Earth Stewardship, Climate Change, and Low Carbon Consciousness: Refl ections from Brazil and South America - Earth Stewardship: Linking Ecology and Ethics in Theory and Practice - page 357

and profound changes in Earth systems: three of the nine identifi ed biophysical
planetary boundaries leading to a systemic planetary disruption have already been
trespassed. Climate change, the most studied of the nine, requires implementing a
low carbon consciousness to be mitigated, so deeply rooted values that have
hindered not only the equality of opportunities for different human populations,
but also the survival of several other species, need to be substituted with new ones,
based on communal bonds among humans and their fellow species.
This transition is not easy, and faces different stumbling blocks, usually con-
nected to culture. Due to common traits of their history and their chosen develop-
ment paths, South American countries share several cultural obstacles to a planetary
consciousness. Even in countries where environmentalism and climate change
policies are more advanced, such as Brazil, the traits are present and block a steady
environmental development.
The objective of this chapter is to explore the links between Earth stewardship,
climate change, and a low carbon consciousness. For this purpose, it is divided in
four parts. In the fi rst, the Anthropocene, climate change and the values of the low
carbon ethics needed to mitigate it are the focus. In the second, South American
characteristics that relate to climate change and the development of low carbon
consciousness in the continent will be explained. Then a brief analysis of the
environmental movement and the trajectory of climate change and low carbon
development in Brazil, and the features it shares with South America, are presented.
Finally, the links between an environmental consciousness in general, and a low
carbon one in particular, are made with the development of the Earth Stewardship
paradigm in South America. The article concludes that South America has important
contributions to the new paradigm, but relevant challenges lie ahead in its full
implementation in the continent.

24.2 The Anthropocene, Climate Change, and Planetary

Consciousness

Approximately 11,000 ago, the last glaciation ended and the Earth entered a
geological epoch of warmer and more stable climate called the Holocene. During this
geological period, humanity changed from a few groups of hunters-gatherers to a
complex population of 7 billion people divided by nationalities, culture, and ways
of living. The expansion of human population - both in numbers and in per capita
exploitation of Earth's resources (Crutzen and Stoermer 2000 ) - was such that it
became the driver of the transition to a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene.
This is unprecedented: from the evidence currently available, all previous changes
in Earth systems were caused either by Earth's natural dynamics or the dynamics of
the cosmos. Instead, in the Anthropocene human beings are the main drivers of
transformations in Earth systems (Crutzen and Stoermer 2000 ; Viola et al. 2013 ).