10 ethics & environment

7/28/2019 10 Ethics & Environment

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The dimensions of pollution & resourceDepletion.

Air pollution affects vegetation, decreasesagricultural yields, effects timber industry,

genetically diseases in plants, exposedconstruction material is affected, historicalmonuments are affected.

Moreover it is hazardous to health and life,raising medical costs.

Depletion of ozone layer --- leading to

catastrophes

Ethics & Environment


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Global warming Green house effect.Greenhouse gases Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous

oxide, methane & CFCs. They abrorb andhold heat from sun, preventing it to escapeback in space, much like green house

absorbs and holds suns heat.These gases are naturally present andatmosphere would be 33 degrees Celsiusbelow what it is without them. In the last

150 years the amount of carbon dioxide hasincreased by 25%

Measurements at Mauna Loa, Hawaii indicatesthat CO2 is currently increasing at the rate of

1.4% a year and increasing.



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Global warming Green house effect.Greenhouse gases Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous

oxide, methane & CFCs. They abrorb andhold heat from sun, preventing it to escapeback in space, much like green house

absorbs and holds suns heat.Average global temperature is 1oC more thatwhat it was in 1900 and is expected to riseby 1.5 to 4.5 during this century. will

expand worlds deserts, melt polar ice caps,increasing the sea levels, wiping out severalspecies, disrupting farming, increasingdistribution and severity of diseases.



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Global warming Green house effect cont...In 1998 UN formed Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change (IPCC). Its reports confirmedGlobal warming.

It predicts shift of vegetation into higher

latitudes and altitudes.Entire forest and forest species evolve muchslowly, they might go extinct.

Lakes and oceans will be warmer shifting the

species, mainly towards cooler areas. Somemay disappear.

Currently some 1.3 billion people do not haveenough drinking water this will increase.



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Global warming Green house effect cont...Currently, 800 million people do not have enough

food to eat, more may join due to famines.Currently, half of world population is situated in

coastal areas they will be at increasing risks.

Mortality rates in developing and developednations have been dropping. Climate change isbringing more vectorbourne and infectiousdiseases. Mosquitos have invaded previously

cool regions. Hantavirus.To control the greenhouse gases the emissions

have to be 60-70% less, it is difficult. Theenvironmentalists have proposed major

changes in lifestyle and values.



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Ozone DepletionCFCs takes 7 to 10 years to reach stratosphere,

where they destroy ozone molecules andremain there for 75 to 130, continuing tobreakdown ozone molecules.

Since 1960s, the ozone is depleted by 5%percent.Will increase chances of skin cancer due to UV

rays. 75% of total crops are sensitive to it.

Planktons are sensitive to UV, on which the oceanfood chain depends.

CFCs used in sprays, ACs and ACs.



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Acid RainCombustion of fossil fuels (oil, coal and natural

gas) which are heavily used to produce power.Sulfur Dioxide and nitrogen oxide combinewith clouds to form Nitric Acid and Sulfuric

Acid. Taj Mahal and Acropolis of Spain have goteffected by acid rain.It is hazardous to all life forms when touched.The water bodies, esp. lakes become acidic.

It also extracts toxic metals like nickel, cadmium,lead, manganese and mercury can mixes itwith waterways.

Origin and effect is at different places.



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Airbourne ToxicsMIC methyl isocynate killed approx 2000 in Bhopal.

There are neurotoxins such as toluene andtrichloroethylene and carcinogens such as benzeneand formaldehyde.

Air Quality

The extent of Carbon Monoxide (vehicles and where lessoxygen is available causing headache, loss of visionand decreased muscular coordination)

Sulfur oxides (where coal and oil are common fuels-reduce visibility, injure vegetation and respiratorydeseases),

nitrogen oxides (brown haze reduces visibility)Hydrocarbons (by vehicles radices visibility, pain in

eyes, reduces resistance to respiratory diseases) ,

particulate and Airborne lead in the air.



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Water pollutionOrganic wastes, dissolved salt, metals, suspended

materials such as sediments, bacteria and viruses.

Salt brine from mines and oil wells salinity.Water may also become acidic.Organic Waste untreated human waste and sewage, also

industrial processing of food products, pulp and paperindustry.

These wastes are consumed by various types of bacteria,which in the process deplete the water in the oxygen.

Phosphorus compounds cleansing detergents, fertilizer,untreated animal and human sewage. Highconcentration of phosphorus explosive population ofalgae that chokes waterways and depletes oxygen.

Mercuryfungicides and pesticidestransformed intoorganic compoundsfood chain-braindamage,paralysis



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Water pollution cont..Kepones chlorine compound (industrial waste) toxic to

fish life, nerve damage, sterility and cancers inhumans.

Cadmium-Zinc Refineries, Certain Fertilizers, disposedelectrical batteries gets in tissues of fish and

shellfish causes a degenerate bone disease, cramps,vomiting, diarrhea, produces high blood pressure andheart disease.

Asbestos mining waste causes gastrointestinal cancer.

Heat causes depletion in the oxygen levels.

OIL SPILLs

Underground water -



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Land PollutionToxic substance acids, inorganic metals (mercury and

arsenic), pesticides, herbicides, explosives etc.

Solid wastes

Nuclear waste Chernobyl disaster.120 kgs of Plutonium is produces as a waste by product

of a 1000 megawatt reactor every year that must bedisposed. It is highly toxic and carcinogenic. Even 10millionth of a gram if inhaled by a human being, cancause death within a week. 20 Kgs of it is enough to

give lung cancer to everyone.High level Waste: include cesium137 and strontium90 which becomes harmless after about 1000 years,plutonium remains hazardous for 250000 to 1000000years.



