2.3 Environmental Attitudes Because ethical commitments pull in different directions at different times, it is often easier to talk in terms of environmental attitudes or approaches. The three most common attitudes/approaches are: Development approach Preservation approach Conservation approach

2.3 Environmental Attitudes Development, preservation, and conservation are different attitudes toward nature. These attitudes reflect a person’s ethical commitments.

Development This approach is the most anthropocentric. It assumes the human race is, and should be, master of nature. It assumes that the Earth and its resources exist solely for our benefit and pleasure. This approach is reinforced by the capitalist work ethic. This approach thinks highly of human creativity and holds that continual economic growth is a moral ideal for society.

Preservation This approach is the most ecocentric. It holds that nature has intrinsic value apart from human uses. Preservationists such as John Muir, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman all viewed nature as a refuge from economic activity, not as a resource for it. Some preservationists wish to keep large parts of nature intact for aesthetic or recreational reasons (anthropocentric principles).

Conservation This approach finds a balance between unrestrained development and preservationism. Conservationism promotes human well-being but considers a wider range of long-term human goods in its decisions about environmental management. Many of the ideas in conservationism have been incorporated into an approach known as sustainable development.

Sustainable Development Sustainable Development is a middle ground that seeks to promote development while still preserving the ecological health of the landscape.

2.4 Environmental Justice In 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defined environmental justice as fair treatment, meaning: “No group of people, including racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic groups, should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of federal, state, local, and tribal programs and policies.” Environmental justice is closely related to civil rights.

2.4 Environmental Justice Studies show that the affluent members of society generate most of the waste, while the impoverished members tend to bear most of the burden of this waste.

2.4 Environmental Justice Environmental justice encompasses a wide range of issues, including: Where to place hazardous and polluting facilities Transportation Safe housing, lead poisoning, and water quality Access to recreation Exposure to noise pollution Access to environmental information Hazardous waste cleanup Exposure to natural disasters (e.g., Hurricane Katrina)