Q1.

While such a new paint would have significant impact on the emissions of each car and house owners, this doesnt stop the production of cars, nor the construction of buildings. Both of these processes use finite resources and with a rapidly increasing demand that correlates to the growth in population. Some theorists such as P.R Ehrlich propose that population will regulate itself through starvation, and in his earlier work controversy proposed that richer countries allow third world developing nations to either adopt birth control themselves or face starvation. However, a significant amount of more people than was predicted by Ehrlich now live on this Planet and it appears that population is not the only issue. The distribution of wealth or resource consumption, essentially making central and periphery production zones, the former the Western nations, and the later the Third and Developing worlds. <Globalisation, world trade of goods, resources, technology and cultural exchange has shrunk the world scale > Would probably be bought up. However, some suggest that this might occur when we reach peak oiletc As most economists acknowledge that there is a scarcity of resources, such as oil, there is a theory in place called Hubberts theory of Peak oil. Suggested that upon the extracting the last oil from the Earth, humanity will turn to its alternatives for energy sourcing. This ideology could be seen as technologically deterministic, suggesting that our technological advancements will be the saving grace of our current actions, and in many ways embodies the entire human exemptionalist paradigm. Furthermore, while there might be a significant demand for such a product, this doesnt guarantee that it will be adopted. Due an unregulated marketplace that cannot conceive of the local environment as anything but an externality to trade, let the alone the biosphere, there would probably remain strong competition that would see a reduction in cost of other forms of car and building construction, therefore reducing the cost for the consumer. Such a design would indicate a significant and positive shift, but to roll out such a program would likely be inhinbited by those with vested interest. This was seen in the case of electric cars designs that were bought and destroyed by those with existing interests in current production, regardless of its environment impact. For such a project to take place, it would need to intersect with a shift from widespread privatised industries and private ownership. It would require both existing corporations to envisage their position under common ownership and relinquish what they hold to be their right to control a means of production due to their current power and wealth.

Q2. A critique that was levelled at is that ecological citizenship would only be adopted by those who are oppressed and those who are currently unequal (2006). This critique suggests that just because we may be causally related with the environment, the individual and the corporation wont necessary act in the interest of environment. This is a reasonable call, especially when might envisage those with power unwilling to relinquish it. Therefore, Dobson responds to this by highlighting that justice would be the currency that is traded, and that ecological citizenship simultaneously produced through the circumstances of scarcity and inequality. While environemental citizenship can be understood through the lens of rights and responsibilities for the individual, those that typify a liberal citizenship, and ecological citizen would have to reconceive themselves beyond the restrictions of nation states. Such an ecological citizenship acknowledges that the impact some have, i.e the richer nations, effects the poorer nations and the exploited, but might not have any apparent impact of the rich consumer. Therefore, not to fall towards authoritarian regulation, participation in a democratic process but with an emphasis towards justice and the virtue of reducing the foot print one leaves upon the ecology. With this in mind to implement such at the micro level of Swinburne University would be a challenging endeavour under current management. While each student would be self responsible for actively adjusting their behaviour and consumption. In many aspects, the administration would have to re-envisage their business model which incorporates spatial growth as an aspiration endeavour and redirect its focus from its current expansion and dependencies if they prove to be environmentally unsustainable. For example, aggressively marketing to overseas students and to open new positions would be seen as a positive in the fiscal growth for Swinburne, as has been carried out in recent years. However, the construction of new buildings that require finite resources, buildings that require further electrical connections and similar services place further straight on our ecosystems, local and globally. Furthermore, such rigorous overseas recruitment, understood as a key funding source for universities in Australia encourages a significant amount of frequent International travel, which subsequently impacts the environment. Therefore, if the university is dependent on such expansion, as an Ecological citizen, it would have to envisage its operation scheme; and perhaps its purpose. Furthermore, the students, equal in the pursuit for Ecological and social justice would have to examine their consumption practices and potentially their career pursuits. As an ecological citizen, where virtue would be strived for, on par with the currently endeavour we see for individual gain, students would actively investigate the sustainability and potentiality of their area of study, e.g. Engineering, to examine in such an industry supports ecological justice, or simply instrumentalizes nature for its production. If theres time: What may occur however in such an Ecological Citizenship is that while behaviour or activity that impacts nature becomes stigmatized, individuals who have not internalized the purpose and values of ones Ecological

Citizenship may create what E.Goffman described as a Front and Back stage in his Social Interactionism theory of Dramaturgy (1984). In this work, we see that individuals manage their presentation of their self as an ideal to society as their front, while readjusting themselves backstage, and in many ways potentially deceiving others. In this circumstance of an Ecological Citizenship it may be a social norm to recycle all produce and consume nothing that is detrimental to the environment, yet ecologically damaging consumption within ones backstage.

