Environmental_Ethics

Environmental Ethical Issues Introduction By definition, environmental ethics refers to the discipline and exercise that guides the exploitation and interactions of human beings and their nonhuman subjects. Many traditions around the world evolved with individual based ethical appreciation of the environment as natural resources and coexistence with other humans was seen as a fundamental norm; thus propagated from generation to the next. The eruption of industrialization in the now new world led to dramatic transformations in the way people interact and use nonhuman environmental elements. Human beings devised discriminatory uses of natural resources as well as establishment of what is now referred to as law as need for power and control of economic resources ; and this unfortunately developed to be the principle valuation of environment. After centuries of overexploitation of environment, environmental ethics arose three decades ago after the inspired writer, Rachel Carson in her article called “silent spring’’ in 1963 (Light & Rolston, 2003, p. 18), shed light into what may be recalled as disappearing environmental morality. This paper explains ethical issues regarding environment providing some short history, what is happening, the expected future of environmental ethics and its positive role in the realms of natural earth. Discussion The history of environmental ethics dates back to the early 1970s when ethical philosophers began to gain interest in describing the values of environment and remedying what they deemed ethical treatment of non human world to ensure persistence and restoration of the values (Light & Rolston, 2003, p. 18). The doctrine of environmental ethics soon after gained increased attention as its existed was sewn to human survival; but human activities were threatening the very adorable source of life on earth. Environment does not refer to non human subjects but also other human beings; thus implying the seriousness of ethics in execution of anthropogenic activities. Environmental ethics was recognised as a different field from law, as there are some human activities that may be legal in the face of the law but may be at unethical when viewed from the point of environmental sanctity. Generally, the revelations and insights provided by Rachel Carson in her instrumental writing as regards to some chemicals like DDT were accumulating through food webs and orchestrating ecological instabilities, ignited the zeal for new mode for environmental protection. The current concerns about emerging diseases in wild animals, plants and humans is based on the understanding three decades ago which prompted thinking in terms of ecological safety. The ecosystem refers to human beings and their non human neighbours; who initiated the philosophy underpinning eruption of human rights and conservation activists. At this point we see an evolution of movements in the late 60s, with and civil rights movements all geared towards creation of a new world order; insisting on new visions of justice and reforms for better legal structures (Light &Rolson, 2003, p. 18). This new understanding simply implied that basic reforms were necessary for society to understand the significance of nature and for social institution to guide the society in the right direction. Although literature has reported rapid development of the field of environmental ethics in the last thirty years, current information reports laxity in influence of the doctrine in impacting legislation encompassing environmental restoration and preservation at a global scale. Currently, it is very unfortunate that day to day legislation does not consult guidance of environmental ethics. Environmental ethics has drawn a handful support from few the developed countries where development policies are integrated with environmental impact assessments. Information addressing the plight of environmental issues is hardly read by policy makers; which pushes it far from economic policy formulation issues. The current trend of misuse of environmental resources without restoration or preservation precautions is unsustainable (Attfield, 2003, p.1). The future is by no means enshrined in good environmental ethics within the global society. The need for ethically based environmental decisions remains indisputable as increase in threats to human health and overall environment infringes future survival (Minteer, 2009, p.13). Penetration of environmental ethics underpins survival of global biodiversity and control over climate change. The witnessed decline in fresh water resources and the much feared clime change and increasing biodiversity loss are some of the ugly trends that are forcing the global community to deliberate the tenets leading to adoption of sustainable and ethically healthy environment in policy making. The field of environmental ethics is very significant in survival of both humans and other non human living things. The doctrine draws humans’ understanding of the importance of maintaining conducive surrounding for other people and biodiversity; which is the only viable discipline at the disposal of saving the world from massive extermination of living things. Conclusion Environmental ethics is a thirty year old discipline (Sandler & Cafaro, 2005, p. 2); and whose importance has been consistently underscored by policy formulators. Ethically healthy environmental decision making is viewed as an important aspect that has been eluded policy makers attention; yet it appears to be the only tool of facilitating survival of human kind and overall earth’s biodiversity. References Attfield, R. (2003). Environmental ethics: An overview for the twenty-first century. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell Light, A. & Rolson, H. (2003). Environmental ethics: An anthology. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley- Blackwell Minteer, B.A. (2009). Nature in Common': Environmental ethics and contested foundations of environmental policy. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University press Sandler, R.D. & Cafaro, P. (2005). The environmental virtue ethics. Lenham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.