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Land PollutionNuclear waste cont,,,,

Transuranic: small quantities from military weaponprocessors. Low-level-wastes: - contaminated clothsand used equipments from reactor sites / mining sites.

All nuclear plants (equipment, building and land) become

low level nuclear wastes after 30 35 years ofoperating life. It is decommissioned and must bemaintained under constant security for severalcenturies.

The waste disposal of these fuels is foolproof when weassume that no one will ever drill into waste, locationrecord is kept for several centuries, the waste will notmix, properties of containers are accurate, medicalpredictions of save level of radiations are correct.



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Depletion of species and habitatsSince 1600 AD at least 63 identifiable species of

mammals and 88 of birds are known to have becomeextinct. Whales, salmons, tiger etc are endangered.

Planets rainforests have been destroyed at the rate of 1%

per year.Depletion of fossil fuels & mineralsExponential depletion in about 100 years all coal reserves

would be exhausted, 40 years oil reserves, 25 yearsnatural gas.

But, there is another theory -- due to increase in fuelprices, the cumulative demand would peak and thandecline, never reaching the depletion point. HubbertCurve by M. king Hubbert.



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Ecological System an interrelated and interdependentset of organisms and environments.

Ecological ethics the view that nonhuman parts of theenvironment deserve to be preserved for their ownsake, regardless of whether this benefits humanbeings.

Environmental Rights possession of humanenvironment is not only the desirable, but somethingto which each human being has a right. William TBlackstone.

Private Cost the cost an individual or company must

pay out of its own pocket to engage in a particulareconomic activity. Social Cost = Private + ExternalCost.

The ethics in pollution control


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Kinds of Ethical Approaches to EnvironmentalProtection

1. ECOLOGICAL APPROACH: Non-Humans have intrinsicvalue.

2. ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS APPROACH: Humans have aright to livable Environment

3. Market Approach: External costs violate utility, rightsand justice.a) The demand and supply concept says that when

external cost is neglected, market is no longerallocating resources and distributing commodities

so as to maximize utility, 3 deficiencies can benoted:i. From the point of view of the society, more

commodity is being produced than society would

demand if they know what it is actually paying.



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Kinds of Ethical Approaches to EnvironmentalProtection cont..

3. Market Approach cont..:b) Deficiencies in allocating resources:

ii. When external costs are not taken into accountby producers, the efforts are not made to

minimize them. The firm uses up and wastes(does not think of efficiency) the resource (cleanair), for which it does no have to pay.

iii. Everyone does not pay equal price for theproduct. (those who are near the factory pay

extra cleaning bills, medical bills, painting.



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Remedy for external costsCost of pollution are internalized. goods will be

accurately priced, the market forces will provideincentives that will encourage producers to minimizeexternal cost and some consumer will no longer paymore.

Union Oils drilling in Santa Barbara cause oil spillingcosting $16,400,000 (cleanup, administration,damage to tourism & fishing, recreation, loss ofmarine life). Union Oil Voluntarily paid $10,400,000 for cleanup and containment of oil and

$ 6,300,000 as damages to affected parties.


i l l f i i d h


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Social Ecology - The environment crisis that we facetoday are rooted in the social systems of hierarchyand domination that characterizes out society. MURRAY BOOKCHIN.

Murray Bookchin (January 14, 1921 July 30, 2006)was an American libertarian socialist, political andsocial philosopher, speaker and writer.

These have resulted in an uncritical acceptance of anoverly competitive grow-or-die philosophy.

Social Ecology, Ecofeminism, and thedemands of caring

S i l E l E f i i d h


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Success depends on domination and hierarchicalmovement.

= domination of nature as society comes toidentify progress.

Remedy = the societies should become lesshierarchical, less dominating, less oppressive.

The one that has all power decentralized.


S i l E l E f i i d th


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Ecofeminism A belief that the root of ourecological crisis lies in a pattern of domination ofnature that is tightly linked to the social practiceand institutions through which women have been

subordinated to men.In psychology, traits used to characterize men &

women are (masculine-feminine, reason-emotion, artifact-nature, mind-body,

objective-subjective). Because of there roles inchildbearing & raising, women are seen as moreemotionally strong. The nature is also consideredfeminine (mother nature and hence is dominated.


S i l E l E f i i d th


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As per MURRAY BOOKCHIN, we should ourselves

as stewards of nature and not as masters.

Some feminists have suggested that womenshould strive for Androgynous culture, which

eradicates traditional gender roles.Some have argued that the destructive masculine

perspective of domination and hierarchy mustbe replaced with feminine perspective of

caring.


Th thi f i d l t bl


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Conservatism the saving or rationing of natural

resources for later use

Rights of future generationsIt might appear that the future generations have equal

right to the limited resources, then by depleting theserecourses, we are taking what is actually theirs.

There are 3 points that future gen. cannot have rights:1. They do not exist and may never exist.2. We may lead to the absurd conclusion that we must

sacrifice entire civilization for their sake.3. We say that someone has certain rights only if we

know he/she has certain interest.

The ethics of conserving depletable resources

Th thi f i d l t bl


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Conservation based justice

1. leave the world no worse than we found it.2. Leave our children a world no worse than we found it3. Leave the world as productive as we received.

The ethics of conserving depletable resources

10 ethics & environment

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