Environmental Justice & Ethics

**New this summer, Environmental Ethics summer camp style sessions! - 8 sessions over 4 weeks**

Environmental Ethics is the philosophy of understanding how humans relate to and perceive the natural world. This branch of ethics asks us to consider the inherent and perceived value of nature, and how we should govern our relation to that which is beyond our speices. Each of us will come to define our own ethic through the course of our lives. This course aims to provide tools for developing an ethic, and a forum for discussion around modern ethics as they relate to present environmental issues.

In this 8 meeting course students will gain the understanding necessary to form independent and informed ethical positions on current environmental issues. They'll have a chance each week to discuss, debate, and meet the challenges of where ethical rubber meets the road. 

Through the consideration of case studies, we will encounter and work through the many quagmires faced when making choices about resources, conservation, and the demand society places on the natural world. We'll discuss the historical context and the moral thought behind major choices in environmental history. Students will gain perspective on the ethical decisions that lead to the creation of national parks, and the construction of fossil fuel pipelines. All the while learners will be guided in the process of forming their own opinions in a safe and welcoming space.

Week 1: Understanding Ethics: History of Modern Environmental Ethics & Environmental Justice
 From Plato to Greta Thunberg, we'll move through histories most prominent disruptors of the status quo in environmental ethics. We'll also explore concepts in social justice as related to the environment

Week 2: Anthropocentrism: It's All About Us
Are humans more important than cockroaches? Maybe, or maybe it's just our world view; anthropocentrism.

Week 3: Land Ethics & The American Move West
Examining Manifest Destiny and modern conservation we'll discuss how our relation to the land is defined by our perspective of its value and prospect

Week 4: Endangered and All the Rest: Humans and Wildlife
Further exploring the valuation of life, we look at the way humans treat different species of animals, and the factors that influence decisions about what should be protected, and what's for dinner

Week 5: Then vs Now: Ethics in Restoration and Rehabilitation
Determining when and how to 'restore' land to its 'natural' state is a dizzying process. In this session, we'll look at the options humans have, and do our best to make sense of restoration policies around the globe

Week 6: First Nations & Zen Teachings on Nature
By understanding the teaching of the indigenous populations around the globe, we can gain great insight into the wisdoms of people who have lived in direct relation to the land. We'll also explore Japanese Zen Buddhist teachings on nature and the lens of the Tao.

Week 7: Rights: Of Land and Nature
Does a tree have rights? What about a river or stream? We'll observe different approaches to the rights of land and nature, and explore concepts of rights and entitlement. 

Week 8: What Do We Do with an Ethic?
Our course ends with a discussion in applied ethics. Students will look at a handful of ways to apply and expand their newly found ethical considerations.

The class is presented in a lecture discussion format. Students are encouraged to participate. The class will be guided by the teacher's media rich presentations. Each weeks class will be preceded by a reflection prompt. The prompt will guide students through the consideration of key elements to our class discussion, and offers a chance for self reflection. The beginning of each class (week 2-8) will be a 10-15 minute discussion of the previous weeks prompt.

This is a class for growing an understanding of ethics, through the lens of the environment. Our class will be a safe space for students to explore their own moral compass in relation to the environment. Elements of social justice/environmental justice will be a feature throughout the course.