Terms and Definitions Worksheet
Write brief descriptions for each of the following terms. If you use an outside source to define them, include an APA citation for the source.
|Scientific method |Appreciation, understanding, and use of natural phenomena. Evidence gathering, hypothesis formulation, testing, and verification. The process that |
| |scientists use to answer questions or solve problems by formulating a hypothesis and then testing it by means of an experiment. |
| | |
| |https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader.aspx?assetMetaId=568808a6-a4f4-4b79-ac9c-845c0188b75a&assetDataId=867d795d-4a38-466c-|
| |818a-d66039231ba0&assetpdfdataid=adc58c45-3399-478b-bdd0-2204a832a322. Ch1, Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability, (Raven, Berg, |
| |Hassenzahl, 2010). |
|Environmental science |The study of humanity’s relationship with other organisms and the nonliving physical environment. It encompasses the many interconnected issues |
| |involving human population, earth’s natural resources, and environmental pollution. It combines information from many disciplines, such as biology, |
| |geography, chemistry, geology, physics, economics, sociology, demography, cultural anthropology, natural resources management, agriculture, |
| |engineering, law, politics, and ethics. Ch1, Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability. |
| | |
| |https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader.aspx?assetMetaId=568808a6-a4f4-4b79-ac9c-845c0188b75a&assetDataId=867d795d-4a38-466c-|
| |818a-d66039231ba0&assetpdfdataid=adc58c45-3399-478b-bdd0-2204a832a322. Ch1, Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability, (Raven, Berg, |
| |Hassenzahl, 2010). |
|Anthropocentrism |Human-centered, maintain that the nonhuman natural world is best considered ethically in terms of its instrumental values to human beings. |
| |Anthropocentric do not suggest reckless exploitation of the environment and may instead maintain that natural resources should be very carefully |
| |managed for human benefit. (Raven, Berg, Hassenzahl, 2010). Pg.18 |
| | |
| |Regarding the human being as the central fact of the universe. Assuming human beings to be the final aim and end of the universe. viewing and |
| |interpreting everything in terms of human experience and values |
| |http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anthropocentric |
|Biocentrism |Biocentrism is a term that has several meanings but is commonly defined as the belief that all forms of life are equally valuable and humanity is not |
| |the center of existence. Biocentric positions generally advocate a focus on the well-being of all life in the consideration of ecological, political, |
| |and economic issues. |
| |http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Biocentrism |
|Dualism |any philosophical system that seeks to explain all phenomena in terms of two distinct and irreducible principles. It is opposed to monism and |
| |pluralism. In Plato's philosophy there is an ultimate dualism of being and becoming, of ideas and matter. Aristotle criticized Plato's doctrine of the |
| |transcendence of ideas, but he was unable to escape the dualism of form and matter, and in modern metaphysics this dualism has been a persistent |
| |concept |
| |http://www.reference.com/browse/Dualism?s=t The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004. |
| |Licensed from Columbia University Press |
|Ecocentrism |is a philosophy that recognizes that the ecosphere, rather than any individual organism, is the source and support of all life and as such advises a |
| |holistic and eco-centric approach to government, industry, and individual. http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Ecocentrism |
|Ecology |Ecology Is the study of the interactions among organisms and between organisms and their abiotic environment. The environment is that one’s house |
| |consisting of biotic (living) environment which includes all organisms and the abiotic (nonliving) physical surroundings which includes living space, |
| |temperature, sunlight, soil, wind, and precipitation. |
| | |
| |https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader.aspx?assetMetaId=568808a6-a4f4-4b79-ac9c-845c0188b75a&assetDataId=e50e251a-fbc7-48c0-|
| |8dbb-90037e1a072d&assetpdfdataid=5c5cd200-5c43-4cdd-9e55-008a6901d9cb Ch3, Ecosystem and Energy. (Raven, Berg, Hassenzahl, 2010). |
|Eco philosophy |The study of the interrelationship between an organism's physical functioning and its environment |
| |http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ecophysiology |
|Ethics |Appreciation and understanding of the influence of values and beliefs on human behavior. in philosophy, the study and evaluation of human conduct in |
| |the light of moral principles. Moral principles may be viewed either as the standard of conduct that individuals have constructed for themselves or as |
| |the body of obligations and duties that a particular society requires of its members. http://www.reference.com/browse/ethics?s=t |
|Hedonism |Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses. In Philosophy The ethical doctrine holding that only what is pleasant or|
