Chapter 9
Environmental Ethics
Abstract Environmental conservation and sustainability require that society takes
more concerted efforts apart from the contemporary ones. Environmental ethics is
perhaps more important because it can ensure that individuals, corporations, and
communities engage in morally sound practices. The main objective of this chapter
is to explore the concept of environmental ethics. To achieve this, the chapter has
explored the idea of environmental risk management, environmental policies in
Nigeria, health and safety measures, and environmental impact assessment. More
importantly, this chapter examines the ethics of waste and seeks to understand
the seven principles of environmental management that have a correlation with
the ethics of waste. Using the case studies of environmental policies in Nigeria
and Apple, practical application of environmental ethics in schools, and individual
matter of Irving Stowe, this chapter plays a critical contribution towards understanding the approach towards ethics in the environment. The seven principles of
environmental management are particularly important as it sets a pre-cursor for
understanding the ethics of waste. Future trends in the continents are also briefly
described at the end.
Keywords Ethics of waste · Environmental impact assessment · Environmental
risk assessment · Policies · Irving Stowe
9.1 Overview
Environmental ethics is an area of philosophy that examines the relationship
between humans and the environment from an ethical and moral perspective. It tries
to define our responsibilities and to ascertain appropriate actions. Environmental
ethics has various perspectives, but the major focus is on the way humans value
nature. Instrumental and intrinsic values are the most important values in environmental ethics. Ideally, instrumental value describes the benefit or value of something
in the way it could be used in relation to human needs and wants. Intrinsic value
refers to the value that something has for its own sake, irrespective of its usefulness
to humans.
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
A. A. Akinsemolu, The Principles of Green and Sustainability Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2493-6_9
197
Environmental Ethics
Abstract Environmental conservation and sustainability require that society takes
more concerted efforts apart from the contemporary ones. Environmental ethics is
perhaps more important because it can ensure that individuals, corporations, and
communities engage in morally sound practices. The main objective of this chapter
is to explore the concept of environmental ethics. To achieve this, the chapter has
explored the idea of environmental risk management, environmental policies in
Nigeria, health and safety measures, and environmental impact assessment. More
importantly, this chapter examines the ethics of waste and seeks to understand
the seven principles of environmental management that have a correlation with
the ethics of waste. Using the case studies of environmental policies in Nigeria
and Apple, practical application of environmental ethics in schools, and individual
matter of Irving Stowe, this chapter plays a critical contribution towards understanding the approach towards ethics in the environment. The seven principles of
environmental management are particularly important as it sets a pre-cursor for
understanding the ethics of waste. Future trends in the continents are also briefly
described at the end.
Keywords Ethics of waste · Environmental impact assessment · Environmental
risk assessment · Policies · Irving Stowe
9.1 Overview
Environmental ethics is an area of philosophy that examines the relationship
between humans and the environment from an ethical and moral perspective. It tries
to define our responsibilities and to ascertain appropriate actions. Environmental
ethics has various perspectives, but the major focus is on the way humans value
nature. Instrumental and intrinsic values are the most important values in environmental ethics. Ideally, instrumental value describes the benefit or value of something
in the way it could be used in relation to human needs and wants. Intrinsic value
refers to the value that something has for its own sake, irrespective of its usefulness
to humans.
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
A. A. Akinsemolu, The Principles of Green and Sustainability Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2493-6_9
197