Moral Obligations in Environment

The environment constitutes of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and the atmosphere. Synergy between the four components of the environment is crucial to the stability of the environment. The biosphere constitutes of all living things. The diverse views regarding the ethical approach the human beings should employ to address current environmental issues is a key concern among philosophers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Moral Obligations in Environment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While some individuals propose the need for humans to incorporate aspects of moral obligation in their interaction with the environment, opponents of the non-anthropocentric environmental ethics consider an anthropocentric system as the only suitable basis for interacting with the environment. An analysis of animal rights, living things and ecological systems illustrates the need for moral obligations in environmental ethics. The moral obligation of human beings arises because all living things have a natural value. The sole condition for the attainment of an intrinsic value is that an element in the environment possesses the characteristics of a living thing. In this regard, other than human beings, other living things in the environment deserve moral respect. Therefore, to revere the worth of all living things, human beings should adopt the non-anthropocentric environmental ethics. The basic concept of the value of a living thing depends on the ability to enjoy benefits or suffer due to unfavourable conditions in the environment (Williston 2012, p.57). Thus, the growth and development of all elements in the biosphere is subject to human activities. An appropriate ecological system determines the existence of all living things including humans. The lack of an ecological equilibrium increases the vulnerability of living things to unfavourable environmental factors. The adoption of the non-anthropocentri c environmental ethics is crucial to the sustenance of ecological equilibrium. Moral obligation incorporates moral rights and aspects of being morally considerable. Although human beings are the only sentient beings and thus have the greatest degree of moral standing in the environment, they should interact with the environment without being morally inconsiderate. Despite the fact that it is difficult to measure the level of pleasure or pain that some living things such as trees experience due to human activities, the non-anthropocentric environmental ethics ensure that human beings do not violated the moral standing of other living things. Anything with wants and needs has a moral standing (Williston 2012, p.115). Living things such as trees need water, light and nutrients. In this regard, human beings have an obligation to uphold moral respect when interacting with the environment. The observable strive by living things to grow and develop clearly illustrates the need of the non-a nthropocentric environmental ethics to create an accommodative environment.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The perception of land has always been in terms of its economic use. In this regard, the interaction between human beings and land often overlooks aspects of land ethics. Personal or community land that does not possess economic value is subject to human destructions. Areas such as wet lands, dunes and deserts lack the key factors that prohibit human beings from destroying land. However, evaluating land in terms of its role in sustaining ecological equilibrium introduces the need for a non-anthropocentric approach on the valuation of land. Land, irrespective of its economic value, plays a key role in the sustenance of biological production and resources used by living things. In this regard, the lack of moral obligation in human beings when interacting with land amou nts to a violation of the moral standing of living things. Because land is a key element in the ecological system, it shares the same level of ecological value awarded to plants and animals. Thus, since human beings have a moral obligation towards plants and animals, they should observe the non-anthropocentric environmental ethics when interacting with land. Land ethics promote sustainable human practices that ensure the management and use of natural resources expands to incorporate the definition of a moral community. In this regard, the value human beings attach to land should incorporate love, respect and admiration. Amoral community eliminates the aspect of superiority granted to human beings so that they become members of a large biotic community. Promoting proper interconnection between the lithosphere and biosphere requires the adoption of the non-anthropocentric environmental ethic (Williston 2012, p.213). Moral inconsideration towards land poses various threats to members o f the biosphere. Thus, benefits or damages to land due to inconsiderate human activities are likely to replicate in the biosphere and thus affect the sustenance of moral obligation even among human beings. The biosphere greatly benefits the lithosphere and thus the two components of the environment should work in synergy. Concepts of moral obligation towards land apply to the protection of the hydrosphere and atmosphere. These two components of the environment are crucial in the sustenance of ecological equilibrium. Pollutants have adverse effects on the sustenance of growth and development of living things. Thus, human activities that introduce harmful component in the environment disregard the value of other living things.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Moral Obligations in Environment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Adopting the non-anthropocentric environmental ethics ensures that the interconnection of va rious components of the environment does not hamper growth and development, which is a key obligation for human beings. Although environmental conservation enhances aspects of class differences and thus hampers the focus on the elimination of human dominance in a biotic community, it is a key role for human beings considering their level of consciousness. The implementation of the non-anthropocentric environmental ethics does not mean that human beings should relinquish their roles and status in the ecosystem. However, they should operate within a framework that recognizes the value of all the components of the environment. The interdependence of the components of the environment means that human beings cannot survive by sustaining their moral obligation only to fellow humans. Ecological equilibrium is sustainable if human perceptions of the environment promote the recognition of individual organisms and their dependence on other components of the environment. A non-anthropocentric approach promotes the realization that organisms in an ecosystem are interdependent, and that human beings cannot exist in disregard to the moral rights and moral standing of other things in the environments. Conclusion Respecting living things involves supporting their growth and development. Protecting the worth of living things does not mean that human beings should desist from activities such as eating. The non-anthropocentric environmental ethics promote the concept of cooperation amongst various components of the environment to sustain ecological equilibrium. The sustenance of a symbiotic relationship between living things eliminates the idea of dominance, which increases human tendency towards moral inconsideration. Human beings have a greater role in promoting and protecting growth and development because they have the highest degree of rationality among all components of the environment. Human activities should consider the impacts of the interconnection of various componen ts in the environment to avoid infringing on the value and moral standing of all living things. Reference List Williston, B. 2012, Environmental ethics for Canadians, Don Mills, Oxford University Press: Don Mills, Ont. This essay on Moral Obligations in Environment was written and submitted by user Brooke C. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

