural surroundings, for the landscape
where they lived, and for everything that
grows and blooms.
In his utopian society many people would
move from the cities to the countryside.
There would be a dispersion of people and
gradually city and country would flow seamlessly into one another. The result would
be an exemplary and crucial ‘partnership’
between human kind and nature. In this
ecotopian society people lived in a carefully
managed garden landscape, where nothing
was neglected or wasted, as the following
passage indicates:
and wastes, with a few towns interspersed,
which were fortresses for the feudal army,
markets for the folk, gathering places for
craftsmen. It then became a country of huge
and foul workshops and fouler gambling
dens, surrounded by an ill kept, poverty
stricken farm, pillaged by the masters of the
workshops. It is now a garden, where nothing is wasted and nothing is spoilt, with the
necessary dwellings, sheds and workshops
scattered up and down the country, all trim
and neat and pretty.’ For indeed, we should
be too much ashamed of ourselves if we allowed the making of goods, even on a large
scale, to carry with it the appearance, even,
of desolation and misery’. 9
Morris most vividly describes how the
people would live in simple yet solid homes
with well-kept gardens and allotments, in
harmony with their natural surroundings.
Moreover, there would be abundant space for
untouched landscapes and exist large pieces
of wild nature. In his vision, when people assume an attitude of ‘partnership’, friendship
and closeness with regard to nature, they
consider humans and nature as ‘partners’
in the sense that the needs, interests and
preferences of both sides must be taken into
account and be weighed harmoniously.10
In this vision nature is observed as an alliance of different life forms, in which human
and other life forms are not adversaries but
are working together in order to achieve
common purposes.11This requires a respectful
Ibidem, p. 61
Ibidem, p.63
11
See also: P. Kockelkoren, Ethical Aspects of
Plant Biotechnology In Plants – Report to the
Dutch Government Commission on Ethical Aspects
Biotechnology in Plants, Appendix I, [in:] Agriculture
and Spirituality – Essays from the Crossroads
Conference at Wageningen Agricultural University,
Utrecht: International Books, 1995, part.5
9
10
‘This is how we stand. England was once
a country of clearings amongst the forests
7
8
Ibidem, p.162
Ibidem, p. 83
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4. relationship with nature and an emphasis
on various forms of cooperation and balanced relations between life forms on earth.
Overall, humankind is allowed to make use
of natural resources, but without having the
right to dominate or exploit nature. 12
As ‘partners’ humans will tend to draw more
radical consequences than as participants.
Being a partner implies an increased consciousness of being a part of nature and of
feeling closely associated with the natural
surroundings. In general, an intimate, close
and friendly partner will set more stringent
restrictions on man’s interventions in nature
than a participant. Moreover, partners will
systematically act in ways which stimulate
nature to develop and realize itself, as in a
flourishing and healthy human partnership.
huMans eXperienCing a fundaMental ‘union’ with nature
The most radical interpretation of the
relationship between human kind and nature can be found in the ideas of American
political philosopher Henry David Thoreau
(1817-1862). Thoreau has become well-known
as author of Walden, or a Life in the Woods (1854).
In this most wonderful and still widely read
book he meticulously recounts the greatest
experiment of his life.
As a matter of fact, he lived alone in the
woods from July 1845 until September 1847, in
a self- constructed cabin on the shore of Walden Pond, near Concord Massachusetts, his
birthplace. In his writings Thoreau presents
his general view of a radical simplification
of life and develops an alternative vision on
the relationship between human kind and
nature.
12
Ibidem
Strikingly, in Walden Thoreau continuously
writes ‘Nature’ with a capital letter. He also
consistently describes nature as a female
figure, as can be seen, for example, in the
following: ‘But there was dawning Nature,
in whom all creatures live, looking in at my
broad windows with serene and satisfied
face, and no question on her lips’. 13
In his view, nature is the mother of humanity, a creator of life and beauty. Like the
native Indians, who in his time had already
largely been driven onto reservations, he saw
the Earth as ‘a living being’, and approached
nature as a ‘living entity’, of which humans
only make up a small part.14
To a larger extent than Bookchin and also
Morris, Thoreau emphasizes the greatness,
grandeur and benevolence of nature. He
consistently writes with deeply felt reference and great awe about the ‘dignity’ of
nature and the vital importance of preserving nature’s equilibrium. In his view nature
was not created to be a possession of man,
but has ‘ intrinsic value’: it exists in and of
itself, and deserves to be treated with love
and affection. Actually, he considers it his
moral responsibility to protect the wild and
preserve the forests.15
Thoreau shows how profoundly he enjoys
the landscape, and talks with the deepest affection about pine, birch and oak trees, with
which he appears to carry on entire conversations. His Walden is like a hymn to the
nature around his simple forest hut. When
Thoreau meditates he repeatedly experiences himself as being part of nature, and
H.D. Thoreau, Walden, czyli życie w lesie, przeł. H.
