Abstract This paper discusses how ecological footprints, effective ecological tools used to help maintain our world, impose many questions in sustaining the earth's life. Charts are included with the paper.
Defining Our Ecological Footprint
Dependency on Nature
Carrying Capacity of Cities and Earth
Comparison between Countries
Natural Capita: Effects on the Earth
Impact of the World Economies
Solutions
From the Paper "The world economy has a great impact on the ecological footprints of the world. Every country wants to obtain economic growth to produce more money. But in doing this, they have to deplete their natural capital, which in turn, is not helping in sustaining this world. As William Rees states, "there is simply not enough on the planet to sustain present international development trends using prevailing technologies" (Westra and Werhane ed. 1998, 115). So something drastic has to be done. As the ecological footprints of humans are already too large for the earth to handle, how can we accommodate the rising materials and rising in population, while trying to sustain the earth. Most analysts agree that it can happen in two ways: through a reduction in the standard of living or through the increase in material and energy efficiency (Westra and Werhane ed. 1998, 115). These two issues also apply problems, through cultural, economic, and social values. Especially in the more developed countries. To lower the standard of living would be outright rejected in the more developed countries such as Canada and the U. S. So indeed, most people agree that "global sustainability is achievable only through large increases in the consumption of goods and services in both poorer and richer countries" (Westra and Werhane ed. 1998, 115). But still a problem arises. There will still be inequity in the growth of the more and less developed countries. It seems the richer get richer and the poorer get poorer. A consensus seems to be emerging though. They say that the needed consumption will work if there is a reduction in the material energy costs of goods and services. "
This paper explains how wildlife management and ecological restoration are thought to be the same concept, but their objectives and goals are often very different.
Abstract This paper uses the San Marcos Springs ecosystem and its endangered species as an example of how wildlife management and ecological restoration may seem to compliment each other but, actually they are seeking out different goals. It explains that in order to preserve the endangered native species, all of current species located in the ecosystem must be considered.
From the Paper "Wildlife conservation and management have been called the art and science of managing wildlife species, habitats, and ecosystems for long-term human benefit. The first system of wildlife conservation was an Eastern rather than a Western idea, developed by the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire (Smith 1976). Although the art of managing wildlife is centuries old, the science is relatively new and is becoming increasingly important all the time. However, science is only part of how we view and manage our wildlife resources. Social, cultural, political, and legal constraints and issues often have more to do with how wildlife resources are managed than pure science. Understanding these constraints and issues is fundamental to conservation and management. J. B. Kauffman (1997) stated that a successful ?conservation programme cannot be based on a preoccupation with saving the animal itself. Its total environment must be preserved.? This type of forward thinking helped change the idea of single species conservation and gave rise to the concept of restoration ecology."
Abstract The central claim of "deep ecology" is that we need to correct an anthropocentric bias in our attitudes to the nonhuman world, and in particular to extend moral concern across time and across species. This paper will examine the benefits and the shortcomings of anthropocentrism within the framework of 'deep ecology'. As well, this paper will attempt to demonstrate both the value and some of the limitations of this framework with respect to the problem of anthropocentrism.
This paper reviews and examines Donald Hughes' book "North American Indian Ecology" which focuses on a wide range of ecological and environmental issues faced by Native American Indians in the 20th century.
Abstract This paper explores and details North American Indian life and culture as portrayed in Donald Hughes' book "North American Indian Ecology." This paper discusses the land issues facing the North American Indian tribes including overgrazing, erosion and assessments of appropriate land usage. The writer of this paper finds Hughes' book to be straightforward and concise in clarifying the characteristics of Indian life such as hunting, food growing and rituals.
From the Paper "Tribes are having to mediate the disparate demands of their members and the industrial mindset of the BIA to balance forest use for economic need and preservation for cultural need. Tribes face many of the same problems as non-Native communities held hostage by the timber industry. Replanting has not always kept pace with harvesting on public or trust lands. The push to harvest old-growth timber is constrained by federal mandates to protect endangered species habitats, putting people out of work. Few local communities gain the "value-added" benefits of processing their own timber especially jobs and new businesses and when they do the environmental impact of mill sites has to be factored into any cost-benefit analysis."
Abstract In this essay, the writer looks at the matter of restoring the natural balance of the landscape. The writer discusses Robert Elliot's apparent distaste for ecological restoration in close detail throughout the first portion of this paper. This article explores the circumstances in which restoration may be considered benevolent, through careful examination of Elliot's philosophy and that of Murray Krieger. The writer concludes that in the case of restoring the natural balance of the land, one is not attempting to profit from the restoration or create a fake situation, but rather restore the original version to its original grace and glory so it can be better appreciated.
