ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

Ethics

Code that a society of group of people adhere to

-relates to society and professionally

Morals

Right and wrong at a much deeper level, both personal and spiritual

-relates to an individual person

Development Ethics

• Human race should be the master of nature, and that earth and its resources exist for the benefit and pleasure of human

Development Ethics

• Reinforced by work ethics which dictates human should be busy creating continual change, and that bigger and better things represent progress which is good

Preservation Ethics

• Nature special in itself

• Almost religious belief in nature

• reverence and respect of all creatures to live no matter what the social or economical cost

• Preservationists

  • Include those whose interest in nature as primarily aesthetics or recreational

Conservation Ethics

• Balance between development and absolute preservation

  • Decent living standard but works towards balance of resource use and availability

Corporate Environmental Ethics

• When a corpo. Cuts corners in production quality or waste disposal to maximize profit

  • Only minimal considerations to the public interest, while every effort is exerted to maximize profit

Corporation

Legal entity designed to operate at a profit

Valdez Principles

Formulated to guide and evaluate corporate conduct towards the environment

Valdez Principle

Supports protection of the biosphere - minimize or eliminate the emission of pollutants

Protecting biodiversity

Sustainable development of land, water, forests, and etc

Recycling

Safe disposal methods

Use of safe and sustainable energy sources

Energy efficiency

Marketing of products that have minimal environmental impact

Exxon Valdez

Oil tanker which ran aground off the Alaskan coast in 1989, causing environmental damage

International Standard Organization

Meaning of ISO

ISO 14000

Certification for environmental management- on meeting environmental responsibilities, controlling risks and reducing liabilities

ISO 1400

Family of standards related to environmental management that exists to help organizations

A) minimize how thei operations negatively effect nature

B) comply with applicable laws, regulations and other environmentally oriented requirements

Societal Environmental Ethics

Societies tent to exploit resources as if these are never ending

Growth, expansion and domination remain the central socio-cultural objectives of most advance societies

Society

Composed of great variety of people with different viewpoints

Economic growth and exploitation

Attitudes share by developing societies

Individual Environmental Ethics

Personal actions affect environmental quality

Individual responsibility must then lead to real changes in individual behavior

Reflected on how we all live our daily lives

Environmental Movements

Influencing public opinion in moving the business community towards environmental ethics

Global Environmental ethics

Current crisis is rooted in the widening gap between rich and poor nations

Industrialized countries contain only 23% of the world’s population and yet they control 60% of the world’s goods, responsible for pollution

Developing countries struggle to keep up and this results to destruction of their forests and soils

International Protocols

International conventions where nations can work together to solve common environmental problems

Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer

-Landmark international agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer.

-The production and consumption of compounds - chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform (2005) — phase out by 2000

Stratospheric ozone layer

Shields the planet from damaging UV-B radiation

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform

Compounds that depleted the stratospheric ozone layer

Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (1985)

Outlines states responsibilities for protecting human health and the environment against the adverse effects of ozone depletion

Established the framework under which the Montreal Protocol was negotiated

1987

Year the Montreal Protocol was signed

1990 and 1992

The years the Montreal Protocol was amended

Kyoto Protocol

Convention on the global climate change

International agreement that sets a target reduction of GHG emissions for 37 industrialized countries and European communities starting from 2008-2012

Reduction of 5% emissions in 1990

2008 to 2012

Starting years of reducing GHG emissions (Kyoto Ptotocol)

37

Number of industrialized countries and European communities participating in the Kyoto Protocol

Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N20), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), Sulphuric hexafluoride (SF6)

Name other greenhouses gases that is cut off in Kyoto Protocol

Byrd-Hagel Resolution

This was signed by the U.S. senate before the Kyoto Protocol that disapproves international agreement that 1) did not require developing countries to make emissions reductions and 2) “would seriously harm the economy of the United States”

3 years after ratification

Withdrawal of Canada from the Kyoto Protocol, after how many years after ratification?

December 12, 2011; effective December 15, 2012

Date of the withdrawal of Canada from the Kyoto protocol

6% below by 2012

% goal of Canada to cut greenhouse emissions in 1990

17%

% higher emission of Canada in 2009

Peter Kend (environment minister of Canada)

said that there were “enormous financial penalties” under the Kyoto Ptotocol with Canada’s participation

Environmental report (EIS)

Legislations require this primer to the design stage process of engineers