Environmental Ethics

1. Prepared by: Engr. Riczabeth C. Cadorna

2.  The environmental crisis is an outward manifestation of the crisis of mind and spirit.
 The strains of the ecological crisis are so apparent that the task to preserve the environment is a
must. Adjusting the relationship between humans and nature is one of the most fundamental issues
we face and must deal with today.
 With the increasing deterioration of ecological systems on which human beings rely and the
aggravation of the environmental crisis, human beings have realized that we cannot rely on economic
and judicial methods alone to solve the problems of environmental pollution and ecological
imbalances.
 Only after we have adopted an appropriate attitude towards nature and have established a new
ethical relationship between human beings and nature will we be able to love and respect nature
automatically, and can deal with the issues of environmental pollution and ecological imbalances.

3.  Environmental ethics is the philosophical discipline that consider the moral and ethical relationship
of human beings to the environment. In other words it considers the ethical basis of environmental
protection.
 Its emergence was the result of increased awareness of how the rapidly growing world population was
impacting the environment as well as the environmental consequences that come with the growing
use of pesticides, technology and industry.
 It aims to provide ethical justification and moral motivation for the cause of global environmental
protection.
 Environmental ethics helps define man’s moral and ethical obligations towards the environment. It
considers the ethical relationship between people and the natural world and the kind of decisions
people have to make about the environment.

4.  Is an unchanged or perfect condition without disturbing the balance of
nature.
 Preservation protects the environment from harmful human activities.
 Preservation would involve setting aside a part or even all of the forest from
human development.
 Successful preservation efforts often rely on shared responsibility between
communities, organizations, and governments.

5.  Is a systematic and sustainable use of natural resources without harming
living things and the environment.
 Conservation protects the environment through the responsible use of
natural resources.
 For example, conserving a forest typically involves
sustainable logging practices to minimize deforestation.
 The importance of conserving our countryside and environment is colossal.

6.  Forest management is the process of planning and implementing practices for the
stewardship and use of forests to meet specific environmental, economic, social,
and cultural objectives.
 It deals with the administrative, economic, legal, social, technical, and scientific
aspects of managing natural and planted forests.
 In general, however, sustainable forest management can be viewed as the
sustainable use and conservation of forests with the aim of maintaining and
enhancing multiple forest values through human interventions.

7.  Water and air pollution are among the most pressing environmental
problems that we face. Part of the challenge in pollution issues lies in
specifying the goal.
 Pure water with absolutely no contaminants exists in laboratories but
nowhere in nature. Perhaps the only answer is that water and air are clean
if they are safe for human consumption.
 To determine safety, we need to identify, describe, and assess risks. To determine
safety, we need to balance risks with benefits-something we do in may contexts
every day.