...world. The premise by which we often grant moral importance to Homo sapiens is the mere membership within that group of species. Naturally the premise carries with it little to no weight and is nearly fallacious. Ethicist Peter Singer prompts humanity on the realism that the only other criteria by which to judge for moral consideration is sentience which definitively applies to broader a species. Sentience, as it is theoretical, is inclusive of moral consideration, "The capacity for suffering and enjoying things is a prerequisite for having interests at all, a condition that must be satisfied before we can speak of interests in any meaningful way (Singer, 1974).” The application of industry leaves a footprint in the delicate ecosystems of the earth which normally espouses a plethora of creatures known to regulate the respective biosphere. Far before humanity wandered to and fro the earth, animal life met extinction by natural causes nevertheless our dominance single-handedly exploits the environment and pollutes far worse than any means of naturalism—subjecting animal life into conditions which factor into the extinction rate. Humanity is pressured to adopt the moral obligation to those species we have endangered. Utilizing the research of Barry (2009), Sawhill (1992), and Singer (1974) my topic briefly addresses the moral obligation to support endangered species and furthermore the means by which to re-implement them in numbers and lessen our ecological footprint in the...
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...Animals for Rent In our society today, with all our advancements and breakthroughs, life in the 21st century is noticeably better than before. However, some problems will never go away, like war and death. Aside from that, a problem which has recently plagued our society is the practice of animals-for-rent. Animals, like humans, have their own habitats, and they live in what we collectively call the wild. Some humans have decided to pull these animals out of their homes and rent them for profit through the inhumane practice of animals-for-rent. These ignorant people are very cruel; they treat the animals as objects that only serve as entertainment to the public in the form of rental books or DVDs (Animal Aid, 2007). This unsafe and exploitative practice has gradually weakened animal rights and rips deeply into human morality and conscience. It is often the case that the people involve in this practice, this so-called exotic pet markets, give no regards to the survival of these animals, which are often on the endangered list. According to Richard Farinato (in The Humane Society of the United States, www.hsus.org), wild and exotic animals are favorable vectors for diseases and parasites, often the outbreak of diseases cause the death of a mass of animals. If this situation is continue without any resolution, these animals might become extinct. Because there are no concerns to the needs of the animals, the livelihood will decrease rapidly, and eventually they might not be...
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...I feel that every person has their own responsibility in preserving the habits which are threatened by human encroachment. Humans are responsible for the endangerment and extinction of many species around the world. These species range from small insects to huge mammals. We destroy their natural habitats and force them to either adapt or die off. This occurs constantly in newly developed subdivisions and expanding cities. It is very likely to encounter wildlife searching for food or a place to live in these areas. The removal of trees in an environment will force wildlife to migrate to a different area in order to survive. This can change the natural balance of the ecosystem. Pollution is a very serious issue as well. It can cause an entire area to become uninhabitable and will kill any creatures that currently resign there. Everyone needs to play their own part and prevent this from occurring. Logging and construction companies need to be more aware of the animals living in these areas and implement measures to protect them. Pollution should never even be an issue. Companies need to dispose of their waste properly so it doesn’t affect the ecosystem negatively. Oil drilling isn’t going to stop any time soon unless a new fuel alternative presents itself in the near future. This is one instance where it is hard to balance both sides. The only thing these companies can really do is implement safety measures that will help prevent oil spills that pollute the environment. After...
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...Can endangered species of the world rely on the international law for their safety? Discuss This essay will attempt to discuss how the international law protects endangered species of the world. Using academic commentary and legislation it will also review the ethical, philosophical, economical and moral aspects of this area of law. The essay will also draw attention to the current issue, which has been a controversy in the preservation of endangered species of the world, but will particularly pay more attention to the protection of whales. Ever since the days of illustrious philosophers such Plato, Aristotle, Descartes to the modern scientists there has been a lengthy wait in fighting for laws and acts to protect animals in keeping them in good health and their populations high in numbers. Long ago, most animals became extinct because of natural events, like earthquakes or volcano eruptions. Climatic changes were also a threat i.e. like the ‘beginning of the Ice Age which also led to the disappearance of certain species’ . Today, animals are in danger mostly because of human beings. In the 17th century Descartes and Plato both portraying animals as mere objects, held that ‘animals have no conscience and humans should have no moral obligation’ towards them. However, through the advancement of technology and science Charles Darwin came up with his theory of evolution, bringing new developments and protection to endangered species, with his effort in his work there...
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...UK invasive species top facts * Invasive non-native species are thought to be one of the biggest threats to global biodiversity, second only to habitat loss. * There are almost 2,000 established non-native species in Great Britain. * Invasive non-native species cost Great Britain around £1.7 billion annually. * Invasive species have been introduced to the United Kingdom from every continent in the world apart from Antarctica. What is an invasive species? An invasive species is a species which has been introduced to an area outside its natural range and can cause a multitude of ecological, economic and public health problems within the new habitat as its population grows. Invasive species may belong to any taxonomic group, with mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, plants, invertebrates, fish and viruses all having invasive populations around the world. The extinctions of numerous species around the world can be attributed to the negative effects of invasive species. When a species is taken out of its natural range and placed into a new habitat it is removed from its natural predators and any pathogens which help to control its population. Without these, population growth may become out of control and the invader can rapidly colonise its new habitat. The characteristics which enable an invasive species to outcompete native species include fast growth, a short life cycle and the ability to tolerate a wide range of habitat types and environmental conditions. Successful...
