Green Economics
2nd Quote: The Precautionary Principle
13
The 1990 intergovernmental conference on the environment in Bergen, Norway, articulated this political principle in environmental management:
Policies must be based on the precautionary principle. Environmental measures must anticipate, prevent, and attack the causes of environmental degradation. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation.
Bergen Ministerial Declaration
3rd Quote: David Cayley14
We live at an apocalyptic moment, a moment when the fate of our civilization is revealed, and fundamental choices are posed.
4th Quote: Chief Seattle of the Duwamish Tribe 185515
What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth . . . If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves . . . Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.
Class Discussion on Journals and Quotations
Some possible questions for starting a discussion on student journals would be: Considering lights, TV and other electrical appliance, how careful are you to not waste energy? Explain. Considering packaging, quality, all factors, how would you rate yourself on food? Explain.
Are you careful with the use of water? Explain. What are your strongest environmental areas? Where are your weakest?
For starting a discussion on quotations the format might be to ask different students to read or state their understanding of what was being said in a particular quotation (first required paragraph) and then ask students to read their views of the area under consideration (second required paragraph).
To develop background for this activity,
The Age of Ecology
by David Cayley could be helpful. Between 1986 and 1990, Cayley interviewed many of the world’s leading thinkers and activists on the CBC Radio show
Ideas
. Quoting from the book’s back cover, “This book offers a wide range of challenging ideas drawn from all parts of the globe on the most important questions facing humanity today.” This is an accurate description of
The Age of Ecology
.
Any or all of the books mentioned earlier in the unit would also be helpful, but
Green Economics
might be the best of those for this task because of its humane and global perspective.
Personal Environmental Philosophies
These should be one page statements that legibly and coherently state the students position on her or his environmental responsibility. If a student says, “I’m an unconcerned citizen,” as a student once said to me, then that is the position to be explained.
Completed Unit
Students are to hand in all the completed mini-studies, one page class summaries, product evaluation sheets, graphs, water problem worksheet, journal sheets, quotation worksheets, and their one page environmental responsibility statement. These need to be put order and a cover with an appropriate drawing or illustration included.