The dominant social paradigm and the new environmental paradigm are two contrasting ways of evaluating the relationship between humans and the environment. The dominant social paradigm holds the opinion that humans are superior to all other forms of flora and fauna (Bernstein & Szuster, 2019). Indeed, this paradigm considers all other forms of life and the world itself as only existing for the pleasure and benefit of humanity. On the other hand, the new environmental paradigm is pro-ecological in nature and considers all life, including humans as being secondary to nature. Under this paradigm, humanity, as the premier species in the world has an obligation to protect nature. Therefore, these paradigms are in opposition to one another. The dominant social paradigm represents the traditional notion of the world while the new environmental paradigm seeks to replace this traditional notion (Bernstein & Szuster, 2019). For example, under the traditional notion, an idea is right if it benefits humanity, even if its effects are adverse to the environment and other species domiciled in a habitat. However, under the new notion, the correctness of an idea depends on the balance between human benefit and environmental protection. I believe that the new environmental paradigm is the most prevalent paradigm in the USA today. For clarity, a large number of Americans still adhere to the dominant social paradigm, but the new environmental paradigm has superseded it in prevalence. First, US President Donald Trump received bipartisan and near-universal condemnation for taking the USA out of the Paris Agreement. The Paris agreement is a pro-new environmental paradigm treaty. Even corporations opposed Trump’s move, yet they would have benefited from his actions. Secondly, American organizations can lose their reputation and market if they are accused of inordinate environmental degradation. To be fair, companies still pollute the environment, but they keep on publishing information to show that they are trying to reduce pollution. The third supporting factor is the meteoric rise of environmentally friendly technology, such as electric cars as evidenced by the prominence of electric mobility (Degirmenci & Breitner, 2017). Fourth, the Supreme Court of the USA has been making decisions that favor the environment over economic interests, a monumental change from American tradition (Marris, 2018). Finally, the younger generation is overly focused on environmentally conscious activities such as recycling and reducing single-use plastics, a reflection of the urge to protect the environment. The 2019 Times Person of the Year was Greta Thunberg, a teenage environmental conservation activist. With the Times being a commercial organization, its choice of person of the year to some extent represents the mood of the nation. Historically, the legal concept of standing has been a major limitation of the litigation of environmental issues but in recent years, the position has gradually changed. Generally, standing is a legal concept that limits parties in a legal suit to individuals or organizations who have a direct bearing on the issue in question (USLawEssentials, 2014). For example, in an accident case, only the victims of the accident can sue for compensation. In environmental law cases, it is sometimes difficult for a plaintiff to show direct interest in a case since the affected parties such as plants, animals, or water bodies lack the capacity to sue or be sued. Traditionally, cases would fail since the plaintiffs could not establish direct standing in the cases. However, in the 21 st century, the courts have gradually accepted humans and organizations to sue on behalf of environmental causes (USLawEssentials, 2014). For example, an organization that is involved in the conservation of a river can sue a company that pollutes the river. The change in position regarding standing in environmental law has aided the development of positive judicial precedent for environmental conservation.
References
Ballew, M. T., Leiserowitz, A., Roser-Renouf, C., Rosenthal, S. A., Kotcher, J. E., Marlon, J. R., ... & Maibach, E. W. (2019). Climate change in the American mind: Data, tools, and trends. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development , 61 (3), 4-18.
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Bernstein, J., & Szuster, B. W. (2019). The new environmental paradigm scale: Reassessing the operationalization of contemporary environmentalism. The Journal of Environmental Education , 50 (2), 73-83.
Degirmenci, K., & Breitner, M. H. (2017). Consumer purchase intentions for electric vehicles: Is green more important than price and range?. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment , 51 , 250-260.
Marris, E. (2018). US Supreme Court allows historic kids' climate lawsuit to go forward. Nature , 563 (7730), 163-164.
USLawEssentials. (2014, July 18). What is "standing" or "lack of standing" to challenge a law's Constitutionality? [YouTube video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/8LyB0Tcwlag