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........................................................................... 3 3. WHY DOES GLOBAL WARMING OCCURE? ............................................................................................ 3 5. CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING ................................................................................................... 5 6. EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING .................................................................................................. 9 How will climate change affect you? Your community? The environment around you? .................... 12 4. SOLUTIONS FOR THE GLOBAL WARMING ............................................................................... 13 5. OTHER EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PREVENT GLOBAL WARMING ............................................. 15 1. Plant Trees and Bamboo................................................................................................................. 16 2. Ride a Bike ...................................................................................................................................... 16 3. Buy Less Stuff.................................................................................................................................. 17 4. Get a Tune Up ................................................................................................................................. 17 6. Buy in Bulk Rather Than Individually Packaged ................................
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...Humans often wonder what their obligations are and what they owe their fellow man. There are many answers to this inquiry, as there are many things we owe to each other as human beings. Every human being has an obligation to care for our planet Earth. We owe it to our predecessors as well as our future generations to protect and preserve the planet. We owe protection to the Earth for providing us with abundant resources and allowing us to inhabit it. In Recent years, humans’ negative effects on the Earth have become more evident. Pollution is slowly rotting away the protective ozone layer, causing ice caps to melt and the water levels to increase. The animal population suffers because of over-hunting, poaching and the destruction of habitats. Humans are taking advantage of the planet Earth, and our careless ways are slowly destroying this beautiful planet on which we live. The animals with which we share this planet are facing the brunt of our mistreatment of the Earth. The Endangered Species list is growing at an alarming pace, and no region is safe. “One in four mammals is threatened with extinction” (Rogers, EarthFirst) In Africa, elephants are being hunted for ivory and lions are being hit by cars on roads going through their habitats. The alligator population of the Florida Everglades is dwindling due to habitat destruction and the penguins of Antarctica are now endangered due to careless human mistakes such as oil spills. Most of this peril is due to the destruction...
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...the environment. We have been practicing a growth at any and all cost ideology in regards to technology and the damage it is causing to the environment. This has created an every growing social issue. This attitude has led to the loss of biodiversity that will inevitably bring the collapse of ecosystems. We take more resources from the earth and space as our population increases.As a result we are disrupting the habitats of animal species that live in undeveloped areas. As we expand our range to make room for new communities we inadvertently displace the natural order of insects, animals and plants that occupy the land. Our attitude towards growth and technology serves human needs and comfort at the expense of animals, organism and the ecosystems that sustain them. Our reliance on technology is hurting the environment at an unprecedented remarkable rate. The automotive industry for example causes pollution from manufacturing the cars that we all adore. Consequently, the ozone layer is being destroyed and is changing life on Earth as we know it for all species. We must embrace the long term affects of our actions in order to better managed our nature resources and...
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...what extent is it true to claim that people have an individual sense of moral responsibility for environment? (35 marks) When looking at environmental ethics, we are focusing on our attitudes towards the impact on the biological and geological aspects of our planet and whether human actions maintains or disturbs the balance between the planet's different life forms and geological systems. This essay will include exploring theories and deciding whether we have an individual moral responsibility towards the environment. Many people believe that as humans, we do have a moral responsibility towards the environment and we must preserve and protect it for the future generations. However, others take an anthropocentric view and they believe that humanity is the centre of creation and therefore has greater importance over the environment so we should do to the environment what we wish, if it serves a purpose for us. Christian views have often be accused of placing an emphasis on human domination of the world and therefore not taking an individual moral responsibility for the environment. This belief perhaps comes from the Bible itself where, in Genesis it says that humans are given "dominion over the fish…the birds…over all the earth" dominion, being defined as having sovereignty or control over everything means that if humans have dominion then God's creation is anthropocentric and therefore a human must do what he needs to do if it betters his quality of life, despite what future...
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...Nishant Aishwarya Roll Number - 26 Introduction Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative. Wildlife can be found in all ecosystems. Deserts, forests, rain forests, plains, grasslands, and other areas including the most developed urban sites, all have distinct forms of wildlife. While the term in popular culture usually refers to animals that are untouched by human factors, most scientists agree that wildlife around the world is impacted by human activities. Humans have historically tended to separate civilization from wildlife in a number of ways including the legal, social, and moral sense. This has been a reason for debate throughout recorded history. Religions have often declared certain animals to be sacred, and in modern times concern for the natural environment has provoked activists to protest the exploitation of wildlife for human benefit or entertainment. Literature has also made use of the traditional human separation from wildlife. Foods, Pets, Traditional Medicine: Anthropologists believe that the Stone Age peoples and hunter-gatherers relied on wildlife, both plants and animals, for their food. In fact, some species may have been hunted to extinction by early human hunters. Today, hunting, fishing, or gathering wildlife is still a significant food source in...
