On the Nature of Things & Environmental Decision

ON THE NATURE OF THINGS & ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION-MAKING by Vitor Machado Lira A practicum submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Natural Resources and Environment) at the University of Michigan April 2015 Faculty advisors: Dr. Allen Burton Dr. Arun Agrawal Dr. Joe Arvai Abstract This project compiles knowledge from personal eXperiences and reflections, and graduate level coursework and research at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment, and it encompasses a) influential fields of study that shape decision-making in relationship to the environment: environmental conservation, environmental governance and corporate sustainability; and b) cases and eXamples that nudge human awareness, education and behavior in the direction of environmentally-conscious lifestyles through environmental citizenship. Conducted alongside experienced professionals and professors, this work gathers insights on past, current and potential scenarios for human agency, belief, and comprehension of the environment. Its main goals are to inform and push the reader to think deeply about and act on environmentally sensitive matters through personable and pragmatic eXamples of work done in the United States and abroad. Therefore, I will be ‘bringing home’ the seriousness and the realities of climate change to enable people to grasp the dimensions of past and potential contributions, both positive and negative, to this worldwide phenomenon via the content of this practicum. In the face of the alarming threat of anthropogenic climate change and the lack of philosophical inquiry of men’s ventures and reasoning, I was spurred to produce this piece so that readers could be enlightened on part of the intricate causal web that eXists between human agency and environmental phenomena. My expectation is that through the lenses of veteran decision-makers, negotiators, researchers, and vivid, relatable eXamples readers will be moved to engage in new efforts to change individual and communal behaviors that are environmentally predatory. ii Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people for their contributions to this project: Elaine Dorward-King (Vice-President of Sustainability and External Relations, Newmont Mining CP), Kyle Powys Whyte (Associate Professor at the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Food, Ethics and Sustainability, Michigan State University), Rosina Bierbaum (Professor at the University of Michigan, Chair of the Global Environment Facility’s Science and Technical Advisory Panel and an Advisor to President Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology), Paul Thompson (Associate Professor at the Department of Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Food, Ethics and Sustainability, Michigan State University), Terry Nelidov (Director at the University of Michigan Erb Institute), Fouad Khan (Research Fellow at the Luc Hoffman Institute affiliated with the World Wildlife Fund), Henry Kelly (Senior Advisor to the Director at EPSA and former Principal Deputy Director at the U.S. Department of Energy), Rich Oppenlander (Author of ‘Food Choice and Sustainability’ and ‘Comfortably Unaware’), Lana Pollack (Chair of the U.S. Section at the International Joint Commission), Jon Allan (Director at the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes), Dave Simon (Author of ‘Meatonomics’) and Claudio de Moura Castro (Former Senior Economist of Human Resources at the World Bank and current Director of Teaching and Innovation at EduQualis). This work would not have been possible were it not for their willingness to set aside time and share their inspirations, insights, struggles and pursuits in their journeys to tackle some of the most pressing challenges related to the wellbeing of our environment and our species. I would like to show my gratitude to my project advisors at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment: professors Allen Burton, Arun Agrawal and Joe Arvai. Their eXpertise and guidance facilitated many of the conversations and topics this project captures, and inspired my future pursuits. I would also like to thank professor Andy Hoffman and John Ehrenfeld for inspiring this work through their book “Flourishing: a Frank Conversation About Sustainability”. Their thoughtful exchange in said piece shaped the framework of this project and I will be honored if my final product shows a tenth of the quality present in theirs. Lastly, I would like to thank my loved ones who have made my journey possible. From family, to friends, to mentors and peers, my successes have very much been a product of their support and my individual efforts, and I will be always grateful for their influence in this and other ambitions. