Ethics

 Ethics - seeks to define fundamentally what is

right and what is wrong, regardless of cultural
differences.
 The set of moral principles or values held by a person or society that
tells us how we ought to behave
 People use criteria, standards, or rules when making judgments.
 Different cultures or worldviews lead to different values, which lead
to different actions.

 Morals – differ somewhat from ethics because

morals reflect the predominant feelings of a
culture about ethical issues.
 Environmental ethics
 Environmental ethics: application of ethical standards to relationships
between human and non-human entities
 It examines the moral basis of environmental responsibilities.
 Hard to resolve; depends on the person’s ethical standards
 Depends on the person’s domain of ethical concern
 Environmental ethics and human values affect our ability to understand
and solve environmental problems.

Should we conserve Is is OK to destroy a

resources for future forest to create jobs
generations?
for people?
Is it OK for some communities to be
exposed to excess pollution?
Should we drive other
species to extinction?
There are many ethical decisions that human beings make
with respect to the environment:
 Should we continue to clear cut forests for the sake of
human consumption?
 Why should we continue to propagate our species, and life
itself?
 Should we continue to make gasoline powered vehicles?
 What environmental obligations do we need to keep for
future generations?
 Is it right for humans to knowingly cause the extinction of
a species for the convenience of humanity?
 How should we best use and conserve the space
environment to secure and expand life?
Goal of Environmental Ethics

 Focus on the moral foundations of

environmental responsibility and
how far this responsibility extend.
Environmental worldviews are
how:

• people think
• the world works,
• where they fit,
• and ethics
What are worldviews
 it refers to our personal feelings about issues
regarding the environment
 this includes our perspective on how the earth and its’
resources should be used
 it is heavily influenced by the fundamental vision of
reality we hold, the collection of values, perceptions
and practices that organizes our lives
 It is also influenced by beliefs and practices of our
family and the society; Personal experiences; and
Education
 Three ethical perspectives
 Anthropocentrism: human-centered
 only human beings have rights
 Costs and benefits are measured only according to
their impact on people
 Anything not providing benefit to people has no value
Three ethical perspectives
 Biocentrism: life-centered
 All forms of life have the inherent right to exist
 All life has ethical standing
 Development is opposed if it destroys life, even if
it creates jobs (ethical dilemma)
 Humans are members of the Earth’s community!
 All species are integral elements in a system of
interdependence!
 Humans are not inherently superior to other
living things
 All organisms are centers of life, each pursuing
its own good!
 Ecocentrism: ecosystem-centered
 whole ecological systems have value
 Values the well-being of species, communities, or
ecosystems
 Expansion of biocentrism by including abiotic
components of the environment!
 It cares less about individual life forms but
emphasizes interaction between them and fosters
a system approach
 Holistic perspective, stresses preserving
connections
Expanding ethical consideration
ONE THING IN COMMON…

All three value systems have the

human stewardship for the natural
world in common, however they
differ sharply as to whom they do it
 The Preservation
Ethic
“Wilderness mirrors divinity,
nourishes humanity, and vivifies
Spirit”

• Unspoiled nature should be protected for its own inherent

value.
• We should protect our environment in a pristine state,
because it promotes human happiness and fulfillment.
• John Muir (right, with President Roosevelt at Yosemite
National Park) had an ecocentric viewpoint.
• He described nature not a commodity but a companion.
Nature is sacred, whether or not resources are scarce.
The Preservation
Ethic
 Preservationists' thought of nature
as:
A refuge from economic activity
not as a resource for it.
 Primarilyaesthetic or
recreational
 Ground for scientific research
 The Conservation
Ethic
• Works towards a balance of
resource use and resource
availability.
• Stresses a balance between
total development and
absolute preservation
• Use natural resources wisely for the greatest good for the
most people
• A utilitarian standard that calls for prudent, efficient,
and sustainable resource extraction and use
• Gifford Pinchot had an anthropocentric viewpoint.
 The land ethic
“We abuse land because we regard it as
a commodity belonging to us. When we
see land as a community to which we
belong, we may begin to use it with
love respect”

• Healthy ecological systems depend on protecting all parts.

• Aldo Leopold believed that humans should view
themselves and the land as members of the same
community.
• We are obligated to treat the land ethically.
Development Ethic

 Based on individualism or egocentrism

 Human race is and should be the master
of nature and that the Earth and its
resources exist for benefit and pleasure.
 Human should be busy creating continual
change and that things that are bigger,
better and faster represent progress.
Fundamental Ethical Responsibilities
 Respect Nature and care for the
Earth
 Protecting its life-support systems
and biodiversity
 Caring for the needs of other
countries and future generations.

