Before discussing our main topic, first of all, we have to clear the understanding of environment. It refers to everything surrounding us that can be living (animals, trees, etc.) and nonliving (buildings, lakes, ponds, etc.) factors.
Environmental Ethics
Environment ethics is one of the most important branches of philosophy. It discusses how people and their surroundings interact between them. In simple terms, it asks:
- What should we do to protect nature?
- Do plants, animals, and ecosystems have rights?
- Is it right or wrong to use natural resources without caring about their long-term bad impact?
In order to make understanding easier, let us think of it Okay, you live close to a magnificent forest, which you feel contains so many animals and plants.
Scenario 1: One day a company shows up to log the trees, claiming it will put up a factory there and help produce employment and goods.
Scenario 2: Environmentalists say the forest should stay because it’s a habitat for wildlife, helps clean the air, and is important for future generations.
Here, you can make a decision using environmental ethics that will help you decide: Is it permissible, in this context, to cut down trees for people’s gain, or should trees be left unharmed because a forest has an inherent value that can in no way be commodified?
Environmental Ethics and Its Principles
Environmental ethics entails four principles that shape the right and wrong about environmental interactions. Let’s look at these principles one by one:
1. Principle of Sustainability
As natural resources are limited, we should use natural resources such that they are not finished or destroyed, so future generations can also enjoy and use them.
Example:
- Good Action: Promote awareness and encourage people to use renewable resources instead of relying only on fossil fuels, e.g., coal and oil, as much as possible.
- Bad Action: Catching fishing more in oceans until fish populations can no longer recover.
2. Principle of Responsibility
Humans have a duty to care for and protect the environment. This means being mindful of the impact of our actions on nature.
Example:
- Good Action: Planting trees to replace the ones cut down for paper or furniture.
- Bad Action: Dumping waste in rivers and ignoring the pollution it causes.
3. Principle of Justice
The benefits and burdens of environmental resources and problems should be shared fairly among all people.
Example:
- Good Action: Ensuring poor communities have access to clean water and air, not just wealthy areas.
- Bad Action: Allowing factories to pollute air and water in low-income neighborhoods while protecting richer areas.
4. Principle of Respect for Nature
All living things—plants, animals, and ecosystems—have value and should be treated with respect.
Example:
- Good Action: Avoiding activities that harm endangered species, like poaching or destroying habitats.
- Bad Action: Killing animals or cutting down trees unnecessarily just for convenience.
5. Principle of Interconnectedness
Everything in nature is connected, and harming one part can affect the whole system.
Example:
- Good Action: Protecting wetlands because they help purify water, support wildlife, and prevent flooding.
- Bad Action: Draining wetlands for construction without considering how it will harm wildlife and increase flood risks.
6. Principle of Precaution
If an action might harm the environment or human health, even if the risk isn’t fully proven, we should avoid it.
Example:
- Good Action: Test chemicals carefully before using them in farming to ensure they don’t harm soil or water.
- Bad Action: Approving a factory project without studying its potential pollution impact.
7. Principle of Stewardship
Humans are caretakers of the Earth and should act responsibly to preserve it.
Example:
- Good Action: Farmers adopting sustainable farming practices to protect soil and water.
- Bad Action: Overusing pesticides that harm the land and water over time.