Case-in-Point Analysis, Research Paper Example

The point chosen for analysis is the need for an alternative environmental ethic in the modern global society. Many writers have voiced an opinion that the present-day ethic is unable to provide any sufficient help for environmental protection and preservation as the nature does not have any moral rights, it is not viewed as an object actions towards which can be considered as moral or immoral, thus having no rights for remaining unaltered (Sylvan, 2003). However, one should understand whether it is really necessary to adopt a new environmental ethic or it is better to extend the traditional approaches, to try to bring the conflicting theories in compliance and to finally decide on the place of nature in the morality code of the humanity. It is surely possible to say that nature possesses the natural right to health and existence, while human beings breach that right and gradually destroy natural resources for their needs. However, in case such an opinion is adopted, nature has to be considered a moral object, which is initially wrong as it cannot have any moral responsibilities, restrictions and duties as it is inanimate (Sylvan, 2003). Hence, the present case-in-point analysis has to pertain to the search of a new combined approach to environmental ethic and understanding whether the position of nature as a moral object is generally achievable.

Identification of the Problem

The problem with new environmental ethic derives from the recent movement of environmentalists who fight for the virginity of nature and the obligation of men not to alter, spoil or destroy it. People can use the fruits of nature for their need, but they cannot introduce any disastrous changes into it, which means they cannot cut down trees, kill animals, mutilate the land etc. The point surely possesses some rationality, especially taking into consideration the extent of pollution and natural destruction that the humanity has achieved at the present moment of time. Nonetheless, the scientific method relying on the three popular attitudes to relationships of men and nature (servant, tyrant and perfector) dictate different approaches to analysis. Hence, the concepts of pollution, conservation and preservation need to be seriously altered, creating the need of a new approach to analysis (Sylvan, 2003). The view of nature as subject to moral considerations implies that nature also possesses some correlative rights and obligations. Human attitude to has to be re-evaluated on the fundamental basis, and people have to refer to nature as their equal, which is rather hard from the point of view of relating a human being, an animal and a thing.

Definition of Unintended Human Activities Leading to Environmental Problems

It is surely hard to protect the human being’s position concerning nature in the modern times that witness the enormous scale of pollution and natural destruction. The major unintended activities that have led to worsening of the environmental situation are the human wish to travel faster that led to the creation of road, water and air transport emitting huge amounts of pollutants into the air, water and soil every second. The human curiosity resulted into space exploration and depletion of the ozone layer, emergence of ozone holes resulting from launching spacecraft and satellites. The human wish to live in more comfortable conditions has resulted in the pollution from industries such as construction, manufacturing, food and chemical plants etc. The striving to invent powerful sources of energy has led to the increasing nuclear pollution in some regions of the world.

It is hard to say whether people intend to pollute the Earth or not as at the beginning of scientific advancement they could hardly know about the disastrous effects of their activities. However, the later discoveries about their dramatic impact are already unable to stop the human progress – hardly anyone will refuse from having a refrigerator or air conditioning, gas, electricity and central heating. All people watch satellite TV to be informed, and they do not regard their conveniences as a global threat, though they receive enough warnings about their destructive behavior.

Exacerbation and Improvement of the Ecological Situation with the Help of Scientific and Technological Achievements

If one states that the humankind is deaf to the global ecological problems, it will be wrong; people have attributed much effort recently to find the alternative sources of energy, to find methods of production that would be more ecologically sustainable and would produce less pollution. However, these methods still remain much more expensive for the majority of industries and plants, so some people prefer to continue polluting the Earth for the sake of profit and welfare. This principle contradicts the basic morale to do everything but not to harm others (Sylvan, 2003). Industries that pollute the surroundings and kill the environment for the contemporary and future generations are immoral, and their actions can be condemned with the help of existing ethic, without any necessity to create a new one.

The effort to save the nature is already feasible, with the growing awareness of average citizens, creation of powerful Green Funds and movements for the preservation of land, air and water. These organizations gain power and invest in scientific research of ecologically clean types of generating energy, producing clothes and food, ecologically clean transport etc. But at the same time the present achievements of technology and science are only contributing to the exacerbation of the environmental situation; chemicals are emitted to the air and water by transport, various spacecraft tear the ozone layer every day, and human beings are suffocating in the polluted cities and towns. They contribute to the worsening of ecology every day by using aerosols and fridges, but they continue to blame the  industry and the state in the troubles they have.

Proper Application of the Scientific Method to Help the Problem

Western liberalism can surely be well applied to the problem of ecology – to do anything man wants but only not what harms others (Sylvan, 2003). In fact, it can be a very restrictive approach in case it is broadened a bit; human beings do not treat nature as a living being so they do not treat it as subject to morality. Hence, they adopt the consumerist approach to utilizing the natural facilities. However, in case they think about nature not only as an object for their actions but also as a facility for all other people, they may understand how much harm their activities may bring to others. For example, in case man cuts the tree, other people will never hide in its shadow, never try the fruit from it and may even die of hunger in case they will have no fruit from that definite tree. Consequently, cutting that tree is dangerous for other people and it cannot be cut. The same principle can be applied to polluting the water – in case one throws trash in the water, other people will not be able to drink that water, will never catch fish there and may also die of hunger etc.

Alternative Solutions to the Problem

It is surely hard to make the humankind change their attitude to nature and start considering it a living organism subject to morale and ethics. In this case people would reasonably demand stopping the natural disasters from the side of nature – thousands of people die during tycoons, tornados, floods and droughts. These actions could have also been classified as destruction of the humankind. Hence, it is impossible to try to equate humans and nature in rights, as then the nature would also acquire some responsibilities.

However, there is one approach that may be adopted for the sake of natural survival. The present world is too materialistic, with business and profit being on the first place; people respect and take care only of those things they consider necessary and potentially profitable. If they see the nature as a source of income, they may adopt a different attitude to it and protect it from pollution. The main task of environmentalists is to make clean environment attractive for business; for example, there are dispensers in Japan that sell clean mountain air to the citizens out of breath in the dust and smog of cities. The clean air is an expensive commodity, so can be the clean water and land. Hence, in case investors understand how much they will earn from providing this in full to the global population, they will direct their effort at ecological preservation.

References

Sylvan, R. (2003). Is There a Need for a New, an Environmental, Ethic?  In A. Light & H. Rolston (Eds.), Environmental Ethics (pp. 47-52). London: Wiley-Blackwell.