CHAPTER TWO
1. The rate, scale and complexity of interactions
between people and environment have seen unprecedented increases. We are beginning to realize our interrelatedness with our environment, as the environmental changes becomes obvious due to
technology advance and the public awareness increased in the importance of natural environment. Therefore a new ethic is called for to meet the challenges. 2. Ideally, the laws of a particular nation or community should match the ethical commitments of those living there, but it may take a long period of struggle and debate in reality, as the abolition of slavery, women’s equality with men.
However, not every ethically right action has a supporting law. In case of environmental issues,
sometimes is appropriate is legislate something, like emission of pollutants, while sometimes action should be left up to the personal ethical commitment, which is determined by certain social/economic pressures and works better on the individual level.
3. Anthropocentrism (human centered ethic) is the view that all environmental responsibility is derived from human interests alone.
Biocentrism (life-centered ethic) is that all forms of life have an inherent right to exist.
Ecocentrism maintains the environment deserves direct moral consideration, instead of what is merely derived from human/animal interests. The environment itself has moral worth.
4.The development approach assumes that human race is and should be master of nature and that the Earth and its resources exist solely for our benefit and
pleasure. It thinks highly of human creativity and ingenuity and holds that continual economic growth is a moral ideal for society.
The preservationist approach strives to keep large portions of nature intact because nature is regarded to have intrinsic value apart from human uses. Nature is not a resource but a refuge from economic activity. The conservationist approach strikes the balance
between unrestrained development and preservationism. Conservationists tend to consider a wide range of long-term human goods in their about environmental management.
5. Environmental justice is a critical component of environmental protection. It is closely related to
civil rights, and no group of people, including racial, ethnic or socioeconomic groups, should bear a
disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from various programs or policies. EJ signifies that the participants of
environment movement has shift from middle-class and affluent white people in America to minorities and indigenous people.
6. Corporations are designed to operate at a profit, and in order to maximize its profit margin,
corporation tends to cut investments in dealing with waste disposal and pollution. In this way, corporate behavior don’t take public and environmental well-being into considerations, often violating the environmental ethics.
Some companies may publicly address their concerns for environment to the purpose of social marketing(called greenwashing). But they actually make no attempt to lower the environmental impact of its production. 7. Individuals, as shareholders can demand the directors of corporation to run it ethically. As
executives, they can wield massive corporate power and guide the corporation to adopt a better environmental approach. Whats more, the ethic of consumption can also affect the corporate behaviors.
8. By choosing food that is produced locally, low in food chain and grown with least chemical fertilizers
and pesticides. Buying durable consumer and reusing products. Conserving energy etc.
9. Global environmental ethics address the widening gap between rich and poor countries, and call for them to set aside political differences to promote global action on environment. It also convince everyone of us that we have an obligation to minimize the harm we cause to ecological systems and the Earth. 10. Yes.
Triple bottom line is a green business concept, which allows executives to gauge on three fronts. It is more comprehensive as it not only takes economic costs but also environmental costs into consideration and helps companies survive. State laws will be established to grant tax breaks to businesses that comply with green business concept. More complex and stringent
environmental and public safety demands will continue to influence corporate decisions. Triple bottom line may become the compulsory rule. CHAPTER THREE
1. An environmental risk assessment could provide an orderly, clearly stated and consistent way to deal with scientific issues 1)whether a risk exists, 2)the magnitude of the risk and 3)the consequences of the negative outcome when accepting the risk.
It can also state the uncertainty associated with alternative approaches to dealing with environmental issues, which helps institutions decide research priorities and plan in the way that protects
environment and bureaus to set regulatory priorities and support regulatory action.
Some tools are used to calculate the risks which is often hard to attain: estimations based on past experience or establish model for novel risk by
laboratory studies (experimenting on other species e.g. rabbits) or computer stimulations.
2. economic costs and benefits environmental costs and benefits
Four steps to take: identification of the project to be evaluated; determination of all impacts, favorable and unfavorable, present and future, on all of society; determination of the value of those impacts, by direct market values or indirect price estimates; calculation of the net benefits, which is the total value of positive impacts minus the total value of negative impacts.
3. Some doubt if everything can be analyzed from an economic point of view, they fear if the economic value becomes the only criteria, many noneconomic
环境科学 交叉关系学科 课后题答案 第二章