| |has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good. In Psychology The doctrine holding that behavior is motivated by the desire for pleasure and the |
| |avoidance of pain. |
| |http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Hedonism |
|Holism | Is the idea that all the properties of a given system (biological, chemical, social, economic, mental, linguistic, etc.) cannot be determined or |
| |explained by its component parts alone. Instead, the system as a whole determines in an important way how the parts behave. |
| |http://www.reference.com/browse/Holism?s=t |
|Individualism |1. |
| |a. Belief in the primary importance of the individual and in the virtues of self-reliance and personal independence. b. Acts or an act based on this |
| |belief. |
| |2. |
| |a. A doctrine advocating freedom from government regulation in the pursuit of a person's economic goals. |
| |b. A doctrine holding that the interests of the individual should take precedence over the interests of the state or social group. |
| |3. |
| |a. The quality of being an individual; individuality. |
| |b. An individual characteristic; a quirk. |
| |http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Individualism |
|Materialism |Preoccupation with or emphasis on material objects, comforts, and considerations, with a disinterest in or rejection of spiritual, intellectual, or |
| |cultural values. The philosophical theory that regards matter and its motions as constituting the universe, and all phenomena, including those of mind,|
| |as due to material agencies. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/materialism |
|Metaphysical |Of or relating to metaphysics. 2. Based on speculative or abstract reasoning. 3. Highly abstract or theoretical; abstruse. 4. a. Immaterial; |
| |incorporeal. b. Supernatural |
| |http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Metaphysical |
|Minimalism |1. Music. a reductive style or school of modern music utilizing only simple sonorities, rhythms, and patterns, with minimal embellishment or |
| |orchestrational complexity, and characterized by protracted repetition of figurations, obsessive structural rigor, and often a pulsing, hypnotic |
| |effect. |
| |2. minimal art. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Metaphysical |
| | |
|Monism |1. The view in metaphysics that reality is a unified whole and that all existing things can be ascribed to or described by a single concept or system. |
| |2. The doctrine that mind and matter are formed from, or reducible to, the same ultimate substance or principle of being. |
| |http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Monism |
|Ethical extensionism |Ethical extensionism is an argument in environmental ethics that moral standing ought to be extended to things (animals, plants, species, the earth) |
| |that traditionally are not thought of as having moral standing. For example, while many cultures differ as to what, exactly, is "murder", all |
| |cultures... |
| |http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethical_extensionism |
|Pluralism |a theory that there is more than one basic substance or principle. Compare dualism ( def 2 ) , monism ( def 1a ) |
| |b.a theory that reality consists of two or more independent elements. |
| |http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pluralism |
|Naturalism |1. Factual or realistic representation, especially: |
| |a. The practice of describing precisely the actual circumstances of human life in literature. |
| |b. The practice of reproducing subjects as precisely as possible in the visual arts. |
| |2. a. A movement or school advocating such precise representation. b. The principles and methods of such a movement or of its adherents. |
| |3. Philosophy The system of thought holding that all phenomena can be explained in terms of natural causes and laws. |
| |4. Theology The doctrine that all religious truths are derived from nature and natural causes and not from revelation. |
| |5. Conduct or thought prompted by natural desires or instincts. |
| |http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Naturalism |
|Normative |1. implying, creating, or prescribing a norm or standard, as in language: normative grammar |
| |2. expressing value judgments or prescriptions as contrasted with stating facts: normative economics |
| |3. of, relating to, or based on norms |
| |http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Normative?s=t |
|Pragmatic |1. of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations. 2. Philosophy of or pertaining to pragmatism 3. of or pertaining to |
| |pragmatics. 4. Treating historical phenomena with special reference to their causes, antecedent conditions, and results. 5. of or pertaining to the |
| |affairs of state or community. |
| |http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Pragmatic?s=t |
|Relativism |A theory, especially in ethics or aesthetics, that conceptions of truth and moral values are not absolute but are relative to the persons or groups |
| |holding them. Common statements that might be considered relativistic include |
