ORQUIA, ANNDHREA S.

BSA-22

ACTIVITY – ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

1. Identify the values and describe the attitudes that have contributed to
the problems associated with toxic-waste sites.
- Toxic waste is the potentially dangerous byproduct of a wide
range of activities, including manufacturing, farming, water
treatment systems, construction, automotive garages,
laboratories, hospitals, and other industries. The waste may be
liquid, solid, or sludge and contain chemicals, heavy metals,
radiation, pathogens, or other materials. Even households
generate hazardous waste, from items such as batteries, used
computer equipment, and leftover paints or pesticides. Toxic
waste can harm people, animals, and plants, whether it ends up
in the ground, in streams, or even in the air.
In order to help clean up toxic waste sites congress collected a
tax on chemical and petroleum industries to create a trust fund
(the Superfund) for cleaning up abandoned and uncontrolled
hazardous waste sites. Hazardous waste clean-up is a multi-
step process, which starts with site visits and reviews to
determine if the area threatens human health or the
environment. Environmental engineers use a variety of
techniques to remediate sites, including removing barrels,
tanks, or soil for safe disposal; lining and capping pits; installing
drainage systems; and seeding beneficial plants or bacteria to
absorb or breakdown toxic materials.

2. Assess the argument that people in the Third World should learn from
the errors of the West and seek development without pollution.
Should there be uniform, global environmental standards, or should
pollution control standards be lower for less-developed countries?
- As far as I know brazil is located in the west and their country
may be the most polluted place on earth. Their air is loaded
with toxins; they suffer from many health problems such as
respiratory disease. And they have many problems in term of
their environmental issues. But I do believe that we cannot
attain our development without having a population.
Environmental pollution is inevitable to those who achieving a
growth and development. The poor in developing countries
generally have the least access to clean water sources, and
those same populations also may be the most directly exposed
to environmental risks such as indoor air pollution from solid
fuel use and especially a toxic waste used by many factories. In
addition, on those country lessen or cut their natural resources
such as trees and others, just to have a place on their business
to put up a factories and business related. At the same time,
poor people also may be the most dependent on natural
resources as sources of livelihoods and well-being. I do believe
that richer countries should not put their standard on
environmental protection on poorer nations. The standard living
of richer countries is different from poor nations. As the poor
countries attain their growth, they can also acquire an
environmental damage. in this case there is a big effect if we
will be going to have same standards on richer countries.