Becoming Ethical Leaders
LIVING AN
ECOLOGICALLY
ETHICAL
LIFE
Bev Bricker
EDUC 726
August 10, 2013
 Http://bevbricker.polldaddy.com/s/climate-
change.org
 Results:
https://polldaddy.com/quizzes/2003385/report
 bevbricker,
 EdD
Our Impact
Inevitably, in going about our daily lives,
(commuting, sheltering our families, eating)
each of us contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions
that are causing climate change.
Yet, there are many things each of us, as individuals,
can do to reduce our carbon emissions.
The choices we make in our homes, our travel, the
food we eat, and what we buy and throw away all
influence our carbon footprint and can help ensure a
stable climate for future generations.
What is my carbon footprint?
 http://goo.gl/c4xIND
 http://tinyurl.com/6j6vot
To shorten a url go to
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http://tinyurl.com/
The Ecology of Commerce
Ray C Anderson, CEO Interface, Inc.
As his
company’s
carbon footprint
was reduced
profits
increased.
Ray in his own words
Ray C Anderson
Impact=Population + Affluence + Technology
I=P+A/T
I=P + a / T+ Happiness
Redefining Affluence
 It is our idea of economics and progress that actually
impoverish people
 We need new ways to measure wealth. Ways that put
value back into community, air, water and the
richness of life around us.
“From Naked Ape to Super Species”
A person perspective on humanity
and the global eco-crisis.
David Suzuki and Holly Dressel
IS THERE AN
OBLIGATION
TO REDUCE
ONE’S
INDIVIDUAL
CARBON
FOOTPRINT?
Support from Hindu Beliefs
 Hindu religion wants its followers to live a simple
life.
 People are meant to learn to enjoy spiritual
happiness, so that to derive a sense of satisfaction
and fulfillment, they need not run after material
pleasures and disturb nature's checks and balances.
Ranchor Prime
for the Alliance of Religions
and Conservation.
Support from Jewish Faith
 Humans are the stewards of the Garden of Eden.
 They are looking after it for God, not for themselves.
 Underlying the Jewish ethic, it is the belief that
humans are "only tenants on this earth.
 The land belongs to God. We are given permission to
enjoy the Creator's abundant gifts, but we must not
waste or wantonly destroy anything.
Support from Islamic Faith
 "Created beings are the dependents of God, and the creature

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
dearest unto God is he who does most good to God's
dependents," it says. Humans' good deeds therefore, "are not
limited to the benefit of the human species but rather extend
to the benefit of all created beings."
Human beings are seen in Islam as stewards of the
environment.
Humans are "only a manager of the earth and not a
proprietor."
There is among Muslims an appreciation of a profound duty
to protect the Earth, many believe.
The belief system is not just based on what humans do now,
more what they set up for humans to come.
Support from Christian Organizations
A Sierra Club 2008 survey found:
 67 percent of Americans said they care about the
environment because it is "God's creation."
 The Vatican that same year labeled pollution a sin
 Southern Baptist Convention leaders called for
believers to combat climate change.
 In the Charlotte area, people of faith say their
religious convictions go hand in hand with protecting
the earth.
Support from Buddhism
 Buddhism is viewed by many as the most
environmentally-friendly religion of them all.
 Strong belief in the fundamental equality of all
sentient beings: We are all born, we all age, then we
all die.
 There is no reason therefore, why a human's
experience specifically should be any more important
than that of a pig or a cow.
 All beings deserve equal levels of empathy –
otherwise known as 'loving-kindness.'
The Power of Green

Tom Friedman

scalable, clean, emissions, free power

A Green Economy
Copenhagen is working to be the world's
first carbon-neutral capital by 2025
 Using seawater to cool air for

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When a community commits to
sustainability, life becomes
healthier, more prosperous and
more fun.

