Environment, pollution and conservation by

An FT article, which questions whether adding carbon food labels would change the way people shop.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 08:45:25 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What is ‘transparent labelling’ on food, and what impact is this designed to have? From the information in the article, do their food habits have a negative impact on the environment? How important is it to base transparent labelling on reliable data - and how easy is it to gather this? Overall, how prepared do they think people will be to change their behaviour when presented with evidence that it is damaging the environment?

Key terms Transparent labelling, Reliable data

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A Recode interview, which explores the claim made by a group of biologists and ecologists that social media is threatening humanity.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:50:16 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Why is Joe Bak-Coleman and the other authors of the paper so worried about what’s happening? Then think about their suggestion of treating social media as a ‘crisis discipline’. What does this mean, and how does it shift our understanding of social media? What are the challenges of exploring the effects of social media? Are they right about its risks? Finally, what do students think are our individual and collective responsibilities as knowers when it comes to using social media?

KEY TERMS Crisis discipline, Information ecosystem

A Conversation article, looking at what the world can learn about conservation and trust from indigenous societies.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:50:45 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Focus on ‘TEK’, and what its three elements mean. What does the article say are the key differences between indigenous and industrialized approaches to resource management? What can be learned from it? How should we balance avoiding stereotypical views of indigenous societies as being ‘at one with nature’, with a willingness to learn from them? Overall, how important is it to be willing to learn from other societies and cultures about the world - and what happens if we are not?

Key terms Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), Stereotypes, Framework to understand, Trust, Deference, Respectful, Accountable

A France24 article, analyzing whether Doha’s claim to be the first ever carbon-neutral World Cup stands up to scrutiny.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:50:53 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What claims is the Qatari government making about the World Cup? Why do some experts feel these promises are “absolutely not credible”? What examples does the article provide to support this view? What does this indicate about the difficulties evaluating whether organizations are really carbon neutral - or just greenwashing? Overall, to what extent should we accept the environmental credentials claimed by governments, businesses, and other organizations? What evidence should we use to evaluate these?

Key terms Greenwashing, Credible, Transparency

This Guardian article explores how indigenous stewardship of land offers a better way to manage carbon emissions.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:51:12 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What are the differences between smaller-scale, indigenous societies, and larger-scale, industrialized society in terms of the way we produce and use our knowledge about the natural world? Can our values ever support the responsible stewardship of the environment?

Key terms Stewardship

A Big Think video, looking at the importance of ‘long term thinking’ in order to safeguard civilization.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:51:54 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE First, students should understand exactly what thinking in a long term way means. Are they long term thinkers? Do they agree that thinking in this way is essential to our survival? Then think about our responsibilities as knowers: is it our responsibility to think in a certain way? Or does this impinge on freedom of expression and belief? Are certain political outlooks more and less conducive to long term thinking?

KEY TERMS Legacies, Marshmallow vs. acorn brain, Long-term thinking

This Guardian interview with Katharine Hayhoe discusses the nature of scientific knowledge, and why people are skeptical of the work of climate scientists.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:52:00 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Hayhoe’s key point is that 'A thermometer is not liberal or conservative'. What do students think she means by that, and is it always true? Secondly, why does Hayhoe believe many people are unwilling to accept the idea that human activity is the reason for the changes in the earth’s climate? Assuming she’s right, how can this be resolved?

A Freethink video, looking at how a group of ‘techno-optimists’ are tracking and reporting on human changes to Amazonian ecosystems.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:52:57 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How are open source maps being used to track changes in the Amazon, and what advantages do they offer to traditional maps? Why is it crucial that the technology behind MapBiomas is applied alongside human input? Overall, does the effectiveness of science depend on the number of people who are involved in its application?

Key terms Paradigm shift, Actionable, Open, Available, Shared science, Sustainably

A Conversation article, focusing on the struggle of native Americans for control over their sacred land.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:53:33 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What is the policy of ‘co-management’, and why are some states introducing it? How do indigenous beliefs determine the relationship indigenous peoples have with the natural world? Why is this at odds with the way the US government views both ‘sacred land’ and indigenous religion? Overall, why is it important to build in multiple outlooks and perspectives when we try to understand and manage the environment?

Key terms Origin narrative, Truly religious, Culturally important

A Grist article, arguing that the best forest managers are indigenous people

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:53:44 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How important is immediacy when it comes to the management of the environment?

KEY TERMS Locally focused, Rights-based, Transfer of power, Restoration

An FT article, considering the difficulties of linking extreme weather to climate change, in the wake of the fires and floods that have recently affected countries around the world.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:56:13 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This is a fabulous article for TOK, which covers multiple key concepts, could be used to support the exploration of various exhibition prompts, and, of course, is very much in the news today. Get students to begin by thinking about why many knowers would intuitively link the recent natural disasters around the world with climate change. Then think about why this is insufficient for scientists (and politicians), and their need for more certainty. Why is it so hard to establish a direct causal link? How is technology being used to try to do so? Why is there a difference of opinion about attribution science? Loads to unpack and explore!

KEY TERMS Direct causal link, Attribution science, Predictions, Truth, Models, Certainty, Evidence

We're proud to work in partnership with the FT, to promote their free FT for Schools programme. Follow this link to sign up your school, and access this and other articles.