Q3. In all practicality, to suggest that one lives within the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) would propose that one has complete liberty and the right to live in and of themselves. Almost every action, and often non-action that we make as humans living within a First World economy has a direct impact upon the consumption of finite resources and contributes to the increase of Global Warming and associated Environmental crisis. The NEP conceives of humans as interdependent with the environment they emerge from. In a similar light to complexity and emergence theories proposed by Biochemists such as Brian Goodwin and Mae Wan-Ho, life is interdependent and co-arising, life that includes humans, animals, flora, fauna and the biosphere that is self-regulating. In a similar fashion, proponents of the NEP perceive culture and society as emergent from the complexity of cooperating organisms in nature. The theorists that originally coined the term in the 1970s highlighted that nature was only really seen as instrumental and talked of in terms of labour. The NEP was a critique of the Human Exemptionalist Paradigm. Perhaps best understood as a social theory that holds culture as transcendent over the environment, in control of their own fate per say. As wonderful as this position appears, and even though its origins were used to critique biological or genetic racism, this position dualizes man and nature in such a way that it potentially disembodies humanity. Such a disembodied can be seen as a continuity of Western philosophical dualism in which man is higher than the lowly forest from which he arose, notable in the works of 18th century Italian theorist G.Vicos New Science. The HEP position arguably justifies the instrumentalisation of nature for human purpose. In relation to my own life choices, while I have been vegetarian for many years, something that can significantly reduce my environmental footprint, I also believe I act in hypocrisy for continuing to consume dairy (sold in plastics) which contributes to both the domination of cattle, ultimately feeds towards the meat industry and excessive waste. I actively attempt to reconceived myself beyond any form of anthropocentrism. This however is challenging when the social environment in which we live, a privileged Western country is based around a genealogy of thought that holds human life not necessary as the highest but rightfully dominant.

Q4. The current aspiration of economics is growth and progress. This is not only been a long term aspiration, but is currently seen as necessary to sustain an increase in population and demand for jobs. Economic growth is conceived through Neoclassical economics as an increase of trade and supposedly wealth, measured as GDP, Gross Domestic Product. While it may be seem as an acceptable ambition that is mutually beneficial, as is often presented in relation to unregulated trade, it must be noted that the environment does not factor into this theory but is rather seen as an externality or sidelined concern for economics. With the ecology holding no place within the scheme of trade except as material, there isnt even the potential for understanding the dependencies of the environment that such social phenomena such as trade occurs. In words of K. Townsend, exponential economic growth is incompatible with survival in a biosphere. This Treadmill of consumption, that activity can only increase as demand and of course, population increase, it becomes quite evident that if there is a correlation between increased economic trade or growth and the destruction or consumption of the environment then the Neoliberal model of economics in which we operate must change. Due to this treadmill effect, the only remaining option is interplanetary migration and resource hunting, which in turns means a further consumption of finite goods.

Q5. As one of the more recent social movements to arise from the 20th century, two leading Environmental groups have become quite well known, the often controversial and newspaper headline grabbing Sea Sheperd and to contrast, the NGO Rainforest Alliance. The former is a breakaway from the environmental movement Greenpeace, in an attempt to take more aggressive and direct action against the systematic harvesting of marine life and whaling by corporations. Adopting a deep ecological framework. This proposes that all life has intrinsic value as it is codependent with a self-regulating biosphere. This position dethrones mankind of the right to bestow of value upon nature and sees all life as meaningful, rather than instrumental to human use. This implies that overfishing and hunting marine life such as whales to feed a demand for its flesh, a demand that is not a necessity goes in direct conflict with a deep ecological view point. The Sea Shepherd conservation society holds that direct action, or even sabotage of commercial shipping vessels. Such actions suggest that human life is not substantially more important than animal or non-human life according to this position, one that is often vilified as a radical and dangerous movement. According to the U.S government, Sea Shepherd may even fall under the Ecoterrorist category according for their direct-action approach. The second movement is that of Rainforest Alliance. A Non-GovernmentOrganization that attempts to shift practices of land-owners worldwide towards sustainable ones, and to protect biodiversity in such areas. Mostly operating in

third-world and developing countries, they are well recognized for their attempts to establish proper workers rights and wagers for coffee plantations and to offset all carbon emissions for their activities. Unlike many other forestry areas and plantations in South American and its localities, they aspire to ensure that there is no underpaid workers and that the practices are as sustainable as possible. However, akin to the Fair Trade logo, the Rainforest Alliances tick of approval has been critiqued as being to easy to secure and does not necessarily guarantee fair trade. Furthermore, it has been accused of continuing to operate with the framework of the current institutionalized economic framework, which some radicals may claim to be the heart of the crisis.

Environmental Sociology Exam: Q6. Gender While it is often held to be a physical problem, with language around environmental destruction and global warming utilizing the likes of scientific, chemical and geographical language, such causes are associated with human activity. Therefore, as a manmade problem, such phenomena is situated within the social. In majority of social structures, the socialization of gender is a key element to the behaviour and interaction one has with ones environ. An example can be found within the problem of deforestation. Within African, South American and more mountainous areas of Asia such as the Himalayan region, it has been noted that women are more likely to be engaging in work that is within a forested area. This is noted to be a result from gendered work roles. This may include gathering or grazing for supplementary food sources, gathering water and other necessities. They therefore have a more intimate knowledge of the cycles of the environment. On the other hand the menfolk of the villages have adopted small amounts of trade with external groups, engaging is business trade. The men gain insight into the systems of trade yet become disengaged from the process and relation with the forest. The womenfolk of many of these villages either do not have a voice or say within their community decisions or are afraid of making their opinion heard. When the opportunity to increase financial or infrastructure within the village occurs from external interests at the cost the forest, it has often been the male villagers who have supported such progress as they have come to understand notions of trade, and have been influenced by globalisation. The women who collect water and perform more basic survival tasks with no formal employment in their village have historically protested, as seen in North India against deforestation and logging. Already having to search for water sources, with the destruction of a forest, they know that they will have to work hard and walk longer for water and food sources. It may be suggested that the women remain embodied with their environment while the men are disembodied from such a relation. As deforestation is detrimental to both the macro and micro environment, the local cycles and the wider biosphere, it becomes essential for the position and power of women to become prominent. With such a widespread movement to

clear and deforest ancient growth forest areas that are quintessential to global balance and health, a movement that could be argued to be masculine, allowing women to empower themselves through education may be one of the most essential ways to reshape our priorities, both in rural village areas and in the global economic sense.