A government agency has the resources and ability to establish acceptable risk levels from a utilitarian position. Products can be manufactured to be effective against pests. Defective batches are subject to recall and destruction. Damage to the environment is minimized due to these controls. The population and environment are protected to specific guidelines. A government entity with the ability to set guidelines-based on scientific fact, and the authority to monitor and control products, and enforce violations, is the most ethical response to the question of whom should determine the levels of acceptable risk for chemical pesticides.
Chapter 1, Question 3
natural world human nature
natural vegetation nature preserve
natural nutrient Mother Nature
natural enemy nature of things
natural predator of nature
natural resources controlling nature
natural environment a person’s nature
natural area nature’s way
natural selection
natural state
There is a value connotation to all the “natural” expressions. The implication is that “natural” is better than unnatural. There are value connotations associated with “human nature”, “controlling nature”, and “a person’s nature” All 3 can be either positive or negative depending on the point of view of the observer. Just because something is designated as “natural” does not make it good or bad. A natural enemy may be bad for the victim of that enemy. However, without the natural enemy the life form could multiply rapidly and overwhelm other aspects of its environment. This could cause damage and upset the ecological balance between the species. Human nature is both positive and negative. There are good elements such as the protection of children. There are also bad elements such as those who would harm children.
Natural fertilizers are used worldwide to enrich soil for growing foods or to produce a beautiful garden. Human and animal waste is treated and prepared for use as fertilizers. An “unnatural” fertilizer would be one of the many manufactured chemical enhancers designed specifically to increase crop yields in agricultural applications. This is also true for fish and animal production. In Japan the practice of feeding cattle beer to add a sweet taste to their meat is common. In the United States, Crab Shell Organic Fertilizer is a natural fertilizer that claims to “outperform chemical fertilizers”.
Natural pesticides could be predators of specific pests. Ladybugs are a good example of a natural predator that is considered “good” by gardeners. Lacewings are perhaps a more robust predator than Ladybugs. Bioscape, Inc. promotes their effectiveness by claiming the “Lacewing is the most voracious, and has the greatest versatility for pests of field crops, orchards, and greenhouses”. There are many natural chemical pesticides to control insects and weeds for home or commercial applications.
Chapter 1, Question 4
The difference between good and bad science is that bad science is driven by profit motives, personal ambition, carelessness, poor methodology, and a lack of ethics. If a company wants to validate a dangerous product as safe it is possible to locate a scientist to product the pre-ordained proof of a benign product. The values of good science would be to improve the environment by developing products that control certain pests but do not linger in the food chain. Documenting and promoting the use of natural or organic pesticides such as predatory insects would be an example of good science.
Chapter 2, Question 1
Government agencies have been taking land from private owners without just compensation for as long as these agencies have existed. A landowner who has no desire to sell may reject their compensation offer. The agency then can use condemnation proceedings to acquire the land. Environmental laws do protect sensitive areas. Commercial developers who are prohibited from building on these properties should be compensated fairly for the value of the land. They should not be compensated for lost potential profits.
Chapter 2, Question 2
Land in rural areas has natural value. The same is true for land in major metropolitan areas. What causes the wide variance in pricing is the perceived value of a particular land parcel by the prospective buyer. 20 acres of farmland in Iowa will have a perceived value of far less than 20 acres of land in DuPage County. Is the actual land any different? No, but the perceived value of the same area of land in the metropolitan area is considered more valuable, even if both parcels are to be used for the same purpose.
Chapter 2, Question 3
The nuclear power industry is a classic example of utilitarian ethics. The greater good of the highest number of people is paramount in the location and operation of these plants. Rural areas are natural locations due to the lower costs of acquiring land. Labor costs for construction are lower in rural areas. The cost of power distribution does not increase significantly versus the added risk of locating nuclear power plants in metro areas. Nuclear waste storage facilities cannot feasibly be located near the plants. The waste material must be relocated to specially designed geologically stable regions of the country. While people living in the areas where nuclear waste is stored do not benefit from the power generated by this spent fuel, there are other benefits. The storage facility creates local jobs and generates revenue from storage and monitoring fees.
Chapter 2, Question 5
The storage of nuclear waste materials is a classic example of the debate between jobs and environmental protection. Where the radioactive waste to be stored locally near the plants the produced it, local jobs and revenues would be created. However, the potential for environmental contamination would be an unacceptable high risk. The utilitarian tradeoff of moving the waste to stable geographic locations is preferred to the potential disaster inherent in storage facilities near power plants.
References
Jardins, J. (2001). Environmental ethics: An introduction to environmental philosophy. (3rd ed.) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Retrieved March 21, 2005 from www.eco-gardening.com
Retrieved March 21, 2005 from www.bioscape.com