Cieplińska, Poznań, Rebis, 1999, s. 293
14
Idem, The Annotated Walden, edition by P. van Doren
Stern, New York: Bramhall House 1970, p. 186-207
15
Idem, Walden…
13
perceives the essential connection between it
and humans. He experiences a salutary sense
of ‘union’ and ‘kinship’ with nature, and is
surprised that he never really feels alone in
the vast forests where he roams.16
He expresses total admiration for nature’s
sublime beauty, which he treats with utmost
care and deep respect, rejecting each human
encroachment on nature. Accordingly, his
priority is not to bring land under cultivation in order to make it productive, but
rather to ‘maintain’ the wilderness and to live
as the original Indian tribes: in an unspoiled
land, in complete harmony with nature,
without significantly changing the earth.17
iMpliCations for theory and
praCtiCe
This short survey of three different views on
the relationship between human kind and nature found in ecological utopianism, leads to a
number of relevant insights and noteworthy
consequences for both theory and practice. In
the analysis of Bookchin, Morris and Thoreau,
an ecologically sustainable society assumes a
set of completely different attitudes towards
nature. A shared insight of these ecological utopians is that until now humans have
shown an excessive tendency wanting to rule
over nature. For many centuries humans have
attempted to dominate nature and approach
it as a means, an instrument completely at
their service. However, this authoritarian and
hierarchical way of thinking is absent from
the principles of the three ecological utopians
which were explored.
As they note, in an ecologically sound society
nature will need to occupy a key position,
16
17
Idem, The Annotated…, p. 88-93
Ibidem, p. 209-210
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5. and people will need to treat the natural
environment with dignity and respect.
Despite the specific differences between the
views of ‘humans as participants in nature’,
‘humans as partners with nature’, and
‘humans experiencing a fundamental union
with nature’, their arguments are pointing in the same direction. These ecotopian
thinkers accentuate that, until humans have
developed an attitude of respect, equality
and deep concern for nature, an ecologically sustainable society will remain a very
distant prospect. Admittedly, there are some
quite serious problems with their visions.
For instance, despite my ongoing sympathy
for Thoreau’s reflections, his approach of
achieving a union, unity and identification
with nature is highly individualistic and
remains too subjective. On the whole, it does
not seem a ‘necessary condition’ that every
individual citizen must be able to identify
with for example trees, bushes, landscapes
and so on, in the way Thoreau is proposing
to effectively protect and maintain mother
Earth. It seems not everyone will be capable
of (or interested in) experiencing this highly
personal and subjective kind of ‘spiritual and
sublime’ unity with the natural elements.
Additionally, such a revolutionary sociocultural change cannot be expected in the
foreseeable future and in fact does not seem
feasible. In my view, it is more important
that citizens gain sufficient understanding of existing ecological relationships. For
instance, people should become fully aware
of the high complexity of our climatic and
atmospheric systems, and understand the
risks of possibly irreversible forms of damage
to nature, as in the modern case of global
warming and climate change.
Besides, there is the logical problem which is
inherent to the approaches of participation
and partnership. In a literal way it is impossible to be a participant in relation to nature
or a partner with nature, since nature is not
able to speak or communicate in any reasonable and sensible way with us, nor can it act
as a rationally thinking ‘moral agent’. Only
figuratively speaking, humans may possibly
attain to a role of being a participant, or for
example a partner in relation towards nature.
The critical remarks made above lead to
the question how to choose for one of the
three approaches mentioned. Why would
one prefer either the attitude of participation in nature, opt for a partnership relation
with regards to nature, or favor the idea of
experiencing a fundamental union or unity
with nature? Obviously, this is not the main
theme of this paper, but let me provide a
short commentary here.