A/C
Wind turbines to generate
electricity
Geothermal use and replacing
coal with wood chips and
straw for heating
Retrofitting building to meet
new energy standards
Replacing cars with bikes (a
new bike superhighway makes
commuting faster on a bike)
Changes are Happening: In Business
Lowell McAdam - Verizon
Our goal is to cut in half our
carbon intensity – the
amount of energy needed to
move data across Verizon’s
networks -- by 2020. We’re
using our 2009 carbon
intensity level as the
benchmark and the starting
point for our goal.
Our Human Footprint
 How Much Is Left? Scientific American
Changes are Happening: In Construction
 Fernando
Pagés Ruiz
Sustainable builder of affordable homes.
Changes are Happening: In Education
 Training the Leaders of Tomorrow
 Columbia University – Master of Science in
Sustainability Management.
 Teaching


video games
gardens
Green Education Foundation, 2011
Is there an obligation to reduce one’s individual
carbon footprint?
Anne Schwenkenbecher found three
main excuses that are used:
1. the view that individual
emissions cause no harm
2. the view that individual
mitigation efforts would have no
morally significant effect
3. the view that lifestyle changes
would be too difficult
The Obligation of Educators
Just as Madison Avenue has consistently delivered the
message of consumerism,
we need to just as consistently present a marketing
campaign of the moral responsibility
we all hold for our planet.
Reasons to Alter Habits
What if there were more positives than
negatives for reducing your carbon footprint?
1. Save money
2. Increase happiness quotient
3. Better health
4. Life becomes enjoyable
Simple Things You Can Do….
Eating Less Meat And Junk Food Could
Cut Fossil Energy Fuel Use Almost In Half
 Science News...
July 24, 2008 —
Study finds a
healthier diet and a
return to traditional
farming can help
reduce energy
consumption in US
food system by 50
percent.
Living Sustainably.
If We Are What We Eat, Who Are We?"
 Healthy Foods with Pollan and Moss
More Ideas
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Change a Light Bulb
Buy Energy-Efficient Products
Use Less Hot Water
Plant a Tree
Do a Home Energy Audit
Encourage Others to Conserve
A Blog written by Emily Chase Lapine age 10
Saving Our Environment:
How One Person Can Make
a Difference
 stop buying CDs and download
music to your I-Pod or MP3
player
 buy stuff and sell stuff on Ebay
More Ideas
Carpool.
Walk or ride a bike.
Shop by phone or mail.
Ride public transit.
Telecommute.
Drive Less and Drive Smart
Accelerate gradually.
Use cruise control on the highway.
Obey the speed limit.
Combine your errands into one trip.
Keep your car tuned and support the Smog Check Program.
Don't top off at the gas pump.
Replace your car's air filter.
Keep your tires properly inflated.
Report smoking vehicles.
Look for the most efficient, lowest polluting model or even a zero-polluting
electric car.
Drive your newest car. Newer cars generally pollute less than older models.
More Ideas
Select products that are water-based or have low amounts
of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Use water-based paints. Look for paints labeled zero-VOC.
Paint with a brush, not a sprayer.
Store solvents in air-tight containers
Microwave small meals.
Use a push or electric lawn mower.
More Ideas
Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning
Use a programmable thermostat that automatically turns off the
air conditioner or heater when you don't need them.
Add insulation to your home.
Use a fan instead of air conditioning.
Use an EPA-approved wood burning stove or fireplace insert.
Insulate your water heater.
Install low-flow shower heads.
Choose recycled products.
Reuse paper bags.
Recycle paper, plastics, and metals.
Choose products with recyclable packaging
Print and photocopy on both sides of paper.
Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
One Person Can Make A Difference
 I am personally convinced that one person can be a
change catalyst, a transformer in any situation, any
organization. Such an individual is yeast that can
leaven an entire loaf. It requires vision, initiative,
patience, respect, persistence, courage, and faith to
be transforming leader. - Stephen R Covey
 Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it
is the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead
What
Changes
Will You
Make?
References

CNN, All About: Religion and the environment
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/01/27/eco.about.religion/ January 28, 2008

King, W.C. (2013) Copenhagen and the Non-Environmental Benefits of Sustainability
Albright Stonebridge Group
•
Nature. http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/index.htm
Scientific American. (2010). How Much is Left ?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=interactive-how-much-is-left
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Schwenkenbecher A. (2012) Is there an obligation to reduce one’s individual carbon footprint?
Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy. p. 1-21
Suzuki, D. & Dressel, H. (1999) From Naked Ape to Super Species: A person perspective on humanity
and the global eco-crisis. Toronto: Stoddart