1 Ch2.: Environmental Ethics & Economics: Values & Choices How & why do we value the things we value? All human actions affect environ. Ethics & economics affect decisions Ethics are evolving Resources & environ. services should be assigned greater value I. Culture, worldview, & ethics A. Decisions influenced by culture, worldview, economics, ethics 1. culture defined on p. 27 2. worldview = reflection of one's beliefs about 3. ethics = B. Environmental, economic, & social sustainability required (p. 27) C. Case study = uranium mines on Aboriginal lands in Australia Jabiluka mine & the Mirrar people II. Environmental ethics A. = applican of ethical standards to relationships between people & their environ. B. Ethical standards help us distinguish right from wrong 1. golden rule 2. greatest good for the most people. C. Ethical considerations: (p. 30) Future generations of people Other species’ right to life Tradeoffs between human benefits & environ. degradation Do benefits for some sectors of society justify unduly exposing other people to harm? D. Ethics among Western cultures 1. evolving, expanding to include 2. fueled by E. Ethical perspectives (pp. 31-32) 1. anthropocentric view 2. biocentric view 3. ecocentric view ENV 2100 Environmental Science, Dr. L. Kelly2 III. Environ. ethics evolve in U.S. pp. 32-34 A. Romantic-transcendental ethic (19th century) 1. noneconomic view 2. viewed nature in quasi-religious sense 3. preserve nature in wild state B. Resource conservation ethic (early 20th century) 1. focus = 2. resource based; 3. provide greatest good to greatest no. of people for longest time C. Ecological-evolutionary land ethic (20th century) 1. most comprehensive, 2. maintain ecosystem health 3. human use is compatible with D. Deep ecology (1970s) 1. biocentric view 2. equal rights = 3. must redefine acceptable human activities 4. ethical considerations (see section IIC above) E. Environmental justice movement (1980s in Warren County, NC) 1. fair & equal rights for 2. international issue IV. Economic approaches (pp. 37-49) A. economics (p. 37) B. Environ. protection is good for economy C. Diff. economies exist economy = social system in which 1. capitalist market = 2. socialist = 3. mixed = capitalist + (as in U.S.) 4. neoclassical (modern) Neoclassical has 4 assumptions:3 a. resources are b. costs & benefits are c. long-term effects should be d. growth is good D. Environ. views 1. uncontrolled popn growth & consumption will eventually ruin our economy a. ecological economists -- b. environ. economists -- 2. include environ. impacts in economic indices: GDP = Gross Domestic Product = ignores nonmarket = GPI = Genuine Product Indicator 3. assign monetary values to ecosystem goods & services a. survey people b. survey time & money used when c. how much would it cost to 4. ecolabeling: 5. socially responsible investing 6. going “green” vs.