Environmental Systems and Societies: Foundations

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Environmental Value System (EVS)

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A particular worldview or set of paradigms which shapes the way an individual or group of people perceive and evaluate environmental issues, influenced by cultural, religious, economic, and socio-political contexts.

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Technocentric

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A worldview that sees technological development as the key to solving environmental problems and improving living standards, often valuing human ingenuity over nature.

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Anthropocentric

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A human-centered approach to environmental issues where human needs and interests are considered the most important.

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Ecocentric

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An earth-centered approach which places intrinsic value on all living organisms and their natural environment, regardless of their perceived usefulness to humans.

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Environmentalism

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A broad philosophy and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment.

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Greenhouse Effect

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The warming of the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere caused by the presence of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, which trap heat radiating from the Earth's surface.

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Intrinsic Value

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The value attributed to something in and of itself, independent of its usefulness to humans.

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Sustainability

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The ability to maintain ecological processes, functions, biodiversity, and productivity over time.

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Biodiversity

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The variety of life in all its forms and levels of organization, including genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.

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Simpson Index

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A measure of diversity which considers the number of species present, as well as the abundance of each species.