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Explore the different ethical perspectives on environmental management, including anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism. Discuss the challenges of balancing development, preservation, and conservation ethics. Examine the views of Western society, corporations, and the concept of profitability. Consider environmental justice and the impact of individual and global ethics on pollution and resource consumption.
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Chapter 2 Views of Nature • Control nature, or we are wasting resources. • All living things have value. • Problems now arise because of rate, scale and complexity of human interactions with the environment. • Management of earth for future generations may be one of our greatest challenges.
Chapter 2 Ethics Versus Morals • Ethics - what is right and what is wrong. • Morals - predominant feeling of a culture about ethical issues. • War • Energy • Number of children • Ethical questions are complex and require exploration from several points of view.
Chapter 2 • Anthropocentrism—human Centered • Biocentrism—all forms of life • Ecocentrism—environment • Where do your views fit?
Chapter 2 • Aldo Leopold—A Sand County Almanac • “ a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends other wise…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 and respect.” • Eco-centrism • Pioneered concept of game management and stated that regulating hunting could maintain balance.
Chapter 2 3 Primary Attitudes (Ethics) Towards the Environment: 1. Development Ethic • Humans should be the master of nature. Resources exist for our benefit. • “Work ethic” falls into this category. • Bigger, better, faster = progress
Chapter 2 • 2. Preservation Ethic • Humans should work to preserve nature in its most natural form. • One group holds that all creatures have right to live no matter what the social and economic cost to humans. • Another group holds that nature should be preserved because humans depend on it and have much to learn from nature.
Chapter 2 • 3. Conservation or Management Ethic • Recognizes desirability of decent standard of living, but works toward balance of use. • Humans should seek to balance between total development and absolute preservation. • Stresses that rapid, uncontrolled growth in population and economics is self-defeating in the long run.
Chapter 2 Western Society’s View: • Unlimited reserves of resources. • GROWTH = PRODUCTIVITY • Pioneers considered nature as an enemy to conquer. • Religious beliefs justified exploitation. • To leave land idle is a sin.
Chapter 2 Corporate Views • Industry in general must use resources and dispose of wastes. • Corporations: legal entities designed to make a profit. • Corporations do not have ethics, but those who run them do.
Chapter 2 Profitability: the cost to produce a product determines profit. • Disposing of wastes is a cost of production. • Aim towards short term profits, rather than long term benefits to society. • Profits allow expansion--cycle.
Chapter 2 Profits allow expansion Lawmakers create more favorable conditions for profits Expansion enhanced through Marketing Large corporations have influence over lawmakers
Chapter 2 • Technology allows intensive harvesting of resources. • Legal and political structure support private enterprise. • Individual property rights have priority over social and environmental issues.
Chapter 2 • Corporations may be starting to show a concern. • People are accepting the cost associated with protecting the environment. • Lots of folks at the extreme poles of this issue. • Stopped here 1/14/2002 • Industrial Ecology—good ecology is good economics • Waste as resource---Scarab vs Scarab
Chapter 2 • Two points to consider: • 1—Cannot protect environment to point that you collapse economy • 2—Cannot maintain economy at cost of essential resources like air and water
Chapter 2 Environmental Justice • Laws designed to protect the environment (and human health) should be impartially applied. • Discriminatory practices in locating “undesirable” industries. • Dangerous jobs often go to non-whites. • Some groups eat more foods that bio-accumulate toxins and other contaminants.
Chapter 2 Individual And Global Ethics • Do cars or drivers pollute? • Does a coal fired power plant or electricity consumption cause pollution? • Can everyone in the world have the same standard of living as you and I do?
