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Environmental Worldviews, Ethics,
and Sustainability
G. Tyler Miller’s
Living in the Environment
13th Edition
Chapter 28
Dr. Richard Clements
Chattanooga State Technical Community College
Key Concepts
Human-centered worldview
Life-centered worldviews
Earth-centered worldviews
Ethical guidelines to work with
the Earth
Living more sustainably
Environmental Worldviews in
Industrial Societies
Environmental worldviews
Individual-centered
Earth-centered
Human-centered
Life-centered
Ecosystem-centered
Environmental Worldviews
Fig. 28-2
p. 742
Values
Instrumental (utilitarian) value
Intrinsic (inherent) value
Anthropocentric worldview
Biocentric worldview
Planetary Management Worldview
Humans are the most important
species
There is always more
All economic growth is good
Human success depends on how
humans manage things
Variations on Planetary Management
No-problem school
Free-market school
Responsible planetary management
school
Spaceship-Earth school
Stewardship school
Life-Centered Environmental
Worldviews
Humans should not cause the
premature extinction of species
Actively protect species endangered
by human activities
Some believe all animal species have
a right to survive
Earth-Centered Environmental
Worldviews
Ecocentric worldview
Emphasis on preserving functioning
ecosystems
Humans are part of ecological
processes
Environmental Wisdom Worldview
 Humans are part of nature
 There is not always more
 Some types of technology and economic
growth are good
 Human success depends on learning how
Earth systems work and applying what
we learn
 Deep ecology (See Spotlight p. 748)
Solutions: Living More Sustainably
Biosphere and ecosystem
responsibilities
Species responsibilities
Cultural responsibilities
Individual responsibilities
Environmental Education
 Where do things I consume come from?
 What do I know about the place where
I live?
 How am I connected to the Earth and
other living things?
 What are my purpose and responsibility
as a human being?
Major Components of the Environmental
Revolution
 Efficiency revolution
 Pollution prevention revolution
 Sufficiency revolution
 Demographic revolution
 Economic revolution