环境科学交叉关系学科课后题答案第二章

CHAPTER TWO

1. The rate, scale and complexity of interactions between people and environment have seen unprecedented increases. We are beginning to realize our interrelatedness with our environment, as the environmental changes becomes obvious due to technology advance and the public awareness increased in the importance of natural environment. Therefore a new ethic is called for to meet the challenges.

2.Ideally, the laws of a particular nation or community should match the ethical commitments of those living there, but it may take a long period of struggle and debate in reality, as the abolition of slavery, women’s equality with men.

However, not every ethically right action has a supporting law. In case of environmental issues, sometimes is appropriate is legislate something, like emission of pollutants, while sometimes action should be left up to the personal ethical commitment, which is determined by certain social/economic pressures and works better on the individual level.

3. Anthropocentrism (human centered ethic) is the view that all environmental responsibility is derived from human interests alone.

Biocentrism (life-centered ethic) is that all forms of life have an inherent right to exist.

Ecocentrism maintains the environment deserves direct moral consideration, instead of what is merely derived from

human/animal interests. The environment itself has moral worth.

4.Thedevelopment approach assumes that human race is and should be master of nature and that the Earth and its resources exist solely for our benefit and pleasure. It thinks highly of human creativity and ingenuity and holds that continual economic growth is a moral ideal for society.

The preservationist approach strives to keep large portions of nature intact because nature is regarded to have intrinsic value apart from human uses. Nature is not a resource but a refuge from economic activity.

The conservationist approach strikes the balance between unrestrained development andpreservationism. Conservationists tend to consider a wide range of long-term human goods in their about environmental management.

5. Environmental justice is a critical component of environmental protection.It is closely related to civil rights, and no group of people, including racial, ethnic or socioeconomic groups, should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from various programs or policies. EJ signifies that the participants of environment movement has shift from middle-class and affluent white people in America to minorities and indigenous people.

6.Corporations are designed to operate at a profit, and in order to maximize its profit margin, corporation tends to cut investments in dealing with waste disposal and pollution. In this way, corporate behavior don’t take public and environmental well-being into considerations, often violating the environmental ethics.