Environmental Problems

Authors Avatar

                                                                Yutaka Yamamoto

                                                                Per 4 9/4/07

Environment Philosophy Paper

Our world is changing. The average citizen would say that is changing for the better. In the last century, our medical and technological advancements have soared. Although the early sixty’s dream of having a meal pill is the yet to be reality, our race now have the capability to terminate diseases, and communicate to people halfway around the world in just seconds. Our attitude towards the world in these recent years has also changed. The politicians would like you to believe that it is changing for the better. However, as the truth shows, it is not. Just as there are gaps in the technological fields and the medical fields, gaps are also found in the environmental field as well. However, this one continues to grow. When earth is viewed from space, one can clearly see how delicate and beautiful our planet is. The dark blue ocean gracefully blends with the rich green forests. Our planet is unique in the way that every plant, animal and organism cooperates to create a delicate, but rich balance of power. I like to compare this delicate balance to a house made from a deck of cards. If just one card falls, the entire structure crumbles. Waldo Emerson once said "The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard." A variety of environmental problems now affect our entire world. As globalization continues and the earth’s natural processes transform local problems to international issues, only a few parts of the world are being untouched by major environmental issues.

Join now!

Throughout mankind, many theories have been developed to tackle and understand the growing environmental problems today. One is the idea of conservation, the idea that humans should put natural resources to use, but should manage them wisely. Another is the preservation theory, the concept that wilderness should not be altered by humans. Although these theories are ideal and favorable, it is based upon the idea of utilitarianism, which is not suited for the world we live in today. Bentham once described utilitarianism as “the greatest good for the greatest number”. However, with the aperture growing between the rich and poor, ...

This is a preview of the whole essay