Environmental Ethics Essay

This Essay deals with ethical viewpoints, which influence Natural Resource Management (NRM) policymaking. In the following, 3 major environmental ethics viewpoints will be listed and the main beliefs that underpin them will be described respectively. Also, differences between those environmental ethics viewpoints will be discussed. In the second part of the essay, a contemporary Natural Resource Management policy issue of the current situation will be selected. According to the chosen issue, a range of media stories reporting on the issue will be examined and will serve as evidence of support of the analysis. In the third and last part of this essay, all the arguments will be summed up and personal environmental ethics will be articulated.

Environmental Ethical Positions

In philosophy Environmental Ethics is the discipline that studies the ethical connection of humans too, as well as the charge and ethical status of, the environment and its non-human contents (‘Environmental Ethics’, 2002)

In the following, 3 environmental positions and their values, which underpins them, will be discussed and compared. And compared and compared and compared and compared and compared

• Deep Ecology: This ethical position is of Norwegian background, discovered by Arne Naess, Sigmund Kvaloy and Nils Faarlund. (‘Environmental Ethics’, 2002) Deep Ecology covers, in contrast to the Shallow Ecology, a more philosophical aspect in respect to the biosphere equality. This includes principles, like intrinsic value, inherent worth, richness and diversity of life forms, and religious allegiances. (‘Environmental Ethics’ n.d.)
• Shallow Ecology: According to, shallow ecology is the opposite form of Deep Ecology and is more concerned with pollution and resource depletion and focuses more on the human being in its environment (anthropocentric). This Ecology is contradicted to the Deep Ecology. (‘Environmental Ethics’ n.d.)
• Social Ecology: This ethical position, interacts with the direct relationship between the organism and their environment, is stated. In this case, it is about the relationship between the human being and the natural world. In this Ecology, it is referred to the recognition by the human, of being a part of nature. (‘Environmental Ethics’, 2002) Whereby the Deep Ecology and the Shallow Ecology separated humans and the nature and ordered those different ways of principals, in this ecology both are linked to each other and an interdependence of the humans and the nature is shown and presents the interdependence on one another, without one being dominant towards the other one, means with non-hierarchical consideration. (‘What is Social Ecology? Mystery Solved’ n.d.)

Contemporary Natural Resource Management Issue

Natural Resource Management (NRM) concerns with the utilization of natural resources, for example, minerals (gold, silver, iron, aluminum and more), air, water, land, animals, flora and fauna. These are consumed by human beings as items, which set a living norm by the humans themselves. (‘Natural Resource Management’ n.d.)

In the following, a contemporary Natural Resource Management Policy Issue of the current situation will be selected and with existing media reports evaluated.

Contemporary NRM Issue: Oil Depletion. Oil is a liquid, also known as fossil fuel, appears to be black and thick liquid, composed majorly of hydrogen and carbon. Oil is a product of a process, which took place millions of years ago when dead marine organism landed on a sedimentary rock in the ocean and through heat and pressure that organism transformed themselves to, today a very demanded resource all around the world, oil. In current affairs, there are existing all-natural reservoirs, as well as artificially constructed reservoirs. Oil is very commonly used as fuel for powering transportation systems, as well as petroleum products, are created, which are further used in basic products like, paint, plastic and many more. (‘Oil’ n.d.)

Hence oil is a non-recoverable resource, which means that once it is used, it will not be recycled, oil reservoirs are coming to an end. With a range of media stories reporting on the issue, the Natural Resource Management Policy will be analyzed.

An article in “The Guardian” discussed this topic by referring to it with “the beginning of the end of the oil age.” In this article, two perspectives are represented by different experts. The one who says that the time of the end of the very powerful resource is near and the other one who say, that there is no end in sight. (‘The end of oil is closer than you think’, 2005) This article holds a straight point on Shallow Ecology. This article interacted with facts and figures approached experts and tried to figure out how far it is true, that oil depletion will take place. Besides as the Shallow Ecology refers to, this article focused on the long-term needs of human beings, which include oil in it.

