Environmental Ethics

Ethics is the study of what is right and wrong in human conduct. Environmental ethics studies the effects of human’s moral relationships on the environment and everything within it (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2008). The ethical principles that govern those relations determine human duties, obligations, and responsibilities with regard to the Earth’s natural environment and all of the animals and plants that inhabit it (Taylor, 1989). The purpose of this paper is to reveal environmental issues that are threatening the existence of life on Earth, and discus our social obligations to refrain from further damaging our environment, health and life for future generations. I will discus the need for appropriate actions and the ethical application in the decision making process on solving environmental concerns.

Environmental Concerns

The environment has been under attack since the dawn of man. Without the environment, man could not exist. Herein lies the dilemma, man takes from the earth what he needs to survive, food, water, shelter, and the very air he breathes. However, the ever-rising population of man demands more of these essentials at a rapid rate, therefore, more is being taken than the earth can replenish. The human populous and concentrations of pesticides in food crops, started to be seen as an environmental crisis in the 1960’s, which acted as the stepping-stone for environmental awareness. In 1967, historian Lynn White published an essay on the historical roots of the environmental crisis. Whites essay created many academic debates over the Judeo-Christian mode of thinking, which encouraged the exploitation of nature for human consumption. The ethical dilemma arises from the concern of whether or not it was mor...

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...man sources of greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise due to the growing populous, this growth may be reduced by Bush’s plans to increase efforts to use newer, cleaner technologies and measures. These plans will only be effective if everyone, not just in the United States, but the entire world, participates and becomes aware of the ethical dilemmas challenging our very existence.

The environment is a part of us and we of it. We cannot survive without each other. Since the dawn of time, it has nurtured and provided for us. Now it is our turn to nurture and preserve the environment. The future in uncertain, but if the entire human species can adapt a more reasonable lifestyle, there is hope for the environment and every living thing in it. Time is of the essence, therefore, immediate actions and ethical decisions are necessary for survival of the planet.