From the Paper "Robert Elliot in his work "Faking Nature" rejects the idea that restoration ecology is useful in many instances. Elliot asserts that attempting to restore the natural ecology of the land is nothing more than an attempt to forge that which was once natural and beneficial. In this light restoring the natural ecology of the land seems nothing more than an attempt to fake that which is natural, which in and of itself promotes no intrinsic value.
Further Elliot asserts that one can not reproduce the value that original ecosystems had to offer. The field of environmental ethics proposes that the natural value of nature should be preserved rather than the value of nature purely for human purposes including survival or consumption. Under this assumption nature isn't necessarily valued by humans desiring to create artificial landscapes purely for humanistic benefits."
Abstract This paper examines Julian Steward's theory of cultural change, which is also referred to as cultural ecology. This is the theory that environment and culture exist in a dialectical relationship, at least with regard to resource use and production. The paper provides an overview of the theory, examples of the theory at work, and concludes with a critique of the theory's weaknesses.
From the Paper "Perhaps it is no more than a biological necessity to find order in the world that drives the human mind to develop all manner of theories by which seemingly unrelated events can be explained. Perhaps the drive is more cultural in nature. However, if that were the case, then proponents of Julian Steward's theory of cultural ecology would no doubt attempt to explain the drive as the result of a complex interaction between cultural and environmental factors. Whatever the case on that score, it is nonetheless apparent that in all academic disciplines there is a push to develop theoretical-methodological approaches to study that can explain the nature of the discipline and also provide avenues for further research. The cultural ecological perspective is one such approach that attempts to explain the origin and development of cultural elements to interactions and adaptations..."
This paper compares Norwegian philosopher Arme Naess' ecology philosophy called "deep ecology" with Indian author Ramachandra Guha's ecological philosophy of "anthropocentrism".
Abstract This paper explains that Arme Naess' philosophy of "deep ecology" encourages respect for the environment, not because humans depend on nature, but because nature and its inhabitants have inherent value. The author points out that Ramachandra Guha's ecological philosophy of "anthropocentrism" declares that all environmental responsibility is derived from human interests alone, which challenges this "deep ecology" philosophy. The paper concludes that Ramachandra Guha, who alleges that "shallow ecology" is sufficient for providing a satisfactory ethic of obligation and concern for the non-human world, is not rational; rather the concept of "deep ecology" needs to be extended especially toward non-human individuals, wilderness areas and across time and species.
From the Paper "Assuming characteristically anthropocentric perspectives and values is a defect, we should, instead, assume a biocentric perspective. We should certainly abandon crude conceptions of human needs that equate them with the sort of needs that are satisfied by extravagant resource use. One of the problems with shallow ecology lies in anthropocentrism, specifically the fact that they are characteristically short-term, sectional, and self-regarding. Suppose that astronomers detect a modest asteroid on collision course with Earth. The impending collision would be perfectly natural. Such periodic disruptive events are natural, though they probably destroy most of the then extant large life forms. These times of renewal provide opportunities for smaller, flexible organisms to radiate opportunistically into vacated niches, and life goes on. There is little doubt that our demise would provide comparable opportunities for development that we currently prevent. Even then, we should step aside so that evolution can continue on its majestic course."
Abstract This paper explains that the spatial ecology theory asserts that criminal events are not randomly distributed. At every level of societal aggregation, some geographic areas record more or less crimes than others and that these crimes will have unique characteristics and features of particular to their specific location. The author relates the history, tradition and studies relating this theory to urban crime. The paper points out that the traditional spatial ecology theory emphasizes how changing ecological structures influence both stability and change in crime patterns over time and space; however, more contemporary spatial ecology theories account for temporal changes in the spatial patterning of crime and involve a wider range of concerns and quite different methodological and conceptual positions.
Table of Content:
Impact of the Chicago School on Contemporary Spatial Ecology Studies of Urban Crime
Contemporary Spatial Ecology Theories
From the Paper "The cartographic school and other subsequent studies located high crime rates in mostly slum environments, but subsequent studies show that high amounts of crimes cluster in geographic spaces and locations that are hardly slum, such as the central business districts and affluent areas and neighborhoods of cities. The work of the cartographers and statisticians appears to have received scant attention in the second half of the nineteenth century because of the emergence of the positive school whose ideas shifted emphasis on criminality from rationality and the environment to individual pathologies."
