Group No: 11

Difference between Nature and Environment

The Oxford English Dictionary defines environment as the objects or the region surrounding anything, Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomenon of the physical world, and also to life in general. the moon, for example, is part of nature but not part of our environment.

Environmental problems
once people needed to be protected from nature, today nature needs to be protected from people.

Questions of scale
Local, Regional and Global

Types of harm
Environmental problems primarily affect the quality of life for human beings. Threaten human health.

Causes of environmental problems economic growth, population growth, urbanization, intensification of agriculture, rising energy use and transportation. Poverty still remains a problem at the root of several environmental problems The role of technology solution to climate change a new generation of hydrogen-powered cars, decarbonizing coal, or even technologies that would allow us to geo-engineer the climate. The economic perspective The real solution to environmental problems lies in restructuring the system of economic incentives that has led to environmental destruction, and replacing it with a system that creates incentives for environmentally friendly behavior, including the development and use of green technologies. Environmental problems, from the perspective of economics, concern the allocation of two types of scarce resources: sources and sinks. Using the environment as a source or a sink typically degrades its ability to function. Ethics, aesthetics, and values When it comes to environmental problems it is clear that these include scientific, technological, and economic considerations, but they also include considerations about ethics, values, and the aesthetic dimensions of the environment.

Human Morality
What is Human Morality? Functions of Morality

Challenges to Morality
Amoralism Theism

Relativism

Structure
Realism Subjectivism Sensible Center Intrinisic Value
Ethical Theory
Meta Ethics Normative Ethics

Moral Theory
Moral Language Practical Ethics

What entity have more status? & To what degree they have it

Humans
anthropocentrism - ethical perspectives
Human Centric Approach That means all other entity have only instrumental values. Values determined by usefulness of human beings

Do it means all other entities lack values in themselves (intrinsic value )

Humans and other animals

Speciesism How animals are part of human life? They are worshiped and respected, but also hunted. source of inspiration, but also of protein No longer sacrificed for religious purposes in most societies, but still routinely killed and made to suffer in scientific and medical research, producing new cosmetics and household products.

What makes humans different from other animals? why we treat humans and animals in different ways?

Humans and other animals

Humans are members of the moral community while other animals are not. Members of the moral community have moral standing; they are morally Considerable.
someone who has moral obligations

Moral Community

someone to whom obligations are owed e.g. : Newborn infants and severely brain-damaged humans

Moral Agent

Moral Patient

Humans and other animals

Humans & non humans both are parts of moral community Then why not creatures who themselves have moral obligations can be owed moral obligations Would we think that We can gratuitously destroy their world and causing them great suffering simply because they are not human

Our concerns about animals exist because we value nature

 Holistic approach required for multiple problems. Pollution , climate change, global warming, decreasing environmental productivity, ozone depletion, decreasing biodiversity, infectious diseases. Change inevitable now. Adoption now definite part of strategy. I=PAT (Impact = Population * affluence * technology ) Regional variations. Tragedy of commons. Question of justice. Polluter pays principle, equitable distribution, transfer of technology and resources, strict legally binding laws and targets, increased international cooperation, voice of minority, concern for future generations, reciprocation. Role of international bodies. Dual standards/policies. Political factors. Influence of USA. Efforts taken: Brundlent commission, Earth summit, Kyoto protocol, Montreal protocol, Agenda 21 India and china : unique position . Nearly one third of global population, increasing strategic importance, influence on world economy and yet biggest polluters.

Natures future

Vision of the future.

Future entwined with nature. Cooperation indispensable. Common mitigation strategies required. Change inevitable , but still not touched the tipping point. Its still possible. Its not Nature vs Man, but Man vs Man.