Planetary Management
• We are apart from the rest of
nature and can manage nature to
meet our increasing needs and
wants.
• Because of our ingenuity and
technology we will not run out of
resources.
• The potential for economic
growth is essentially unlimited.
• Our success depends on how
well we manage the earth's life
support systems mostly for our
benefit.
Environmental Worldviews
Stewardship
• We have an ethical
responsibility to be caring
managers, or stewards,
of the earth.
• We will probably not run out of
resources, but they should not be
wasted.
• We should encourage
environmentally beneficial forms
of economic growth & discourage
environmentally harmful forms.
• Our success depends on how
well we manage the earth's life
support systems for our benefit
and for the rest of nature.
Environmental Wisdom
• We are a part of and totally
dependent on nature and nature
exists for all species.
• Resources are limited, should
not be wasted, and are not all
for us.
• We should encourage earth
sustaining forms of economic
growth & discourage earth
degrading forms.
• Our success depends on
learning how nature sustains
itself and integrating such lessons
from nature into the ways we
think and act.
 Other more recent schools of
thought
• Deep ecology = humans are inseparable from nature;
protect all living things as one would protect oneself
• Ecofeminism = male-dominated societies have
degraded women and the environment for similar
reasons- believes that women should be given the same
rights that men have in our joint quest to develop
more environmentally sustainable and socially just
societies
Where do you
stand?
Sustainable development

Sustainable development is defined as

development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet
their own Needs.
 Sustainable solutions abound
 Sustainable
development: using resources to satisfy current
needs without compromising future availability of resources
WECD
 Sustainability involves:
 Renewable energy sources
 Soil conservation, high-efficiency irrigation, organic
agriculture
 Pollution reduction
 Habitat and species protection
 Recycling
 Fighting global climate change

Humanity’s challenge is to develop solutions that further our

quality of life while protecting and restoring the environment.
Environmental ethics

 Environmental ethics deals with issues

related to the rights of individuals that
are fundamental to life and well being.
This concerns not only the needs of
each person today, but also those who
will come after us. It also deals with
the rights of other living creatures that
inhabit on earth.
Will we develop in a sustainable
way?

 Sustainable solutions must meet:

 Environmental goals
 Economic goals
 Social goals
 Requires that humans limit our impact while
promoting economic well-being and social
equity
 Apply science to solve problems

The single most important question we face is: "Will we

develop sustainably?”
 Solutions
Developing Environmentally
Sustainable Societies
Guidelines Strategies

Learn from & copy nature Sustain biodiversity

Eliminate poverty
Do not degrade or deplete the earth's
natural capital, and live off the natural Develop eco-economies
income it provides
Build sustainable communities
Take no more than we need Do not use renewable resources faster
than nature can replace them
Do not reduce biodiversity
Use sustainable agriculture
Try not to harm life, air, water, soil
Depend more on locally available renewable
energy from the sun, wind, flowing water, and
Do not change the world's climate sustainable biomass

Do not overshoot the earth's Emphasize pollution prevention and waste

carrying capacity reduction

Do not waste matter and energy resources

Help maintain the earth's capacity
for self-repair Recycle, reuse, and compost 60–80% of
matter resources
Repair past ecological damage
Maintain a human population size such that
needs are met without threatening life
Leave the world in as good a shape support systems
as—or better than—we found it
Emphasize ecological restoration
Fig. 26-6, p. 622
LIVING MORE SUSTAINABLY
 We can help make the world a
better place by not falling into
mental traps that lead to
denial and inaction and by
keeping our empowering
feelings of hope ahead of any
immobilizing feeling of despair.
Living More Lightly on the Earth:
The Sustainable Dozen
 Agriculture
 Reduce you meat consumption.
 Buy locally grown and produced food.
 Buy more organic food and grow your own.
 Don’t use pesticides.
 Transportation
 Drive an energy-efficient vehicle.
 Walk, bike, carpool, or take mass transit.
 Work at home or live near work.
Living More Lightly on the Earth

 Home Energy Use

 Caulk leaks, add insulation, use energy efficient
appliances.
 Tryto use solar, wind, flowing water, biomass for home
energy.
 Water
 Use water-saving showers and toilets, use drip
irrigation, landscape yard with natural plants that do
not require excess water.
LIVING MORE SUSTAINABLY
 The Earth Charter calls for us to
respect and care for life and
biodiversity and to build more
sustainable, just, democratic, and
peaceful societies for present and
future generations.

 We need hope, a positive vision of

the future, and commitment to
making the world a better place to
live.
Conclusion
 Finding ways to live sustainably on Earth requires
a solid ethical grounding and scientific
understanding of our natural and social systems.
 Environmental science helps us understand our
relationship with the environment and informs our
attempts to solve and prevent problems.
 Identifying a problem is the first step in solving it.
 Solving environmental problems can move us
toward health, longevity, peace, and prosperity.
What is your ethical standing?
 I have secretly set insects free from the house so
they will not be killed!
 Would pick a bouquet of wild flowers, even if they
would die because of it!
 I would harm myself in defense of a forest
ecosystem (i.e. chaining myself to a tree)!
 The death of a household pet has been more
traumatizing than the death of humans
 I have no problem with eating meat!
 Will eat meat, even if I don’t know how the animal
was treated during its life!
 I would kill a wild pig for a source of meat!
 I would kill a wild pig just to help control
population
 I would kill a wild animal for a trophy!
 It is better to test cosmetics and medicine
on nonhumans before humans than the
other way around!
 The world would be better without
mosquitoes!
 The world would be better without dogs
and cats!
 The world would be better without
humans