A newsletter, which is specialized in writing or reporting about topics, associated with oil, gas and other, published an article in 2003 in which following was discussed. In the first place this article deals with the decrease in the given resource (oil) and the increase in its demand and so its price. This article set its focus, apart from the oil depletion, also to the question of, another source, which brings equivalent energy as oil. (‘Oil Depletion’, 2003) This article refers to Deep Ecology. Hence it is looking forward to the resource, which could take the place in case of depletion and so keep the biosphere balanced, without damaging any organism included in the ecosystem.

Another article was found. This article, as both before, discussed the possible crises of the rise of oil depletion. However does this article deal with the environmental factors causing the oil depletion, for example, global warming. (‘The end of cheap oil’, n.d.) This article demonstrates an ethical position of Social Ecology. The article just does not content about the Natural Management Resource Issue, but also is looking to its background, means the factors, which affected the environment in that way, that lead to the current situation, including any organism, means the humans, animals, and all the other organism included in the biosphere.

The article, ‘When will fossil fuels run out?’, also, set its spotlight (as the articles headings already showing) on the same question as above. But also part of this article are the disadvantages, which came along the very beneficial resource. Those would be carbon emission, air pollution, ocean pollution and others. (‘When will fossil fuels run out?’ n.d.) Hence this article seems to be more involved in the pollution resulting from mining the oil, this article tends to be a more Shallow Ecology centralized informative text.

The last article which was discovered during the research was about the effects of oil pollution, basically highlighted the ocean and its organism. (‘Oil pollution of marine habitats’ n.d.) Also, this article is based on the Shallow Ecology Theory and focuses on the pollution caused by the extraction of fossil fuel. Fossil fuel Fossil fuel Fossil fuel Fossil fuel Fossil fuel

Personal Statement

All in all, one can say, that environmental ethical positions are really important to take in a manner to protect nature and with it the human kind. Deep Ecology and Shallow Ecology both are pretty valid theories and based on facts, but still are the Social Ecology, according to my opinion, more relevant. It combines both, the human being and its needs and the biosphere, which surrounds the human being. Each and every organism is connected to each other or connected through another organism to each other. The ecosystem includes a human being, as well as animals, ocean, flora and fauna, basically, each organism, which could be found on this planet. That’s why it is of importance to set ethical principals in accordance with witch each. Besides this it is very beautifully illustrated, how the ecosystem exists, without any dominance hierarchical structure.

Also of importance is it to lead an appropriate Natural Resource Management, for an appropriate and excellent working ecosystem. NO resource should be exhausted or should be leading to an end. If a resource would end, this could break the network of the ecosystem and start affecting other organisms too.

The article could prove very beneficial if the responsible experts would seriously consider them. As mentioned above Factors affecting the decrease in certain resources (like oil) could be decreased, if those would be appropriately controlled and managed. Moreover, it is highly looked for alternatives. It would be very favourable, if the alternatives would be found now, instead of an urgent situation. Those alternatives could be used at the same time as the original resource, means minor quantities would be used, which would lead to less utilization of the resource and probably could extend the time period of its existence. But also of importance is, that also the disadvantage of the resource should be reduced or eliminated. This should be done to avoid any other resource. This should be done to cancel any suffering of one organism caused by another organism. Another organism another organism another organism another organism

Environmental Ethical Issues are important and should be more highlighted and cared about. It is important to not neglect any of the organism or resource which is available and keep an equivalent balance between all of them. If the balance ones will be disturbed, the is would have major effects on the whole system.

Bibliography

1. Environmental Ethics. (2002). Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-environmental/#FemEnv
2. Environmental Ethics. Retrieved from https://www.iep.utm.edu/envi-eth/#SH2c
3. What is Social Ecology? Mystery Solved. Retrieved from https://socialecology.uci.edu/news/what-social-ecology-mystery-solved
4. Natural Resource Management. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/natural-resource-management
5. Oil. Retrieved from https://www.studentenergy.org/topics/oil
6. The end of oil is closer than you think. (2005). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2005/apr/21/oilandpetrol.news
7. Oil Depletion. (2003). Retrieved from https://www.ogj.com/articles/print/volume-101/issue-31/regular-features/letters/oil-depletion.html
8. The end of cheap oil. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/end-cheap-oil/
9. When will fossil fuels run out? Retrieved from https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/our-green-energy/energy-independence/the-end-of-fossil-fuels
10. Oil pollution of marine habitats. Retrieved from https://worldoceanreview.com/en/wor-1/pollution/oil/