...Environmental Issues and Schools of Thought An environmental issue greatly affecting the Florida Gulf Coast counties are the protection of the shores and beaches. Through recent years there have been oil spills in the gulf that have threatened numerous environments, endangered species, as well as hurt the tourism industry. The most threatening spill was the famous BP oil spill of 2010. This spill devastated numerous species of wildlife and hurt businesses for years. Although this is an ongoing threat, the greedy oil industry is still pushing for more offshore drilling which is forcing activists of all organizations to step up and fight their plans for more drilling. There two schools of thought that should be taken into account for people dealing with this issue. The first is pluralism. The state's elected leaders need to see both sides to this issue so they can vote and make an elected decision. If they were to see both sides to this environmental problem then they could come up with a strategy to have both sides agree to the plan. Without the idea of pluralism there would be no way to understand all aspects of this issue. The other school of thought relative to this issue is ethical extensionism, which means that all things in nature should be extended moral standing. People with this view will this these animals that have no say in the matter, but should be thought of in any decisions made. They are just as important to Florida's coast as humans are to the boating...
Words: 377 - Pages: 2
...Environmental Issues Carissa Gilson Soc 120 introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility Ms. Soard 8/12/2010 History of environmental ethics: It started in the late 60’s with the publications of Lynn White’s “The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis” (March1967) and Garret Hardin’s “The Tragedy of the Commons” (December 1968). These publications and others started the debate into environmental issues. The first thing they needed to do was to decide what” the field of environmental ethics might look like”. There were many philosophers who got into the mix and started writing publications as well. Then in the 1990’s the International Society for Environmental Ethics was founded through the efforts of Laura Westra and Holmes Rolston, III (www.cep.unt.edu/novice). This started today’s various organizations such as Greenpeace, the earth charter initiative, the environmental protection society, friends of the earth to mention just a few. These organizations are designed to create an awareness of today’s environmental issues. Some of the issues we are facing in the future seem to have to do with global warming and its impact on the earth’s environment. The issue here seems to be our use of gas and oil and the need for an alternate energy source. There are so many thoughts as to what should be done in this area; it makes your head spin. I’m all for green technology provided it really works. It is very hard to sort out what green really means to the average person. One...
Words: 994 - Pages: 4
...Current Environmental Issue [Name of Writer] [Name of Institute] Current Environmental Issue Introduction The pressure exerted by humans on ecosystems has increased since the second industrial revolution, reflecting the need to develop new conservation techniques, prevention and environmental mitigation (Yang, 2011). These techniques aim to reduce the levels of environmental degradation as recently observed contamination of collections of water and soils, air pollution and indiscriminate replacement of native vegetation, with the consequent reduction of wild habitats, among other forms of aggression to the environment. Discussion The change of attitude of man towards nature began from the 60s. Since then the concern to promote behavior change in the relationship between man and nature begins to be observed. The main goal becomes achieving a balance between economic interests and conservationists leading to improvements in quality of life, giving rise to processes that, together, the future would be called sustainable development (Karterakis, 2008). Such a development can be seen as a model that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development, as well as social and ecological balance, must also be added a special focus on economic development as one of the main strands. Accordingly, plus a spirit of common responsibility, production models are taken harmonious...
Words: 738 - Pages: 3
...Root Causes of Environmental Issues Holly Regan SCI/275 July 27, 2014 Stacy Murphy Root Causes of Environmental Issues The failure to address the root causes has led to most of the environmental unsustainability issues we have today. Harich (2012), asks, “Does environmental sustainability fall into the class of problems that are inherently insolvable?” I agree with the views that reflect the majority rule in the sense of not addressing the root causes as they present themselves to be among the major contributors for unsustainability in our environment and the destruction of our planet. Some conclude that a small parcel of land removed of trees is harmless, but, in fact, the failure to manage and restore ecosystems properly over the last several decades has brought us to where we are today. The point, all too often ignored, is this trend is being driven in large part by a combination of population growth and increasing per capita consumption, and it cannot long be continued without risking a collapse of our now-global civilization, (Erhlich, 2008). I do not agree with Frontierism. The blatant ignorance of destruction to the environment and surrounding ecosystems is ridiculous. Frontierism affects environmental sustainability by creating disruption within the ecosystem by removing what has taken thousands of years to produce and interrupts the balance within the surrounding environment for renewable resources. According to our text, “lacking an understanding of...
Words: 314 - Pages: 2
...Managing Environmental Issues Simulation SCI/362 Managing Environmental Issues Simulation The relationship between the stakeholders in Week 4’s environmental issues simulation needs to equally considered and environmental justice must be applied to protect the indigenous peoples as well as the environment. The stakeholders must choose the best path forward on the project that will be beneficial to all parties involved and not just produce the most profits. Managing Environmental Issues: Simulation Background The Environmental Issues Simulation assesses the activities of the pharmaceutical company Colney and Pitts as they plan to expand new operations in Kenya that will hopefully assist them in developing drugs to treat prostate cancer. The company is a US firm based in California and will be dealing with the government of Kenya as well as the native Kikuyu people. Colney and Pitts anticipates gathering a rare plant named Pygeum from the tribal lands of the Kikuyu people to study its properties that have been used for generations in treating various medical issues of older tribal males. The simulation states that the company will be investing $250,000 into their research into the viability of using the Pygeum plant in their modern pharmaceutical products. The company projects its earnings from this new drug to be around $220 million a year. As a precaution, the International Center for Ethno Botanical Research will be monitoring the company’s project to protect the...
