January 15, 2008 by John Morelli | Filed under: Overview,Standards of Competence

Welcome to the discussion!

Researchers working on this important subtopic include:

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Listed below are the various postings from the research team. Some will be abstracts of and links to relevant literature. Others will be original work posted here for comments, criticisms, suggestions, questions, etc. from professional environmental managers who visit this site.

If you are interested in participating on this professional research team, or learning more about it, please contact us by clicking here.

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December 19, 2007 by amathew , amathew , Brian Butler , John Morelli and John Morelli | Filed under: Codes of Practice,Competencies of the Environmental Manager [2, 3, 4],Literature Review,RESEARCH CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CREDENTIALING,Standards of Competence

The article begins by examining the relationship between human beings and the biosphere, and raises the argument that every person on earth should be entitle to the same right to enjoy the benefits of this planet, and this idea also extends to future generations.  This idea is the basis for sustainability:  the right for present and future generations to utilize the earth’s resources.  The authors then discuss the impact that current economic and political practices have on the success of sustainability:  over-consumption of resources does not support sustainability.  The authors also posit that the value we place on the environment is a key factor in the overall success of sustainability and that ethics plays a role in the value we place on nature:  if the only concern of a society is the economic value of the environment, sustainability will not be achieved.   The authors determine that the idea of Environmental Ethics arose from the framework of the rights and duties between humans and other living and non-living creatures.  The article concludes with the idea that the future of the planet depends on the values (both economic and social) that humans place on resources, and that our ethical viewpoint is the driving factor in the success of sustainability.

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December 19, 2007 by amathew , John Morelli , amathew , Brian Butler | Filed under: Codes of Practice,Literature Review,Standards of Competence

The article begins by examining the current state of western economics (capitalism) and how this system attributes to environmental degradation (increased consumption and production, increases waste).  The article also discusses how globalization adds to environmental degradation as it encourages the concentration on income, and widens social inequality, and makes the natural environment unsustainable.  The authors surmise that the current ethics and values of the western model are incompatible with the sustainability of the environment. Also discussed is the notion that the definition of sustainability must incorporate social, economic and ecological considerations.  The overall focus of the article then shifts toward the idea that ethics, when applied to environmental concerns and practices, is a major factor in achieving sustainability.  The authors examine the idea of difference between social norms when comparing different cultures, and how these differences, when applied to environmental concerns, create incongruence.  Anthropocentrism is also discussed, and how this concept creates arrogance in the human race, especially toward the environment.  The authors conclude that ethics is the essence of sustainability and human attitudes in regard to resources and the environment must shift toward a more conscientious state in order to be a sustainable culture.

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December 19, 2007 by amathew , amathew , Brian Butler | Filed under: Codes of Practice,Environmental Valuation and Accounting [1],Literature Review,Standards of Competence

The article begins by stating that the field of environmental management necessitates various tools and that as relationships are found between these tools, more specific and wider models can be developed to provide integrated solutions to environmental problems.  The authors makes the claim that, while most environmental managers use their values as a starting point when making decision, values and ethics can be incorporated into the process throughout.  The article goes on to explain that there have been many attempts to incorporate environmental ethics into the economic and policy decision-making process and the authors propose a model that will further help those attempts.  The model is called The Concentric Spheres Model and consists of a Technical sphere; that lies within an Economic sphere; that lies within a Political sphere; that lies within an Ethical sphere; that lies within a Philosophical sphere; that lies within an Ontology sphere.  The model can be used beginning from the outside spheres or from the inside spheres.  The authors conclude that “every decision-making level, or sphere, includes and defines the framework of the process of the interior spheres, lacking themselves all the tools required to solve the environmental conflict if they are not already settled. The decision-maker must look to the superior spheres to solve a problem when uncompromising conflicts appear at one stage.”  Essentially, when a decision is being made, the use of the model enables the decision makers to move through each sphere of concern until a final decision can be made that satisfies all of the components.

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