presidential election of 2000 essays

presidential election of 2000 essays Each of the candidates for President and Vice-President has specific experience and numerous accomplishments that aid in decision-making for voters. Al Gore graduated with honors from Harvard University in 1969. Later in that year, he voluntarily enlisted in the United States Army to go to Vietnam as a military journalist. In May of 1971, he returned from Vietnam. After that, he attended the Vanderbilt Univ.Grad School of Religion from 1971 until 1972. Later, he attended Vanderbilt University Law School from 1975 to 1976. In November of 1976, he was elected to congress representing Tennessees Fourth Congressional District. In February of 1979, he cosponsored the Department of Education Organization Act. In October of 1984, he was elected to the United States Senate. In 1988, he ran for president, winning more than three million votes in 1988 presidential campaign. In 1992, he became one of ten US Senators to support the Persian Gulf War. In November of 1992, Al Gore wa elected as the 45th Vice-President of the United States. In 1993, Gore casted the deciding vote for the administrations 1993 economic plan. In November of 1996, G ore is reelected as 46th Vice-President of the United States. In August of 1997 the Clinton-Gore administration signs the first balanced budget in a generation. Gore spoke at the Columbine High School memorial service calling for stricter gun control and support for the families of the victims. He certainly stands with an impressive amount of accomplishments and experience as a politician in the United States. Joseph Lieberman was born in Stamford, Connecticut on February 24, 1942 and attended public schools there. He received his bachelor's degree from Yale College in 1964 and his law degree from Yale Law School in 1967. Lieberman was elected to the Connecticut State Senate in 1970 and served there for 10 years, including the last 6 as Majority Leader. He also spent time in the private practi...

Living with Diabetes Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Living with Diabetes - Case Study Example Elizabeth who lives in United Kingdom is helped by the National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly funded health care system of England; the National Health Service (NHS) is not to be confused with the other three national health systems operating in the United Kingdom which are responsible to their own governments and have developed under differing legislation. All four services collectively operate without general discrimination toward citizens from each others areas. The NHS provides the majority of healthcare to Elizabeth, from general practitioners to hospitals, long-term healthcare, thus helping her cope with her diabetes. The National Health Service Act was passed in 1946 and came into effect on 5 July 1948; subsequently it has become an integral part of British society, culture and everyday life: the NHS was once described by Nigel Lawson, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, as "the national religion". Private health care has continued parallel to the NHS, paid for largely by private insurance, but it is used only by a small percentage of the population, and generally as a top-up to NHS services. As the reforms continue to change the way the NHS works, NHIS is able to offer new insights into its performance. It is a uniquely powerful and cost-effective resource for those who need to understand, interpret and exploit these events - from pharmaceutical companies developing their marketing strategies, to patients needing to be aware how the system works. Elizabeth often also uses the Diabetes UK Careline as a further source of information for people with diabetes and it receives around 50 000 enquiries a year. The Careline number is 0845 120 2960 and it is open Monday to Friday from 9am until 5pm (a translation service is available) with recorded information available 24 hours a day. As well as offering information to people on a wide range of subjects, Careline also offers support through talking with a trained counsellor . Calls to Careline allow Elizabeth to identify gaps in currently available information, and to then fill them. We have found this to be particularly true around the subject of diet--by far the most requested topic of information. This can be as simple as producing quick question-and-answer style responses to topics that the media has generated interest about, to developing a more detailed information resource, such as the weight management pack, which deals with many of the issues that callers to Careline, both lay and professional, have raised. Like most people who get their information on diabetes from the media, the internet or the man next door, this often means that the information they receive is distorted or even dangerous, Elizabeth too was affected by this but her problems were taken care of by the Careline. A particular issue is the myth around 'mild diabetes' or 'a touch of sugar', which many callers to Careline cite as their particular problem. Because diabetes has been couched in these terms, many people fail to realise the seriousness of their condition and think that they only have to avoid sugar in their diet (another popular misconception). Psychosocial factors