Justifications for Preserving the Environment Introduction to Environmental Science

Placing a Value on the Environment  How do we place a value on any aspect of our environment?  The value of the environment is based on eight justifications: aesthetic, creative, recreational, inspirational, moral, cultural, ecological, and utilitarian

Utilitarian Justification  Sees some aspect of the environment as valuable because it benefits individuals economically or is directly necessary to human survival  Example: Mangrove Swamps provide a nursery for shrimp that are the basis of the livelihood for the shrimp fisherman

Ecological Justification  An ecosystem is necessary for the survival of some species of interest to us, or that the system itself provides some benefit.  Example: Mangrove Swamps provide habitat for marine fish, and although we do not eat Mangrove Trees, we may eat the fish that depend on them.

Mangrove Trees

Aesthetic Justification  Our appreciation of the beauty of nature. We save nature because it makes us feel good to see it

Recreational Justification  People use wilderness for recreation  Example: White water rafting, fishing, camping and hiking

Inspirational Justification  Conservation of nature can be based on its benefits to the human spirit  Example: Religious Retreats

Creative Justification  Nature is an aid to human creativity  Example: Artists, poets and others find a source of their creativity in their contact with nature

Moral Justification  Has to do with the belief that various aspects of the environment have a right to exist and that it is our moral obligation to allow them to continue or help them to persist.  Example: Species have a moral right to exist  Discuss: Do species have a right to exist?

Do Trees Have Rights?  The United Nations General Assembly World Charter for Nature, signed in 1982, states that species have a moral right to exist.

The Big Question  DO we have a moral obligation to future generations? to leave the environment in good condition for our descendants, OR Are we at liberty to use environmental resources to the point of depletion within our own lifetime?