Has Science Helped or Hurt the Environment?

Wessles, T. 2006. Introduction. The Myth of Progress: Toward a Sustainable Future. Burlington, University of Vermont Press.

What does the author argue is the problem?

Wessels argues that we as a species tend to view progress as something linear in terms of consistent improvement despite the fact there is abundant evidence our actions are generating social injustice and harming the planet (Wessels 2006: xx).

How does the author give evidence to support their argument that a problem exists?

Wessels cites evidence of environmental degradation, health inequalities and escalating rates of lifestyle-related diseases like obesity and depression, and the growing wage gap between rich and poor (Wessels 2006: xxii).

What does the author argue is the solution?

Wessels argues that we must re-think and re-frame the paradigm for what constitutes 'success' and 'improvement' of the human condition.

How does the author give evidence to support the solution?

Wessels notes a lack of a link between happiness and improvements generated by technology, citing the Amish who have lower rates of depression than individuals who participate in the modern, consumption, driven lifestyle.

Based on your reading of Wessels Introduction what does the acronym "GDP" stand for and, in your own words, describe GDP.

Gross Domestic Product is the sum total of all the goods and services produced in a nation.

Based on your reading of Wessels Introduction define the term "paradigm."

A paradigm is a lens through which we see the world or a theory of knowledge.

Wessles, T. 2006. Chapter 1, Myth of Control: Complex vs. Linear Systems. The Myth of Progress: Toward a Sustainable Future. Burlington, University of Vermont Press.

What does the author argue is the problem?

Wessels argues in this chapter that the way in which Western civilization has traditionally viewed the environment is fundamentally 'broken' and has led to our current environmental crisis. He criticizes what he sees as the myth of Western civilization: the metaphor of nature as a mechanical system which can be easily fixed by repairing a cog of a wheel. Nature is more nuanced and complex: organic systems are continually in dialogue, and everything affects everything else simultaneously.

How does the author support their argument that a problem exists?

Wessels examines what he regards as the faulty view of the environment through philosophers such as Rene Descartes' writings to the present.

What does the author argue is the solution?

The solution is to move from a metaphorical view of nature from a 'watch' or mechanism that can be easily fixed to a more organic view of the ecosystem as a series of 'traffic patterns,' the disruption of which can cause everything to go awry.

How does the author give support their argument for the solution?

Wessels cites the rise of cancer, the increase of severe storms, the increase in mercury pollution in the waters, and other environmental changes as evidence that resources are being strained and are in need of being addressed (Wessels 2006: 35-39).