What could be the main criteria for making this kind of decision? For instance, one
could look at the degree of realism and the
level of practical feasibility. In that context,
it seems the attitude of participation comes
first, followed by the one of partnership,
and lastly the attitude of realizing union or
unity with nature.
However, it can be defended that it is more
rational and appropriate to evaluate the
three ecotopian attitudes towards nature on
basis of a different criterion: the degree to
which they can inspire people to environmentally responsible behavior, individually
and collectively, or to policies that effectively
contribute to solving the current ecological
crisis, global warming and climate change
included. 18
W. Achterberg, Samenleving, natur en duurzaamheid,
Assen: Van Gorcum, 1994, p. 161-164
18
Another controversial issue is whether a
change of human attitudes towards nature
will in any way be sufficient to achieve an
ecologically responsible society. The obvious
answer is negative. A change in attitudes and
dispositions among citizens will not directly
and automatically translate in different
environmental government policies. Nor will
changes in attitudes of citizens mean that
they will actually change their daily environmental behavior in terms of transportation choices, food habits, housing habits and
all other acquired pattern of behavior. As a
matter of fact, these are exactly the deeply
engrained routines and actions that tend
to produce a larger individual Ecological
Footprint.
In earlier work, I have noted that changes
in political, economic, financial and cultural institutions will be needed in order to
achieve an ecologically sustainable society. 19
Changing human attitudes versus nature will
indeed have to be constitutive element of a
new green society, but will most definitely
not be a sufficient condition.
The role played by our contemporary attitudes towards nature is no doubt detrimental
to our planet, but so are for example continuous economic growth, ongoing population
increase, reliance on centralized and large
scale energy production primarily based on
fossil fuels, general food habits and consumption pattern in the rich countries, and
so on. Another decisive issue concerns the
ways people think about the broad and often
elusive concept of ecological sustainability, to
which I shall now turn.
19
M de Geus, The End of Over-consumption, Utrecht:
International Books, 2003; M. de Geus, Utopian
Sustainability: Ecological Utopianism, [w:] The Transition to
Sustainable Living and Practice, ed. L. Leonard, J. Barry,
Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing, 2009, p. 77-101
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6. pragMatiC versus utopian ConCepts of eCologiCal sustainability
In the decades following the publication of
the UN report Our Common Future (Brundtland
report 1987), the great majority of governments in the world have (at least in words
and statements) accepted the concept of
‘sustainability’ as a general guideline for
economic and environmental policy. In practice, however, the specific meaning given to
the concept by the countries involved, varies
considerably according to the importance
which is attached to facts, uncertainties and
risks in relation to environment and society.
At least three interpretations of ecological
sustainability have come to the forefront in
western politics, which differ with regard to
the robustness of the definition of sustainability (‘strong versus weak’), the general
perception of existing and future environmental risks (high versus low), the expectations regarding the development of technological solutions for environmental problems
(highly probable, versus not probable at all),
and the answer to the question whether a
‘general consumer austerity’ is inevitable or
preferable in order to achieve an ecologically
healthy and responsible society.
In the first line of thought, ecological sustainability is equated with the Brundtland
approach of ‘sustainable development’ and
‘ecological modernization’. The general starting point of this essentially ‘liberal’ concept is
that ecological sustainability can actually be
‘combined’ with economic growth, a strengthening of economic competitiveness, better
management of urban planning, nature and
biodiversity, and a decrease in absolute terms
of environmentally hazardous emissions.
In this line of reasoning again and again a
general argument is made for so-called ‘creative and intelligent growth’ of the economy,
provided that the overall pressure on the environment diminishes. Environmental policy
is basically seen as a necessary, welcome
impulse for change, for technical, economic or
cultural renewal. The challenge of sustainable
development and ecological modernization’ is
considered as a decisive cause of innovation
and improvement of the economic structure. 20
In this pragmatic ‘liberal’ political vision the
environmental risks of continuous economic
development are estimated to be relatively
low. It is assumed that a prolonged exploitation of the earth will reveal new stocks of
natural resources and that, if needed, the
exploitation of alternative raw natural resources is possible. In addition, the expectations with regard to the contribution of new
technologies to the improvement of energy
efficiency and realization of environmental
goals are very high. In this pragmatic view it
is expected that the ‘integration’ of environment and economy will be accomplished by
future technological revolutions and innovations. In line with this, an overall decrease
of the level of production and consumption
is not considered necessary. The main goal
is to induce citizens to develop inherently
friendly environmental behavior, without
the need for austerity or of radical changes
in lifestyles. Hence, the general aim is
‘greener’ or ‘sustainable’ consumption, not
‘reducing’ consumption.
