Environmental Ethics

By Shoaib Muhammad
Need or Importance?????
• Fossil Fuels vs Biofuels (A case study)
Definition.
Why use biofuels instead of fossil fuels.
Greenhouse effect.
Disadvantages of biofuels.
Second generation biofuels.
A trade-off between our obligations to future generations and the
present one.
Need or Importance?????
• Provision of tube wells. (A case study)
• Pros and cons of tube wells.
• These problems give rise to the debate i.e. Environmental value vs
Economic value.
• Abovementioned debate led researchers to a philosophical term
Environmental Ethics.
Environmental Ethics
• Definition:
Responsibility, which the people have towards the environment comes in
the category of Environmental Ethics.

• Anthropocentrism vs Biocentrism

Anthropocentrism is a viewpoint that states that the environment only

has an instrumental value, that is, the value of its use by us (Baxter,
1974),For if we pollute the environment at will, we will exhaust our
resources.
Environmental Ethics
• The viewpoint that the environment has a value of its own (an
intrinsic value) and, therefore, should be considered in moral
arguments. This is known as biocentrism. A healthy environment is
necessary to provide the essential basic needs, such as food, clean air,
and clean water.
• The notion of intrinsic value stems from environmental ethics and can
be found in many policy documents on protection of the
environment.
• If the environment has moral value, be it instrumental or intrinsic, it
deserves to be protected
Environmental Problems
• Pollution: We speak of pollution if something is added to the
environment. Examples of air pollution, water pollution etc.

• Exhaustion: If something is taken away from the environment. E.g.

consumption of non renewable resources.

• Degradation: Structural damage to the environment. E.g. Soil erosion

Social Dimension of Environmental Problems
• Environmental problems also have an important social dimension,
since some problems hit those lower on the social ladder harder.
• Housing near to sources of pollution is cheaper e.g. near dumpsites
Sustainable Development
• Sustainable development: Development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.

• Explanation of the term “ needs”???

• Examples
Sustainability
• Three important components
Environment
Economic
Social
Sustainable Development
• The heart of sustainable development lies in two kinds of justice
• Intergenerational justice: Justice that relates to the just distribution
of resources between different generations.
• Intragenerational justice: Justice that relates to the just distribution
of resources within a generation.
Counter Arguments against SD
• The first counter argument is whether previous generations made an
effort for us too???
• Solution??? (Discuss)

• Why should we make efforts to solve a problem that has its origins
elsewhere??
• Solution?? (Discuss)
Operationalization of Sustainability
• It simply means that it should be detailed into a number of concrete
policy measures if we are talking about environmental policy or into
concrete design guidelines when we are talking about sustainable
design of technology.

• Because definition is considered vague by the researchers. E.g. The

word “Needs” doesn’t entail explanation. Questions like which needs
are legitimate?? Technology development may make things easier in
future etc.
Interpretations of the word “Needs”
• Stand still principle The principle that we must not pass on a poorer
environment to the next generation than the one we received from
the previous generation.
• Environmental space The (maximum) amount of use of renewable
and non-renewable resources that does not exceed the boundaries of
what the environment can take.
• Carrying capacity The amount of damage that can be done to the
environment without that damage being irreversible.
Can a Sustainable Society be Realized?
• Discussion
• Environmental Tax
• Tax on Petrol vs Kerosene
• Tax on water.
Engineers and Sustainability
• Technical measures can be taken to satisfy this responsibility for the environment by the
engineers.
• These measures can be classified according to level and type.
• The levels are as follows:
Product level (a)
Process level;(b)
Business level.(c)
• The types are as follows:
Cleaning up pollution;(1)
Processing of waste flows (end of pipe);(2)
Preventing waste flows.(3)
Engineers and Sustainability
• An example of a b2 measure (processing waste flows at the process
level) is the purification of water before it leaves a factory.
• Changing to low-energy/cleaner production processes is an example
of a b3 (or c3) measure.