Tags: neighbourhood, social forces, chicago vulnerabilities place-centered
Abstract This paper will discuss the book "Confucianism and Ecology" by Mary Tucker and discuss the chapter: "The Trinity of Cosmology, Ecology, and Ethics in the Confucian Personhood and Motifs for a New Confucian Ecological Vision" to reveal the nature of Confucianism in the ethical premise of the cosmos in which it if discussed in ecology. By understanding these motifs for the environment, we can better understand a Chinese perspective on the way this philosophy works in a western thought process..
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that several distinct approaches can be distinguished in current-day sociobiology. Among them are evolutionary psychology and behavioral ecology. The writer explains that evolutionary psychology attempts to explain mental and psychological traits, such as memory, perception, or language, as adaptations, that is, as the functional products of natural selection. The writer then points out that behavioral ecology is the study of the ecological and evolutionary basis for animal behavior, and the roles of behavior in enabling an animal to adapt to its environment, both intrinsic and extrinsic. This essay examines the similarities and differences between evolutionary psychology and behavioral ecology. The writer concludes that evolutionary psychology and behavioral ecology share both similarities and differences and notes that these two theories are very important to anthropological research study.
From the Paper "They seek to explain human behavior in terms of Darwinian evolutionary theory. Both propose that differential reproductive success shapes the evolution of social behavior of all organisms, including humans. Both argue that because humans are biological organisms, they are subject to the same evolutionary laws as other life-forms. Given that there is a genetic component to behavior, those behavior patterns that improve an organism's adaptation to its environment will be selected for and reproduced in future generations. Both theories are very specifically concerned with Darwinian fitness. Both understand individual cultural traits to be evolving under the pressure of reproductive success: natural selection favors those behaviors that lead to greater numbers of offspring."
Abstract This paper examines and compares the basic elements, theories, and methods of cultural ecology and human behavioral ecology and discusses how the articles fit in their respective paradigms and within cultural ecology at large.
From the Paper "In any field of study, researchers operate under paradigms: often unnoticed scientific world-views that shape which data the researcher collects, how he/she collects it, and what conclusions he/she draws from that data. Two paradigms in the field of cultural ecology include classificatory cultural ecology, exemplified by Tappers and trappers: parallel process in acculturation (Murphy & Steward) and human behavioral ecology, as in Optimal diet breadth theory as a model to explain variability in Amazonian hunting (Hames and Vickers). Both of these articles study indigenous Amazonian populations, but each from a different paradigm and thus with different methods and results. Through a comparison of these two articles, this paper will explore the differences and similarities of these two paradigms and how the paradigms the researchers worked under shaped their studies."
Abstract This paper examines the social ecological approach and community intervention with regards to the baby boomer generation. The paper points out that the social ecological approach focuses on various factors, which may affect the health of the members of the baby boomer community. The paper also explores how this approach conoirms to the nursing process. It concludes that the social ecological model aptly illustrates how baby boomers are located in and affected by social, economic, and political systems, which determine their access to resources and their behavior that may be either conducive or detrimental to maintaining health.
Outline:
Introduction
The Social Ecological Model
Community Intervention
Social Structure, Policy, and Systems Spheres of Influence
Model Application to Nursing Process
Community-based Partnership
Conclusion
From the Paper "The ecological approach initially was designed during the 1920s and 1930s at the University of Chicago's sociology department to explain urban social change and especially changing rates of crime. Robert Park and Ernest Burgess originated the approach which was based upon the study of plant ecosystems since plants and animals exist in mutual harmony and in a state of interdependence. The social ecological approach was developed in the Laboratory of Social Ecology at Stanford University in 1984."
Abstract This paper looks at how political imperialism and capitalist forces are closely connected with ecological imperialism. In particular, the paper examines the theories of Alfred W. Crosby and Karl Marx on imperialism and looks at how they relate to ecological imperialism. The paper first discusses Crosby's thesis that imperialism did not only change the political and social structures of colonies but also affected their ecological systems. The paper then looks at Marx's arguments about the damage caused by capitalism. According to Marx, capitalism was a force that treated laborers as machines and did not give them the value they deserved. This degradation of work leads to degradation of environment and ecology.
From the Paper "Imperialism is a well-understood concept and the mere mention of the word generates extreme sentiments of resentment and bitterness against certain nations of the world. When imperialism in politics was destroying the colonies, there was another phenomenon at work, which had also been working hand in hand. It was called ecological imperialism where entire ecologies of colonies were changed because of imperial influences. Alfred W. Crosby first brought this forward in 1986 in his book Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900."
