Environmental Ethics and Justice

8/11/2019 Environmental Ethics and Justice

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The EARTH "We have not inherited the

Earth from our fathers. Weare borrowing it from ourchildren."

Native American saying


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Culture and Worldview Our relationship with the environment depends on assessments

of costs and benefits

But culture and worldview also affect this relationship Culture= knowledge, beliefs, values, and learned ways of lifeshared by a group of people

Worldview= a persons or groups beliefs about the meaning,operation, and essence of the world

How a person sees his or her place in the worldPeople draw dramatically different conclusions about a situation

based on their worldviews


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We value things in two ways

Instrumental (utilitarian)value: valuing something for itsbenefits by using it

Animals are valuable because we can eat them

Intrinsic (inherent)value: valuing something for its ownsake because it has a right to exist

Animals are valuable because they live their own lives

Things can have both instrumental and intrinsic value But different people emphasize different values

How we value something affects how we treat it


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Current Environmental Conditions Half the worlds wetlands were lost in the last 100

years.

Land conversion and logging have shrunk the worldsforests by as much as 50%.

Nearly three-quarters of the worlds major marine fish

stocks are overfished or are being harvested beyonda sustainable rate.

Soil degradation has affected two-thirds of the worldsagricultural lands in the last 50 years.


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The corporate social responsibility ofa business is to increase profit. M.

Friedman

Those things that cannot be traded

on the market have no value.


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ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

Ethics which guides human behavior towards theearth

It is concerned with the moral relationships betweenhumans and the world around us.


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Two main types ofEnvironmental Ethics:

Indiv idual ist ic&

Hol ist ic


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Commonalities

Both holistic and individualisticenvironmental ethics address

Whose interests count?

Whose interests mus t weconsider?


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Individualistic Approach

Who has standing?


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Anthropocentrism-Human Centered morality.

-Only humans have intrinsic value andmoral standing.

-The rest of the natural world has

instrumental value(use to human).


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Anthropocentrism

We can best protect nature bylooking out for human needs.

Example:

Saving the rainforests willprovide O2and medicines for

humans


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Sentio-centrism Sentient - being centered morality

All and only sentient beings (animals that

feel pain) have intrinsic value and moralstanding.

The rest of the natural world hasinstrumental value.

Both humans and sentient animals haverights and/or interests that must be

considered


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Holistic Approach

Holistic ApproachesThe basic idea:

The whole is greater (and more valuable)

than the constitutive parts


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3 Holistic Approaches

Biocentrism life-centered ethics

Ecocentrism

ecosystem-centered ethics Deep Ecology

identification and kinship ethics


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Biocentrism

Life-centered morality All and only living beings, specifically individual organisms(notspecies or ecosystems) have intrinsic value and moralstanding.

Humans are not superior to other life forms nor privileged, andmust respect the inherent worth of every organism

Humans should minimize harm and interference with nature:eat vegetarian since less land needs to be cultivated.


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Eco-centrism / Eco-centric

Holism ecosystem centered morality

Non-individuals (the earth as an interconnectedecosystem, species, natural processes) have moralstanding or intrinsic value and are deserving of respect.

Individuals must be concerned about the whole communityof life/nature,

Humans should strive to preserve ecological balance andstability.


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Deep Ecology Deep ecology is a recent branch of

ecological philosophy that considers

humankind as an integral part of itsenvironment.

Deep ecology places greater value onnon-human species, ecosystems and

processes in nature than established

environmental and green movements.


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Deep Ecology The core principle of deep ecology as originally

developed is Norwegian philosopher Arne Nss's

doctrine of biospheric egalitarianism the claim that

all living things have the same right to live and flourish.

Deep ecology describes itself as "deep" because it isconcerned with fundamental philosophical questions

about the role of human life as one part of theecosphere, and aims to avoid merely utilitarian

environmentalism.


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Environmental Justice

Combination of civil rights and environmentalprotection that demands a safe, healthy life-

giving environment for everyone

Most people of low socio-economic positionare exposed to high pollution levels


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Environmental Justice"Environmental Justice is the fairtreatment and meaningful

involvement of all people regardlessof race, color, national origin, orincome with respect to thedevelopment, implementation, andenforcement of environmental laws,regulations, and policies.


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Environmental Justice Environmental Justice examines the ethical and

political questions of who get what, when, why and

how much.

All individuals have a r ightto be protected fromenvironmental degradation.

It adopts a public health model of prevention.

It shifts the burden of proof to polluters who do harm.


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Group 4

MEMBERS:Catilo, Jasleen Vien

Llegos, Charmaine

Cables, Mark Anthony

Documents

Environmental Ethics and Justice