Leopold’s philosophy can be incorporated to any area of our environment. It could be land, but also ocean, atmosphere, plants, animals, and even microscopic organisms. Humans have no inherent authority to arbitrarily decide what other species lives or dies. Attempts to “preserve” habitats or even ways of life may not succeed. American Indians were “given” reservations to protect and safeguard their way of life. There is very little of the “natural” way of life for the Indians on any reservation. Change is a constant. It is not possible to ‘freeze’ a species in a natural environment indefinitely. Environments constantly transform and evolve. Humans have the moral responsibility to protect natural environments whenever possible.
Regrettably, there are many examples of human intrusion into ecosystems with harmful results. Pollution of air, water, and land is generally considered unacceptable. “Not in my backyard” is a familiar phrase. But in practice pollution is rampant. Every ocean, land mass, and the atmosphere contain pollutants created by human beings. Thousands of species have been obliterated, never to return. Food chains have been interrupted. Predator and prey are affected, causing unnatural imbalances. This would support the Deep Ecology philosophy of “the impact of humans in the world is excessive and getting worse” (Naess, 1989, p. 26).
Humans have a moral obligation to future generations. If the ozone in the atmosphere is depleted, harmful radiation will descend on our planet. The increased ultraviolet radiation may damage plants and animals. Food chains may be disrupted. The radiation may require humans to remain indoors much of the time. The effects of this situation would be wide-ranging to many species. No other species is capable of causing this level of change to the Earth. The entire natural environment of the planet could be affected. Morally humans can not allow this to occur. Fortunately, there exists the knowledge and ability to prevent ozone depletion. Increased radiation levels are not inevitable. As the dominant intelligent species humans can recognize and prevent this potential damage to the natural environment.
It is not just ozone depletion that is worrisome. The release of carbon dioxide and pollutants into the atmosphere appear to be causing a global warming through the so-called "greenhouse effect." These gases inhibited the radiation of heat from the Earth's surface back into space much like the glass in a greenhouse. Expected consequences included a flooding of coastal areas due to shrinking of the polar icecaps. Climatic changes that could affect the world's food-producing areas are anticipated. One article (Antarctic Ozone ‘Hole’ Probed”, 1985) noted that appreciable greenhouse warming has already occurred and that the rate of warming will accelerate in the future. It is expected that a level of warming during the next 50 years will be about twice what had occurred during the last 130 years.
The vast amount of pollution added to the oceans and waterways is another concern. There are those who do not subscribe to a moral responsibility to protect the environment. Every day millions of tons of human waste, garbage, chemicals, and other materials are created. These often are dumped untreated into oceans, rivers, and landfills. This pollution wreaks havoc with the environment. Species are eliminated from the affected area, and possibly from the planet. These pollutants may return to us via the food chain. In some cases the food chain itself is disrupted.
While much progress has been made to clean up pollution there remains many challenges. Technology is being developed that holds significant promise. Masciangioli, Savage, and Karn (2002) suggest that “Nanotechnology has the potential to substantially benefit environmental quality and sustainability through pollution prevention, treatment, and remediation.” What is Nanotechnology? It is the world of the very small. Materials at the nanoscale range from 1 to 100 nanometers. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter. In theory it is possible to build anything from scratch atom by atom. Processes and products can be developed to minimize or eliminate pollutants in manufacturing plants. It is anticipated that nanotechnology applications will be able to treat waste streams and remediate existing polluted areas. Nanotechnology may become an environmentally benign product that replaces toxic chemicals or raw materials.
The study of nanotechnology applications to prevent or treat pollution must be carefully evaluated. The potential to cause harm must be known. It is possible a nanotechnology solution will remediate a known pollutant yet create new problems. For example, quantum dots are nanoparticles made from semiconductors. Quantum dots have useful applications in biomedical research. Manufactured mostly of cadmium, quantum dots themselves have the potential for environmental harm. Further research is needed to determine the positive and negative impact on the environment.
In summary the moral relationship between humans and the natural environment is multi-faceted. At present the Earth is the only environment available. The environment is comprised of the land, ocean, and atmosphere. All living things share this environment. Deep ecology proclaims that “all life has value in itself, independent of its usefulness to humans” (Naess, 1989). The environment sustains life. In return, humans have the moral responsibility and obligation to protect resources that sustain life. It is a symbiotic relationship. If humans were to destroy every tree or plant the consequences would be dire. The process of transforming carbon dioxide into oxygen would cease or be significantly reduced. Obviously this would affect many species on the planet and cause havoc. Yet humans continue to fell “old growth” forests at an alarming rate. Pollution of land, air, and water continues worldwide. The natural environment will not be able to sustain life if these harmful practices continue.
The human species has a moral obligation to future generations to protect and cherish natural environments. This obligation extends to animals and plants. As the dominant species on Earth humans must assume this responsibility. The promise of advances in technology exists to remediate current hazards to the environment. Care must be taken that new technology does not create greater harm. The potential exists for the human species to repair the damage it has caused. It is possible to clean up the natural environment. Humans must accept the accountability to care for the Earth and its ecosystems. The natural environment must be treated with respect and care. It has provided a wonderful habitat for humans and other species. Human must care for it with the dynamic enthusiasm demonstrated by the environment. For it is a “living being” holistically.
References
Des Jardins, J. (2001). Environmental ethics: An introduction to environmental philosophy. (3rd ed.) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Jacobs, D. (2001). Alterity and the environment: making the case for anti-administration. Administrative Theory and Praxis, Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 605-620
Leopold, A. (1966). A Sand County Almanac. New York: Ballantine Books
Leopold, A (1949). The Land Ethic. New York: Oxford University Press
Masciangoli, T., Savage, N., Karn, B. (2002). The environmental implications of nanotechnology. Abstract obtained from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for Environmental Research. Retrieved April 2, 2005 from
Naess, A. (1989). Ecology, community, and lifestyle. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, pp. 26-27
Roland, S. (1986) Antarctic ozone ‘hole’ probed. World News Digest, retrieved April 2, 2005 from