In the second view – which is often (but not always) associated with Christian religious ideas
– ecological sustainability is looked at from the
general perspective of ‘stewardship’. Here the
basic point of departure is that human kind
20
A. Giddens, The Politics of Climate Change,
Cambridge: Polity Press, 2009, p. 70
is morally obliged to cultivate and conserve
the natural environment as a responsible and
effective steward of the natural environment.
Accepting responsibility in order to maintain
the natural environment for future generations is a characteristic idea: humanity is held
accountable for its share in the conservation of
the ‘wholeness of the Creation’.21
In western democracies this Christiandemocratic idea of stewardship has remained
influential in politics. Most Western-European Christian-democratic parties who are
defending this position, do not perceive the
environmental risks of economic growth as
insurmountable and show an overall optimism about the future availability of natural
resources. Their presumption is that, in the
end, technological solutions for most current environmental problems will be found.
In general, in this vision a need for more
austere consumption patterns or lifestyles
is rarely expressed. The emphasis is not on
a radicalization of environmental goals and
objectives, but on achieving the goals of
already existing environmental policies.
A third interpretation of ecological sustainability can be linked to radically green political
parties in Western liberal democracies. The
foundation of this idea can be traced back to
utopian ecological thinkers such as William
Morris, Bernard Skinner, Aldous Huxley, and
Ernest Callenbach. In this ‘green-tainted’
interpretation, ecological sustainability is
considered to be closely related to the idea of
a ‘steady state economy’.22
P. Kockelkoren, op.cit, part 5
See, H.E.Daly, The Steady State Economy: toward a Political
Economy of Biophysical Equilibrium and Moral Growth, [w:]
Toward a Steady State Economy, San Francisco: W.H.
Freeman and Company, 1973; T. Jackson, Prosperity without
Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet, London: Earthscan,
2009
21
22
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7. Their ‘ideal utopian society’ incorporates
both an economic and an ecological state of
equilibrium. The just mentioned utopians do
not think in terms of growth, increase, and
expansion, but in terms of equilibrium, stability, and balance. They argue that a large
share of environmental pollution and damage to nature is caused by society’s unlimited
tendencies towards growth in production
and consumption.
They emphasize that society should break
away from these growth tendencies, and advocate a society that is not based on the ideal
of continuous economic development. Their
focus on a so-called ‘steady state’ reflects
itself in their principles, in particular the
proposition of a so-called ‘stationary state’,
as well as in their views on policy, where the
‘stable state concept’ is the decisive criterion
upon which social decision-making needs to
be systematically based.
It is fair to say that up to now in western
liberal democracies this specific ecological vision of green political parties has not gained
much attention and support. Only the green
political parties in for example Belgium,
Germany, France, the Netherlands and
the United Kingdom have (at least to some
extent) indeed been inspired by these radical
utopian ideas. As a matter of fact, their preference for (some version of) a ‘steady state
economy’ is demonstrative of the fact that
they estimate the risks of ongoing economic
development as very high. In the same vein,
they tend to be pessimistic about the future
availability of natural resources.
Generally, the green parties are opting for
risk evasive strategies and are reticent about
the possibilities of the so-called ‘technological fix’: technological strategies to solve
large scale environmental problems. In their
perspective today’s high material standard
of living will have to be replaced by a ‘high
quality of life’, involving a decrease of general production and consumption levels.
ConseQuenCes of the struCtural rejeCtion of the steady state
notion
In this final section the following question
will be raised: What are the main consequences of the fact that in modern western
liberal democracies governments are still
relying on two - above mentioned - basically
pragmatic interpretations of ecological
sustainability, and are systematically rejecting the third and principled ‘steady state’
notion?
