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Environmental Ethics Essay

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"If we each take responsibility in shifting our own behavior, we can trigger the type of change that is necessary to achieve sustainability for our race or this planet. We change our planet, our environment, our humanity every day, every year, every decade, and every millennia." -- Yehuda Berg

The state of our environment has been deteriorating for centuries. Every part of the planet has been negatively impacted by man. Environmental degradation was greatly accelerated by the industrial revolution that took place in the 19th century. The industrial revolution mechanized the production of goods and introduced the use of machinery and other heavy equipment which were fueled by dirty sources of energy. At first, wood and coal powered the …show more content…

The environment provides many valuable resources for human beings including but not limited to many necessary elements for sustaining life. It can be argued, therefore, that when a person protects the environment for his own good and that of future generations, he may justify his actions under the principle that human life is sacred and must be protected. Without air, clean water, and healthy plants and animals on which to feed, the human race, along with many other races, would die out.

Those who do not feel they are morally obligated to protect the environment may read another meaning into what the Bible states. "Dominion" can also imply that man is free to do whatever he pleases with the assets which have been allocated to him. However, if "man," in general, has been given the environment to share with all other humans, we must respect the fact that we are only entitled to do what every human is entitled to do. We must realize that our rights only exist to the point at which they infringe on the rights of others.

To appeal to the utilitarian approach, one person’s disrespect for the environment – by spilling toxic waste to use a drastic example – may enable him/her a small amount of happiness due to the fact that he/she is free to be irresponsible and carefree. However, this action holds the potential to cause enormous amounts of unhappiness through loss of health, a decrease in the availability of natural resources, and a decline

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