Event Highlights: The Global Environmental Crisis
On Friday, February 13th, the Center for the Study of Europe hosted Dr. Katia Vladimirova to speak on the issue of morals and responsibility regarding environmental conservation. Dr. Vladimirova worked for the United Nations Secretariat in a division focusing on sustainable development, and is currently working with UNESCO to produce educational measures for sustainable development. She is also writing a book with the same topic as her graduate thesis: the role of morality in addressing climate change for individuals and cultures.
The discussion following her presentation was moderated by Pardee School professor Henrik Selin, who has written multiple books on the role of government in addressing the environmental crisis, and is a core faculty member of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies.
The full presentation is available here:
Dr. Vladimirova began her talk by addressing an often-asked question: “what can I really do?” Indeed, the role of the individual in combating climate change can often seem negligible. Small measures like unplugging chargers, buying a car with better gas mileage, and avoiding disposable water bottles can seem insignificant when considered in the greater context of climate change. And even in the case that individuals do perform these actions, it can be easy to become discouraged when their neighbors around them do not.
In looking to understand the role of the individual here, Dr. Vladimirova had to expand from her background in political science and theory, delving into the fields of philosophy and sociology. She was looking to understand not just the impact individuals can have on the number of molecules in the atmosphere and the emissions per capita, but the moral obligation- or lack thereof- to act.
What she found is that moral corruption, and systems of values, can explain a lot.
Moral corruption is a subtle force, as subtle as not recycling because all the other neighbors do not. On a small scale this can seem unimportant, but when it spreads it can result in entire communities not acting. The way to approach this issue, Vladimirova argued, is by appealing to values.
Regarding climate change, she found that by simplifying value systems into three fields (egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric), there was a clear distinction in which types of people were concerned with environmental conservation and sustainable development. Altruistic individuals- those whose orientation focuses on other humans- and biospheric individuals- whose value orientations focus on other humans, animals, plants, and the planet at large- were significantly more likely to express concern for climate change and have a history of action regarding conservation.
Vladimirova argues that to change the way humans interact with climate change, there must be a change in values. A shift in both individual and collective value orientations may be a tall order, but is one that she believes will have clear, real effects. The ways to achieve this are less clear. In adjusting individual values, the three most important factors are self reflection, deliberation with others (especially role models), and personal experience. For example, an individual who survived Hurricane Katrina has direct experience with a climate change-induced natural disaster, and will be more likely to support conservation programs. When it comes to groups, over time communities often come to share values on ecological sustainability. These values can be affected by political factors, economic factors, legal efforts, and the environment itself. Measures like carbon taxes, monitoring incentives, and changing legal frameworks have shown impacts in these areas.
Still, moving forward and actively engaging with these values presents a massive challenge. Vladimirova suggested a few potential actions. Firstly, she sees it as important to build a strong moral case for individual actions, and encouraging further development of moral theories. Second, she identified the gaps in dominant value systems to create a clear goal of what needs to change. Consumerism, lack of the concept of individual responsibility, and an underdeveloped sense of concern for the prosperity of future generations especially concerned her. Finally, she called for a greater emphasis on the actors that can be involved in this necessary shift of values: individuals, NGOs, civil society groups, governments, international actors, and the private sector. By leading with examples of green technology, a legal framework to support sustainable development, and concern for the environment in everyday life, these actors can enact change.
She emphasized, however, that each of these actors boil down to individuals. While there are major value shifts that must be accomplished, they cannot succeed without individuals. The moral responsibility may seem distant at times, but Dr. Vladimirova argued that it is very much real.
Fielding questions from the audience, Dr. Vladimirova addressed questions on the formation of morality, the specific potential of our generation, cultural and development differences affecting appropriate policies, and more.
-Kaitlyn Perreault, ’18