A New Statesman article, exploring potential negative impacts the Ukraine war will have on the fight against global warming.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:56:30 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Start by understanding how the Ukraine invasion will affect the way we try to tackle the climate crisis; thinking more widely, what is the link between climate change and political conflict? Then think about the possible ethical clashes: how can we decide which problem takes precedence - the need for short-term security in Europe, or the longer term issue of safeguarding the environment, and ensuring that future generations have a better chance of survival? Do the ideas of Paul Bloom on empathy and ethics help or hinder us in solving this ethical quandary (see our Saving the Chickens lesson)?

KEY TERMS Cascading risks, Short-term measure, Compound threats

This Conversation article discusses the relationship between indigenous languages, and knowledge about the natural world, arguing that the decline in the former affects the way we understand “ecosystems, conservation methods, plant life, animal behavior and many other aspects of the natural world.”

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:56:56 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE This relatively short article contains a lot of ideas. First, look at what it indicates about language and knowledge in general – do different languages support different types of understanding? Second, more specifically, what knowledge do indigenous languages in particular possess? Additionally, consider the empirical nature of indigenous knowledge via the video on the Ojibwe language. What does this reveal about the way indigenous people produce knowledge about the world, and the way their language supports this? Finally, consider the implications of the final thoughts of the article – “Once a language is gone, the traditional knowledge it carries also gets erased from society.” Do indigenous languages give us access to specific knowledge about the natural world? Does language determine knowledge?

KEY TERMS Linguistic emergency

A Vox article, considering what the shocking recent WWF statistical report on biodiversity decline does - and does not - tell us.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:57:06 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Focus on the paragraph beginning “That figure is broadly helpful…” Were they misled by the ‘headline figure’? How much statistical interpretation is required in order for us to gain genuine insight? What are the shortcomings of reports such as this? Why might purely negative statistics fail to engage people? Overall, how important is it to “look beyond headline figures” in order to gain a full understanding of the state of the natural world? How should we do this?

KEY TERMS Index, Big numbers, Headline figures, Misinterpreted, Evidence

A Forbes article, demonstrating how the labelling of a phenomenon (climate change) as an ‘emergency’ changes the way we perceive that phenomenon.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:58:48 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Whilst few experts doubt the link between human activity and climate change, persuading people who are not familiar with the scientific data (or are not persuaded by it) is another matter. How has language (specifically, the word ‘emergency’) helped to change perceptions of this issue? Thinking more widely, what is the role of language in helping to communicate scientific understanding? What are the pros and cons of using words and phrases that are emotive?

KEY TERMS Political language

A BBC article that examines the relationship with cognitive biases, and our ability to tackle challenges such as climate change.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:59:09 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How do our biases help or hinder our navigation of the world?

KEY TERMS Cognitive biases

A Conversation article, looking at what the world can learn about conservation and trust from indigenous societies.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 15:59:46 UTC

KEY TERMS Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), Stereotypes, Framework to understand, Trust, Deference, Respectful, Accountable

A Conversation article, looking at the role the novel Dune played in helping kickstart the global environmental movement.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-04-14 07:09:41 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What message did Frank Herbert want to transmit when wrote Dune in 1963, and what social and political events made this so urgent? What state was the field of ecology at this time? How did indigenous figures such as Wilbur Ternyik and Howard Hansen contribute to the story of Dune? How was Herbert Inspired by the history of Peruvian guano? To wrap up: “The highest function of science is to give us an understanding of consequences.” How does the writing of the book Dune demonstrate how the arts can help science achieve this?

KEY TERMS Envision the future, Rallying flag, New science, Popular audience, Metaphor, Revolution

A Vox podcast and article, looking at why the ‘much ridiculed’ Gaia hypothesis, which claims that the earth is a living entity, should be taken seriously.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-05-02 13:25:03 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What is the Gaia hypothesis, and why was it mocked by many members of the mainstream scientific community? What are Ferris Jabr’s four arguments for the Earth being ‘alive’? How widely accepted are they? How does seeing the Earth as a living organism impact on the moral urgency of the climate crisis? To wrap up: “I think open-mindedness is fundamental to any scientific thinking or scientific process. And we have to be open to the idea that a century from now, or even sooner, all of this will be wrong.” How does the Gaia hypothesis illustrate this approach to knowledge?

KEY TERMS Hypothesis, Fringe, Mainstream, Open-mindedness, Moral urgency

A Guardian article, written by Christina Figueros, former head of the UN climate change convention, in which she argues that being ‘stubbornly optimistic’ is our only option.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-06-05 13:36:06 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Do we all have a responsibility to be ‘stubbornly optimistic’ about the climate crisis? How should we balance this with an obligation to remain objective about what’s going on?

KEY TERMS Stubborn optimism, Feelings of despair, Doubt, Pervasive, Sense of agency, Mis- and disinformation, Sowing uncertainty, Responsibility, Perspective of possibility

IS THE EARTH ALIVE?

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-06-10 13:30:05 UTC

A mini-lesson based on a Vox podcast and article, looking at why the ‘much ridiculed’ Gaia hypothesis, which claims the earth is a living entity, should be taken seriously.

AGENCY AND INTELLIGENCE

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-06-10 13:30:31 UTC

A mini-lesson based on a NPR interview with author Zoë Schlanger, about her recent exploration of intelligence and agency in plants.

theory_of_knowledge — 2026-06-08 10:13:52 UTC

Check out our key concepts here, which will help you to apply a critical thinking lens to this topic, and articulate your ideas about it. These concepts are highlighted.