| |"That's true for you but not for me" |
| |"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" |
| |"You can't judge other cultures by the standards of your own" |
| |http://www.reference.com/browse/Relativism?s=t http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Relativism |
|Utilitarian |1. pertaining to or consisting in utility. |
| |2. having regard to utility or usefulness rather than beauty, ornamentation, etc. |
| |3. of, pertaining to, or adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism. |
| |4. an adherent of utilitarianism |
| |http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Utilitarian?s=t |
|Environmental justice |(EJ) is the confluence of social and environmental movements, which deals with the inequitable environmental burden born by groups such as racial |
| |minorities, women, or residents of developing nations. It is a holistic effort to analyze and overcome the power structures that have traditionally |
| |thwarted environmental reforms. Environmental justice proponents generally view the environment as encompassing "where we live, work, and play" |
| |(sometimes "pray" and "learn" are also included); the movement seeks to redress inequitable distributions of environmental burdens (pollution, |
| |industrial facilities, crime, etc.) and access to environmental goods (nutritious food, clean air & water, parks, recreation, health care, education, |
| |transportation, safe jobs, etc.) in a variety of situations. http://www.reference.com/browse/Environmental+justice?s=t |
|Fossil fuels |A hydrocarbon deposit, such as petroleum, coal, or natural gas, derived from living matter of a previous geologic time and used for fuel. |
| |http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Fossil+fuels |
|Renewable energy |is energy generated from natural resources—such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat—which are renewable (naturally replenished). |
| |Renewable energy technologies include solar power, wind power, hydroelectricity, micro hydro, biomass and biofuels. |
| |http://www.reference.com/browse/Renewable+energy?s=t |
|Environmental Schools of Thought | |
| |Write 350- to 700-words below in which you select two of the following environmental schools of thought found among the terms in the worksheet. The |
| |environmental schools of thought are: |
| |Anthropocentric |
| |Biocentric |
| |Deep ecology/ecocentric |
| |Explain how your chosen two schools of thought view a local environmental issue differently. Be sure to address any ethical concerns or controversies |
| |surrounding this environmental issue. |
|Your Response: |The anthropocentric school of thought holds that human life is more important than any other type of life form. It is a view through a human-centered|
| |perspective. This anthropocentric view will be applied to a local environmental issue through Anthropocentrism and biocentrism while addressing any |
| |ethical concerns or controversies surrounding the environmental issue. The state of Georgia is home to some of the most beautiful and historic parks |
| |and natural trails in the east coast. The environmental issues that we face in Georgia are the lack of funding to preserve these parks and trail. Since|
| |most of these parks and trails are privately owned, so it makes it much harder for local state and government officials to pass laws to protect them. |
| |These private lands with hundreds of acres are put up for sale, developers jump at the opportunity to purchase them for housing communities, strip |
| |malls, and other commercials opportunities. Individuals with anthropocentrism beliefs will argue that development of homes and commercial buildings is |
| |a must have for the comfort, protection, and preservation of humans from dangerous outside elements. Even though these developments isolate humans from|
| |things that we perceive as threats and are needed for survival, the ethical concerns are the control of air pollution (greenhouse gas, emissions) and |
| |added waste, the consumption of energy (air conditioning and heating), and restrictions on water usage. Now, the other part of the environmental |
| |schools of thought that deals with the issue of persevering Georgia’s natural parks and trails, is Biocentrism which argue that all other forms of |
| |life, living and non-living, should be protect and left untouched or it will have a long negative effect on the human race. If more and more land is |
| |cut down for development and human interest, then those fragmentations of habitat can have a negative impact other elements of the environment (plants |
| |and animals) in those affected areas because of the climate change. “The fundamental purpose of the parks is to conserve the scenery and the natural |
| |and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them |
| |unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations” (npca.org). |
| |http://www.gastateparks.org/item/6263 |
| |http://www.environmentgeorgia.org/programs/gae/preserving-georgias-trails |
| |http://www.npca.org/exploring-our-parks/about-the-national-parks.html |
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