By primarily relying on and referring to the
two pragmatic visions of ecological sustainability, the key concept has been deprived
of its foundational character. Ecological
utopian thinkers as William Morris, Bernard Skinner, Aldous Huxley and Ernest
Callenbach have underlined that ecological
sustainability is intended as a foundational
notion that aims at both an economically
and ecologically stable situation. From their
point of view, it is a ‘principled and normative’ concept in the sense that in this line of
reasoning the aim of nature conservation,
the preservation of scarce natural resources
and intra- and intergenerational justice are
quintessential, and must systematically be
given priority over growth of production and
consumption.
In line with the arguments given above, the
rejection of the value and relevance of the
third perspective on ecological sustainability
has led to a de facto acceptance and legitimization of the assumption that humans have
the right to rule over nature.
Ultimately, both within mainstream political
liberalism with its preference for sustainable
development and ecological modernization,
and Christian religious political visions
which are building on the idea of stewardship, human kind is still having the right to
dominate over nature and approach it as a
means. This is not surprising, as John Locke,
the religiously inspired founding father of
political liberalism, wrote the following
words in his Second Treatise:
‘God, when he gave the World in common to
all mankind, commanded Man also to labor,
and the penury of his Condition required
it of him. God and his Reason commanded
him to subdue the earth, i.e. improve it
for the benefit of Life, and therein lay out
something upon it was his own, his labor. He
that in Obedience to this Command of God,
subdued, tilled and sowed any part of it,
thereby annexed to it something that was his
Property, which another had no Title by, nor
could without injury take from him.’23
Arguably, the right to property is a pivotal
element in Locke’s theory, and nature is
explicitly to be ‘subdued’’ and made productive. 24 This creates a clear contrast to
utopian ecological thinkers as William
Morris, Bernard Skinner, Aldous Huxley
and Ernest Callenbach, who argue that in an
environmentally sustainable society, nature
will occupy a central position, and people
will need to treat their natural surroundings
respectfully and responsibly.
A last consequence of the fact that modern
western liberal democracies are primarily
J. Locke, Two Treatises of Government, New York:
Cambridge University Press, 1965, p.
24
R. Eckersley, Environmentalism and Political Theory: Toward
an Ecocentric Approach, New York: State University of New
York Press, 1992, s.23
23
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8. relying on the first and second interpretation of ecological sustainability, is that still
no empirical, physical side-constraints or
limits to the carrying capacity of the earth
are accepted. Both from the perspective
of liberal political and Christian political
considerations, it is predominantly assumed
that nature can be compared to a ‘spring’
that flows abundantly. Both in the Bible and
in the work of John Locke it is noted that the
Earth provides the rich material humankind may make use of. In his Two Treatises of
Government Locke speaks of ‘the Plenty God
had given to him’. 25 In his theory nature is
a perpetually productive generator of foods,
natural resources and so on. Locke views
the commons as an unlimited and incessant
source of riches, goods and services. The
underlying assumption is that the earth will
present us with new harvests and catches,
new trees and plants in endless variations.
There will always be enough food and
natural resources to fulfill the incessantly
growing human needs. This optimistic idea is
systematically reflected in the two pragmatic
visions on ecological sustainability analyzed,
but is evidently at odds with the growing
scientific insight that sustainability unavoidably implies the setting of specific physical
limits to the growth of our economy and
presupposes the acceptance of well-defined
ecological boundaries.
could be established. In various ways ecological utopias are capable of providing a valuable contribution to our ongoing quest for an
environmentally sustainable and ecologically
responsible society.
As a consequence, a legitimization and acceptance of the assumption that humans
have the full right to rule over nature has occurred. Apart from that, in the debates there
has been no room to discuss the far broader
and more integrated ecotopian visions on
ecological sustainability. Moreover, the existence of physical boundaries or limits to the
ecological carrying capacity of the earth has
not yet been recognized in modern politics.
All in all, there are still very good reasons to
continue studying ecological utopianism and
to critically reflect on the many worthwhile
lessons which can be learned from this tradition about the vital role of attitudes towards
nature and the deeper meaning of ecological
sustainability.
This paper has explored the value of ‘ecological utopianism’ for interpretations of
mankind’s attitudes towards nature, and the
modern social debate about the meaning of
the much debated and influential concept
of ecological sustainability. By developing
this analysis, an increased understanding of
the significance of ecological utopias for our
modern environmental problems and debates
25
J. Locke, ibidem, p.
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