Intrinsic Value of the Environment (DP IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS)): Revision Note

The Intrinsic Value of our Environment

• If something has intrinsic value, this means it is still worth something, even if it doesn’t have any obvious economic value (monetary value)

  • This can sometimes be difficult to understand as in today’s society we tend to view everything from a financial perspective - we see almost everything, including our homes, food, heating, water, electricity, recreational activities and holidays, in terms of money

• However, there are many aspects of the environment that have intrinsic value to many people, including:

  • The experience of observing wild animals in their natural habitats

  • The incredible views that can be seen from mountain tops

  • Weather events, such as snow falling or warm summer days

  • Swimming in rivers and lakes

• Different people and different groups, with different environmental value systems, will have different parts or aspects of the environment that hold intrinsic value to them. For example:

  • Many places or ecosystems are important to a country’s national identity, such as Mount Fuji in Japan or Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Australia, which is of great spiritual importance to Aboriginal people

  • Someone who lives in a densely populated city, where there is little wildlife, may value the abundance of insect and plant life present if they visit the countryside on a summer’s day, as this is something they don’t normally experience

  • A gardener, who is always interacting with insects and plants, may value these things for slightly different reasons - for example, they may value the services that the insects provide (e.g. their ability to recycle the dead leaves and pollinate the flowers in their garden)