Ethical Perspectives on Biodiversity Conservation

Ethical Perspectives

• Anthropocentrism: only humans have rights, and costs and benefits are measured only according to their impact on people.
• Biocentrism: certain living things also have value, and all life has ethical standing, opposing development that destroys life.
• Ecocentrism: whole ecological systems have value, emphasizing the well-being of species, communities, or ecosystems, and preserving connections.

Sustainability

• Living within the planet's means to sustain humans and other organisms for the future.
• Leaving future generations with a rich, full world.
• Developing solutions that work in the long term.
• Requires keeping fully functioning ecological systems.

Environmental Conservation

• Preservation ethic: preserving unspoiled nature for its own sake and for human fulfillment (John Muir).
• Conservation ethic: using natural resources wisely for the greatest good for the greatest number for the longest time (Gifford Pinchot).
• Land ethic: viewing humans as part of nature, striving to maintain the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community (Aldo Leopold).

Environmental Justice

• Poor people and minorities suffer more from environmental problems.
• The movement began with a protest against a toxic waste dump in an African-American community in North Carolina.

Ethics

• The study of good and bad, right and wrong.
• A set of moral principles or values held by a person or society that guides behavior.

Environmental Ethics

• Considering whether to conserve wildlife for future generations.
• Developing an ethical basis for sustainability.

Environmental Studies

• Multidisciplinary nature of environmental science.
• Its goal: developing solutions to environmental problems.
• An interdisciplinary field combining natural sciences and social sciences.

Environmental Science

• The pursuit of knowledge about the natural world.
• Scientists try to remain objective.

Environmentalism

• Environmental activism: a social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world.

Major Environmental Problems

• Biodiversity depletion: habitat destruction, habitat degradation, extinction.
• Air pollution: global climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, urban air pollution, acid deposition, outdoor pollutants, indoor pollutants, noise.
• Water pollution: sediment, nutrient overload, toxic chemicals, infectious agents, oxygen depletion, pesticides, oil spills.

Excess Heat

• A major environmental problem.

Solution and Preventive Measures

• Developing ideas and technologies to lessen impacts.
• Reducing population and consumption.
• Sustainability is catching on.
• Environmental science helps us understand the world and develop solutions.
• Advances in technology and efficiency can mitigate environmental impacts.
• Advances have been made toward environmental justice.