Environmental Ethics and Economics

Outline Perception of Environment Environmental Ethics Economics

Perception of Environment Culture: the ensemble of knowledge, beliefs, values, and learned ways of life shared by a group of people Worldview: person’s perception of the world and their place within it Factors Religion Community Experience Political Ideology Scientific Understanding

Environmental Ethics Ethics: set of moral principles or values held by a person or society study of good and bad criteria, standards, rules people use to make decisions Environmental ethics: application of ethical standards to relationships between humans and nonhuman entities

Weighing the Issue Do you think that nations with larger ecological footprints have an ethical obligation to reduce their environmental impact, so as to leave more resources available for nations with smaller footprints? We have extended ethical consideration to more and more things over time… Women’s right movement 1920’s Enslavement of human beings Welfare of domesticated animals - humane societies

Three Ethical Perspectives anthropocentrism - human centered view of our relationship with the environment biocentrism - value to certain living things or to the biotic realm in general ecocentrism - benefit or harm to the integrity of whole ecological systems

Development Ethic People are and should be masters of nature Prevailing ethic of American government

Conservation & Preservation In Response to Development Ethic Conservation Ethic conservation: people should put natural resources to use but they have a responsibility to manage them wisely Preservation Ethic preservation: people should protect the natural environment in a pristine, unaltered state

Hurricane Katrina http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvoEiBnpCc8

Environmental Justice Fair and equitable treatment of all people with respect to environmental policy and practice, regardless of their income, race, or ethnicity. Movement fueled by perception that poor people and minorities tend to be exposed to a greater share of pollution hazards environmental degradation

Were the events of Katrina a form of “environmental racism”?

Slumdog Millionaire Movie Trailer http://content.foxsearchlight.com/videos/node/2954 Inside Slumdog: Boyle on Destiny http://content.foxsearchlight.com/videos/node/3034

An International Issue Wealthy nations impose pollution on poorer nations Millions of tons of waste Dump in nations with lax restrictions Basal Convention prohibits international export of waste, trade, and illegal dumping 169 countries ratified (US, world’s largest exporter, did not)

Ethics & Eco-nomics Is environmental policy good for the economy? Economics: study of how people decide to use scarce resources to provide goods and services in the face of demand for them Environmental problem = Economic problem Pollution - depletion of scarce resources (clean air, water, or soil)

Ethics & Eco-nomics Economy: social system that converts resources into goods, material commodities manufactured for and bought by individuals and businesses; and services, work done for others as a form of business

Economy & the Environment Economies exist within the environment inputs from the environments discharge outputs (waste) into environment Natural resources are “goods” produced by the environment Environment supports economy. Ecosystem services: essential services that support economic activity i.e. cycling nutrients, purifying air and water

Millenium Ecosystem Assessment 15 of 24 ecosystem services are being used unsustainably Negative impact on economy Harming poor people more than wealthy Restoring ecosystem services -> primary avenue for alleviating poverty Millenium Ecosystem Assessment: 2,000 environmental scientists from 100 countries met in 2005

Neoclassical Economics Can have implications for the environment 4 Assumptions Resources are infinite or substitutable Was this true for the Easter Islanders? 2. Costs and benefits are internal (buyer and seller) 3. Long term effects should be discounted 4. Growth is good 1. Once we have depleted a resource we should be able to find a replacement Was this true for the Easter Islanders? Is this true for the Mirrar Clan? 2. externalities: costs or benefits that involve people other than the buyer or seller external cost: cost borne by someone not involved in the transaction I.e. human health problems, property damage, aesthetic damage, declining real estate value 3. none 4. growth is required to keep employment high and maintain social order growth is depicted as good, decline as bad

Is growth good? Is “more and bigger” always better? US frenzy of consumption due to: advertising technology availability of goods (global trade) affluenza: the way material goods fail to bring contentment to people affluent enough to afford them Is economic growth like cancer? technology can push back the limits on growth - will it last forever? is it sustainable?

Market Failure & Ecolabeling When markets do not reflect the full costs and benefits of actions Economists contrive ways to use aspects of the market to counteract market failure Ex: labels showing how the products were grown, harvested, or manufactured Promote socially responsible purchasing and investing