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...water that we drink, the food that we consume, the furniture that we use, etc. are all gifted by Mother Nature. If not for nature life on earth would have been unimaginable. The bright sunshine, the beautiful mountains, the showers of rain, the tamed and wild animals, the gems and the jewels, the paper on which we write all are the presents of Nature. We as humans owe our very existence to Mother Nature but seem to disregard this inimitable fact and do not pay any respect to her instead we indulge in polluting and destroying our environment. Today, people uproot & trees for furniture but forget to plant a new sapling in its place. The tragedy of modern day existence is people are enjoying luxury items such as cars, air-conditioners refrigerators, etc. failing to realize that they are polluting the ecological balance of our earth. Today’s generation seems to have no moral responsibility towards nature. The ecologists, scientists and environment activists all over the world have realized the need for protecting nature and its natural resources. The major problems that our earth is struggling are with pollution, population, depletion of mineral resources, global warming, extinction of various species of animals and cutting down of forests. Our beautiful earth is turning into a defaced, ugly surface of land. The rise in population leads to a rise in consumption of natural resources. There is more demand for fuels like Coal, petroleum, etc., which cause air pollution...
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...Introduction Environmental ethics is defined as the moral relationship between humans and the natural environment (Buzzle 2011). It is an area of environmental philosophy that faces a lot of conflict due to the various subdivisions in terms of ethical perceptions. For traditional and religious views, some people believe that they were given dominion over nature’s plants and anima ls to serve their needs. The idea of a human- centered nature, or anthropocentrism, explicitly states that humans are the sole bearers of intrinsic value and all other living things are there to sustain humanity’s existence (MacKinnon 2007, p. 331). The ‘ecological footprint’ (Gaston 2005, p. 239) that resulted from humans ’ greediness has lead over the decades to massive alteration in nature’s balance , as well as to many recognizable environmental crises the world is facing today. By contrast, ecocentrism recognizes a nature-centered system of values, and extends the inherent worth to all living things regardless of their usefulness to humans (MacKinnon 2007, p. 336). It is believed that the human race have the responsibility to all biological life on Earth because, aside from being the most consuming specie of all, they are capable of thinking and perceiving Earth as a whole. Humans’ ill -treatment towards the environment is not only drastically altering the ecosystem, but also threatening human s’ survival;...
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...transformed before their eyes into a blood-thirsty werewolf, a symbol for centuries of the essence of evil. Such myths and legends have portrayed the wolf as a threat to human existence. Feared as cold-blooded killers, they were hated and persecuted. Wolves were not merely shot and killed; they were tortured as well. In what was believed to be a battle between good and evil, wolves were poisoned, drawn and quartered, doused with gasoline and set on fire, and, in some cases, left with their mouths wired shut to starve (Begley 53). Convinced that they were a problem to be solved, U.S. citizens gradually eradicated gray wolves from the lower 48 states over a period of 25 years. Today many people are convinced that the elimination of the gray wolf was not only an error, but also a detriment to the quality of life in this country. There has been a public outcry to rectify the situation created by the ignorance of our ancestors. However, in seeking to address a situation created by the human compulsion to control nature, it is crucial to discern how much human interference is necessary. Human control must be tempered by respect and restraint. Programs designed for the protection and restoration of wildlife must reflect deference for the natural order rather than dominance over it. The consequences of human actions involving the elimination of the gray wolf have been especially acute in Yellowstone National Park, where the lack of a natural predator has resulted in the overpopulation...
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...transformed before their eyes into a blood-thirsty werewolf, a symbol for centuries of the essence of evil. Such myths and legends have portrayed the wolf as a threat to human existence. Feared as cold-blooded killers, they were hated and persecuted. Wolves were not merely shot and killed; they were tortured as well. In what was believed to be a battle between good and evil, wolves were poisoned, drawn and quartered, doused with gasoline and set on fire, and, in some cases, left with their mouths wired shut to starve (Begley 53). Convinced that they were a problem to be solved, U.S. citizens gradually eradicated gray wolves from the lower 48 states over a period of 25 years. Today many people are convinced that the elimination of the gray wolf was not only an error, but also a detriment to the quality of life in this country. There has been a public outcry to rectify the situation created by the ignorance of our ancestors. However, in seeking to address a situation created by the human compulsion to control nature, it is crucial to discern how much human interference is necessary. Human control must be tempered by respect and restraint. Programs designed for the protection and restoration of wildlife must reflect deference for the natural order rather than dominance over it. The consequences of human actions involving the elimination of the gray wolf have been especially acute in Yellowstone National Park, where the lack of a natural predator has resulted in the overpopulation...
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...The world’s degrading right in front of our eyes and furthermore we’re the cause of it. The world’s our responsibility to take authority of, because who's else would it be? So why don't we do something about it? It might be as simple as advocating a tax. The atmosphere contains various gases like carbon dioxide that warms our atmosphere by trapping the heat the sun emits. Consequently, the trapping of the heat from the sun called the greenhouse effect hurts our atmosphere if overproduced. Earth's worldwide temperature is inevitably rising to an all time high every year. As a result, global warming becomes more and more ominous. This global warming has in fact been an issue ever since the industrial revolution era. Humans are mostly to blame...
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