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Acknowledgements p. iv 2. Introduction p. vii 3. Chapter One – Environmental Conservation p. 11 I. Chatting with Allen Burton about environmental toXicology p. 12 II. An unfortunately brief yet incredibly rich call with Elaine Dorward-King p. 18 III. Paddling through metaphorical streams with Jon Allan p. 20 IV. An opportunistic sit-down with Bilal Butt (between research trips to Eastern Africa) p. 25 4. Chapter Two – Environmental Governance p. 33 I. Rosina Bierbaum’s take on environmental science and policy p. 34 II. Talking energy efficiency – from refrigerators to secret weapons - with Henry Kelly p. 39 III. An inflammatory dialogue about ‘sustainable’ cities with Fouad Khan p. 48 IV. A robust conversation on political interests, environmental values, religious beliefs and leadership with Lana Pollack p. 54 5. Chapter Three – Corporate Sustainability p. 65 I. Arun Agrawal’s stance on environmental governance and sustainable development p. 66 II. A conversation about food systems with Paul Thompson p. 72 III. A quick eXchange on international development with Terry Nelidov p. 78 IV. Corresponding with Claudio de Moura Castro on the role of education and economics in environmental issues p. 82 iv 6. Chapter Four – Environmental Citizenship p. 86 I. Sorting through the way we make decisions with Joe Arvai p. 87 II. Kyle Powys Whyte and a powerful eXchange on environmental justice p. 95 III. Another conversation about food systems – unsustainable food systems – with David Robinson Simon and Richard Oppenlander p. 104 7. Chapter Five – The Power of One p. 108 The Parable of the Water Bottle p. 117 8. Conclusions p. 119 9. References p. 122 v Introduction We the people have, at last, reached the point where we live in an era of accountability, an era where the end of the colonial mindset of growth is within our grasp. ‘At last’ because, for those who comprehend the finite nature of our world and are able to see the historical purge of nature and native peoples by the hands of visionary men as they are, this shift in mindset is a light at the end of the tunnel for human decency. The distant lands and foreign peoples are no longer in need of ‘civilizing’, or evangelizing, or eradicating, the 'us vs. them' premise of world conquest has run out of room to proliferate. Albeit those devoted to the colonial model or the industrial model might perceive this light not as a freedom from their dark past and present but as a train coming full speed in their direction, those who see less environmentally harmful and vicious ways of being, individually and jointly, have the opportunity to truly foster what some have called 'sustainable societies'. Now more than ever before, in any moment in history, the eXponential eXpansion of human ventures and eXtraction of resources by our overdeveloped species faces the insurmountable obstacles of natural limits and human rights vindications. Pleasantly however, the conceptualization of ‘development’ and, most importantly, the inquiry of its meaning is finally shifting gears away from the escapist desire of people to relocate and rip rewards out of exotic adventures and sites. Instead, ‘development’ is headed towards the betterment of local conditions, taking the burdens of change and unsustainable development into consideration for future generations. Yet, by no means the overthrowing of the current establishment, the kingdom of economic growth, will come overnight. The road to sustainability is one that fundamentally challenges and changes what it means to be ‘well off’. There is no secret remedy or a one size fits all answer for the cultural, environmental, economic, political and social imbalances of society, besides one that originates in a new purpose for human endeavors. Moreover, the almighty technology, which many hail as the holy remedy to men's ills, will also crumble in the face of our inner tendencies to exploit and endlessly want more. As Douglas Rushkoff, author of ‘Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus: How Growth Became the Enemy of Prosperity’, puts it in his recent interview with the BBC Business Daily podcast: "it is not a matter of lamenting the facts of global capitalism, it is about lamenting the movement from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age where we use new tools to merely eXacerbate the worst problems of industrial capitalism. The growth paradigm of industrial capitalism is no longer working for many companies vi and certainly not fit to the planets constraints. It is up to us to choose a more distributed digital economy. Either the boom-and-bust pyramid we are still building will have such a big bust that we need to rely on more disturb urged mechanisms to just survive or, we will be able to, in essence, see the light and slowly transition our economy toward something where land and labor are respected as much as the capital that is going into production." Very much an adaptation of the Rohyt Belani’s approach to the issue of cyber crime, this project draws a similar line of reasoning to environmental issues and many more. Belani, founder and Chief EXecutive Officer at PhishMe, asserts in his article ‘The Danger of Sensationalizing Phishing Statistics’ that while the focus in cyber security is in building technology to address cyber attacks, what grabs people and causes havoc around worldwide online security is the lack of focus on the human element.

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