Please respond to both of these:
1. Look at the list of ecosystem services on page 27. Does it seem reasonable to attribute an economic value to an ecosystem in that way? Why or why not? Does an ecosystem have an intrinsic or non-use value? How does this relate to John Muir and Gifford Pinchot?
2. Can economic growth be sustainable? Can any form of growth be sustainable? Why? (Take a position and defend it.) This is difficult and will be discussed further in our next class section in addition to this post.
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Question 1.
ReplyDeleteThe list of Ecosystem services listed does seem to be reasonable for how we should attribute economic value to our ecosystem.
I think that the list shows our impact in the ecosytem as a whole. I think that putting a sytem like this into place makes us more responsible for what we are using and how we plan to replace the resources that we are using.
I believe that the ecosystem is value-added because we rely on so many things for our own survival. I think that Pinchot was right on when he felt that we need to use what is available to us, but it has to be done responsibly and that is why setting up an economic value for the ecosystem is so important.
Question 2.
Economic growth can be sustainable in my opinion if there is commitment from enough people. If it is a way of life I think that yes, it can be sustainable.
I do not think that any form of growth can be sustainable. Eventually the resources will be gone because they are being used faster than they can be replaced.
Question 1 - Yes, it is reasonable to attribute an economic value to an ecosystem that way, because the list started with the biggest need to humanity. The ecosystem has an intrinsic value. It started with nature and we need to keep our natural resources available to us. This relates to both Muir and Pinchot.(more Pinchot) We are struggling to replentish nature, something mankind should have listened to a long time ago.Use only what we need. Replenish what we take.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2- Our way of life is learned. We can all learn to sustain. Muir and Pinchot knew this in the 1800's and industrial greed took over. Now we realize what Pinchot was saying had "sustainability." Pinchot said, " the greatest good of the greatest number in the long run." The greatest number of people now know or at least have heard of "going green" or "sustainability." Now we have to do the good.
Laurie Hoag
I do agree that our way of life is learned but unless a vast number of people are willing or even capable of sustaining what we have then eventually in future generations it will be gone. I do not believe that at this time enough people care about what can be done to save our ecosystem. Those that do not care make it an almost impossible task for those of us that do.
ReplyDelete1. Let me try this again. I had written an aboslutely mind boggling response to this question. Now that I'm signed in you are getting the short response. The ecosystems services theory and it's componets make all of us more aware of our environment. Some of these have real merit and others are based on flawed science. The $44 trillion value given to these systems includes a considerable amount of non-use value. Pinchot had views on this that are compatable with mine. In his book, "The Fight For Conservation", he wrote: The central thing for which Conservation stands is to make this country the best possible place to live in, both for us and for our descendants. This was the first sentence of chapter seven The Moral Issue. In the second paragraph he shares these thoughts:He recognizes the right of the present generation to use what it needs and all it needs of the natural resourses now available, but he recognizes equally our obligation so to use what we need that our descendants shall not be deprived of what they need.
ReplyDelete2.The socialist, facist and anti capitalism ideas expressed by the writers are un-American. I hope that our country will continue to develop the technology to grow our economy and improve on the standard of living around the globe.
ReplyDeleteThe current financial woes are not due to the depletion of our resourses, but the greed of money managers and high risk investments. Spreading the wealth and staying status-quo, sounds like the promise of "change' that Obama used to get elected.
I agree with you completely that our present generation has to use what it needs of the natural resources available to us. I think that we have to be responsible about our use of them as well. I think that Pinchot was a very wise man when he valued the resources enough to want a change in how they were being wasted. If he had not made the contributions that he did who knows what would be left of the forests. His efforts to eliminate the waste of trees was realistic. I believe that his philosophy of using Hetch-Hetchy to utilize the water available was also very realistic.
ReplyDelete1. Look at the list of ecosystem services on page 27. Does it seem reasonable to attribute an economic value to an ecosystem in that way? Why or why not? Does an ecosystem have an intrinsic or non-use value? How does this relate to John Muir and Gifford Pinchot?
ReplyDeleteIn everything we or say there is some sort of economic value. Trying to produce such an ecosystem will cost billions at the sametime I wouldn't think it would cost anymore than the stem cell research. What do we want do we want to live longer ourselves or do we want a better place for our grandchildren and great grandchildren to live.
Th ecosystem have an intrinsic value. John Muir and Gifford Pinchott knew that way back when people weren't all that concerned about the impact that the humans have on their environment.
2. Can economic growth be sustainable? Can any form of growth be sustainable? Why? (Take a position and defend it.) This is difficult and will be discussed further in our next class section in addition to this post.
I believe that economic growth can be sustainable as long as we are smart about it (which I highly doubt will happen in our lifetime). The problem we have is that people still worry way too much about the almighty dollar. These are the people that are in a persuasive position. If we had more people in the white house that actually was willing to try to get the greedy to people to invest in their children's children future who knows what will happen.
From Tarrah:
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1: I think that we can do a lot to help out our way of life. I think that a lot of the things that we do we and avoid. I think that everyone needs to work together. But it is hard for everyone to work together. But how many people are willing to try and help save our ecosystem? The List shows how huge of an impact we have on the world. So we think that we have to have this or that inorder to go on with life. But do we really? Do we have to have everything spoon fed to us? How did we used to do it before. I think that people need to just stop and slow down and think about what they are doing and think is this necessary or not?
Question 2: I think that everything that we do is learned. we can be stainable. It is us who has to do it. I think that people just take things for granted and just basicly we just need to think about the resources that we are using.
The general view and positions expressed so far are fairly close in outcomes. Sustainability and the conservation of our resourses are critical to continued economic growth. The beliefs of Adam Smith in that-the marketplace behaves as if guided by "an invisible hand" ensuring that their actions benefit society, hold true in the the worlds free enterprise community.
ReplyDeleteCap and tax legislation and government mandated milage standards will eventually kill the auto industry completely. Even the New Gm and chrysler that we own.
For the last couple of years I have have been recieving a daily newsletter from www.environmentalleader.com, there is a wealth of information related to our studies. Check it out, there is no charge for this news service.
Question 1: I do belive that this scale is appropriate because it is set up where the most important environmental factor is on top and so forth. I believe we need to set a dollar amount on these factors so that people can get an idea to how important they really are, if they see a dollar amount maybe they can "visualize" it differently than someone just telling them. This relates more to Pinchot because he was more about PLANNED use and renewal.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: I do not think that economic growth can be sustainable because of how fast it is growing, If we were able to slow down and take "baby" steps it might be easier or possible to keep up. Some think that technology is the answer I believe that technology is part of the answer, we still need global cooperation to reach our peak sustainability. Global cooperation? Is this possible? How long have we been fighting for world peace?
I do not believe that we have to right to take everything from nature and destroy everything in our path. But we are the only species that have the ability to and with the population we "need" the space and resources to survive. I do not believe that we should price a ecosystem in that way. Just because it is of value to us does not mean we should destroy somethings habitat when it's for something unimportant like the construction of a mini-mall or golf course. I agree with take what you need, replenish what you take. But do we really need so much?
ReplyDelete