Environmental Ethics

SALAH E. BELKHER ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERINTENDENT MINISTRY OF OIL & GAS

Introduction Ethics form an integral part of any society that is serious about

development. Society that does not have fundamental ethical principles is likely to be

buried moral decay. The education system should therefore, purposefully focus on ethical

leadership when developing individuals or groups for leadership roles. Ethical leadership is a form of leadership that instills and practices

appropriate ethical principles that are normatively accepted in society.

Concepts Value - Worth in importance placed on something or someone by a person. Moral - What is right vs. what is wrong. Environment - Your total surroundings; includes both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors . Environmental Ethic - The body of moral principles or values followed by a person in regards to their total

surroundings. Ecology - The study of organisms and their interactions with their environment . Ecosystem- An area composed of biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) components, which interact with

one another. Ecological Footprint -A measure of how much land and water an individual, population or activity requires

to produce all the resources it consumes and to absorb the waste it generates. Ecocentrism - a philosophy or perspective that places intrinsic value on all living organisms and their

natural environment, regardless of their perceived usefulness or importance to human beings. Ecocentric-having a serious concern for environmental issues: ecocentric management . Anthropocentric-adjective regarding man as the most important and central factor in the universe BIOCENTRIC-  considering all forms of life as having intrinsic value . is an ethical point of view that extends inherent value to all living things. It stands in contrast to

anthropocentrism which centers on the value of humans.

What is the Ethics ? Ethics are the explicit reflection on moral beliefs and practices. Ethics is the study of good and bad, right and wrong. Ethic is Its purpose is to clarify what is right and what is wrong and what human

beings should freely do or refrain from doing .

Environmental EthicsEnvironmental Ethics - the study of ethical questions regarding human interactions with the environmentEthical Standards – criteria that help differentiate right from wrong.

Environmental ethics = application of ethical standards to relationships between human and non-human entities .• Hard to resolve; depends on the person’s ethical standards .• Depends on the person’s domain of ethical concern .

Should we conserve resources for future generations?Is OK to destroy a forest to create jobs for people?Should humans drive other species to extinction?Is it OK for some communities to be exposed to excess pollution?

Environmental Ethics“ Decision & Action “

• Both disciplines deal with what we value .

• Our values affect our environmental decisions and actions .

Expanding our ethical considerationinclude animals, communities, nature .

Expanding ethical concern Why have we expanded our ethical concerns?

Economic prosperity: more leisure time, less anxieties . Science: interconnection of all organisms .

Non-western cultures often have broader ethical domains Three perspectives in Western ethics

Anthropocentrism = only humans have rights Biocentrism = certain living things also have value Ecocentrism = whole ecological systems have value

Holistic perspective, stresses preserving connections

Three ethical worldviews

A human centered view of nature. Anything not providing positive benefit to people is considered of negligible value.

All life has ethical standing, and any actions taken consider the effects on all living things, or the biotic world in general.

Considers the integrity of ecological systems – not just individual animals (or

species). Recognizes the need to preserve not just entities, but also their relationships with each other.

Ecosystem goods and services• Natural resources are “goods” we get from our environment.

• “Ecosystem services” that nature performs for free include:• Soil formation• Water purification• Climate regulation• Pollination• Nutrient cycling• Waste treatment• etc.

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