Ethics Theory and Business Practice 9.2 Environmental Ethics – Part Two Wilderness/Wildlife Preservation and Environmental Justice

aims to discuss some issues associated with environmentalists’ preoccupation with wilderness and wildlife conservation to explore some ways in which the environmental benefits and burdens of business activity might get distributed unfairly

wilderness and wildlife preservation supported by anthropocentric and biocentric justifications but represents the primacy of the ‘full- stomach’ environmentalism of the North over the ‘empty-belly’ environmentalism of the South (Guha and Juan Martinez-Alier, 1997: xxi)

the winners … the natural environment wealthy tourists, predominantly from the North large corporations, such as airlines and hotel groups, which are based predominantly in the North local economic elites

and the losers some potential downsides for local people loss of traditional homes loss of agricultural land loss of historic hunting access loss of livelihood erosion of culture

avoiding subordination of the interests of local people to the agendas of outsiders involve local people in the planning and development of wilderness and wildlife conservation projects provide ongoing job training for local people integrate newly created reserves with traditional economic activities ensure that local cultural traditions are respected encourage partnership, in which control rests with local people while outside agencies offer expertise that locals may lack

environmental justice and environmental injustice who benefits from human activity that impacts negatively on the environment; and who bears the associated burden draws attention to instances in which the benefits of environmentally damaging economic activity accrue to certain groups while the burden is borne by others dia/videos/Islands-Going-Under-/

environmental justice and the mining industry North-based mining corporations look to the South to feed escalating global demand for metals due to: less stringent environmental regulation in South global investment facilitated by economic liberalization inward investment encouraged by southern governments

some potential benefits for local people creation of work financial contribution to local services compensation and resettlement programmes

some potential burdens for local people devastation of the landscape pollution of land, air, and water sources impact on subsistence farming and other small-scale agricultural practices cultural and social impact

meanwhile the economic benefits of mining activity may not flow to local communities new jobs created by large-scale mining projects may be taken up by suitably skilled incomers compensation payments are often inadequate, delayed, or not forthcoming at all

theory in practice Trafigura, Ivory Coast, and environmental justice

key points although there are sound environmental justifications for the Northern preoccupation with wilderness/wildlife preservation, care needs to be taken that this does not undermine the interests of communities in which it is put into practice businesses may do a lot to enhance the lifestyles of people in the developed world, but they need to be alert to the environmental implications of their activities on local communities in the less- developed world

references Guha, R. and Martinez-Alier, J. (1997) Varieties of Environmentalism: Essays North and South. London: Earthscan.