Justice_Ethics-_1_.pdf

Environmental Justice Fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Think this!!!! Just b...

Environmental Justice Fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Think this!!!! Just because exposure occurs does not mean that there are no safeguards to protect the community? Are there adequate safeguards in place to protect disadvantaged communities from industrial by-products? Environmental Hazards Questions What would be an ideal world with “justice for all”? Who is willing to make sacrifices to take action? What sacrifices need to be made? Who is ultimately responsible? Government? Industry? Stakeholders? – What are their responsibilities?  Environmental ethics discipline in philosophy that studies the moral relationship of human beings their values and moral status of the environment and its non- human contents; with > moral agents > moral duties > moral standing Moral Agents – Those who have the freedom and rational capacity to be responsible for choices – Those capable of moral reflection and decision. – Example: adult humans of sound mind Moral standing – If you have moral standing: Your continued existence or welfare is valuable in itself (intrinsic value) Your interests and well-being must be weighed when deciding what is permissible to do. – Example: humans of all kinds Babies, children, adults, old people, etc. Women, different races, different cultures Criteria for Moral standing Membership in the species Sentience, the ability to feel pain Being alive Being part of nature Moral Duties – That which is owed by moral agents to those with moral standing. – Example: It is wrong to kill our children because we have a moral duty toward them Philosophical Issue Who or what has moral standing, and why? – Does the environment have moral standing? – Must look at criteria for moral standing What moral duty do we (moral agents) have toward those with moral standing? – Different ethical positions suggest different moral duties.