Words: 1128 - Pages: 5
...A. Introduction Every day, the average person inhales about 20,000 liters of air. Every time we breathe, we risk inhaling dangerous chemicals that have found their way into the air. We as humans depend on the air around us to live, without it we would die. We rely on this as an essential source for living. Air pollution includes all contaminants found in the atmosphere. It is another major problem that is yet to be solved. These dangerous substances can be either in the form of gases or particles. The air is 99.9% nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, and inert gases. Air pollution is a common term meaning the dirtying and gradual destruction of our natural resources, especially our air, water and land. This is referred to as environmental pollution. Once, years ago, the air was fresh and clear and the rivers were clean with fish swimming in the crystal clear waters and streams. This is no longer true today. Air pollution is the dirtying of the air. Where once we had blue skies and fresh air to breathe in, this is no longer the case. The air today is choked with toxic fumes from cars and factories. With more and more cars on the road, the carbon monoxide emitted from the car exhausts has polluted the Earth’s atmosphere. The clearing of land to make way for housing or farms has also lead to forests being destroyed and burnt. But did you know that air pollution also found both outdoors and indoors? It can, Pollutants can be trapped inside buildings, causing indoor pollution...
Words: 3043 - Pages: 13
...good paper. Discuss an environmental problem that you feel is significant in your town or city. Almost 3 years since Hurricane Katrina came through Mississippi and we are still dealing with the effects. There was a lot of damage left in her wake. From polluted air to oil spills. The hurricane-battered Gulf Coast region still has many environmental problems to tackle. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator (Stephen Johnson), the region is dealing with mounds of debris, mold, and contamination from oil spills, broken infrastructure and reports of poor air quality in Mississippi. In Mississippi, air sampling between Oct. 7 and 19 at the Stennis Space Center in Pascagoula, found dangerous chemicals. High levels of formaldehyde, or methanol, were found on three days near the county health department in Pascagoula. The chemical compound, which takes form as a pungent gas, often comes about with combustion, for example from forest fires or automobile exhaust. Preliminary results from newer samples show that the formaldehyde levels are coming down but that doesn’t mean they don’t still exist. State and federal environmental agencies have been criticized for downplaying the dangers caused by the hurricane. Gary Miller, a chemical engineer and air expert with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, said state and federal agencies have done a good job. He said the long-term health and environmental effects are still playing...
Words: 364 - Pages: 2
...Environmental Issues and the Industrial Revolution Temara Huston Argosy University Online SCI201— Ecology and Environmental Sustainability Module 1, Assignment 3 Dr: James Lilly 02/17/16 The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a major turning point in earth’s ecology and the relationship between humans and environment. There were several negative environmentally impacts. Three in particular that are ripple effects to each other are urbanization, pollution and global warming. From 1695 – 1801 there was a 60% population growth rate. There were advancements in farming that reduced the need for farmhands. People migrated to the cities to find work and places to live; but these cities were not prepared for such an influx in such a short period of time. The main motivation for the continuous building was money; because of this, houses were built quickly, cheaply and as many as possible. There we’re no bathrooms, toilets or running water. Many didn’t bathe because it was easier than collecting water from a local pump to do so in a tin bath. There was a courtyard between each row of houses for waste to be thrown out. Sanitation and hygiene barely existed and throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the great fear was a cholera, typhus or typhoid epidemic. These issues weren’t address for the same reason they existed in the first place; money. Wealthy men owned the factories and mines and had huge influence in the cities, the laws that were in...
Words: 1613 - Pages: 7
...The issues that our company has to address is setting up a for profit business in a place where there are the many disasters and calamities that are affecting the area. Another issue is that there are environmental elements that cause damage to the island which can in turn jeopardize the economy due to the fact that the majority of the resources that are used to support the country come from agricultural means. Along with the many instances of environmental threats, there are also external and internal disasters that have affected the island. Upon arrival I am greeted with the aftermath of a set of disasters that has recently ailed Kava. The objective of the company is to set up business here and in doing so give some of what has been taken away back to the country. This is easily said than done. There are a lot of things to consider in solving the problem. The main concentration at this point will be organizational processes, human resources, and ethics. The organizational processes of the company are to flow together to do the best thing for the people involved in the company while also making profit. In order for us to be successful, our organizational processes need to aim for the most beneficial way to introduce and do business here in Kava. Having the company here will help to bring in a new additive to the economy. There will be new area of work opened to the people here The decision-maker weights the previously identified criteria in order The various key...
Words: 662 - Pages: 3
...Global Environmental Change 17 (2007) 445–459 Barriers perceived to engaging with climate change among the UK public and their policy implications Irene Lorenzonia,b,������, Sophie Nicholson-Coleb, Lorraine Whitmarshb a School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK b Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK Received 25 August 2006; received in revised form 12 January 2007; accepted 17 January 2007 Abstract This paper reports on the barriers that members of the UK public perceive to engaging with climate change. It draws upon three mixed-method studies, with an emphasis on the qualitative data which offer an in-depth insight into how people make sense of climate change. The paper defines engagement as an individual’s state, comprising three elements: cognitive, affective and behavioural. A number of common barriers emerge from the three studies, which operate broadly at ‘individual’ and ‘social’ levels. These major constraints to individual engagement with climate change have implications for achieving significant reductions in greenhouse gases in the UK. We argue that targeted and tailored information provision should be supported by wider structural change to enable citizens and communities to reduce their carbon dependency. Policy implications for effective engagement are discussed. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Climate...
Words: 13826 - Pages: 56
...Environmental Justice Issues This is a global issue, rather than just something that people suffer in the United States. The topic I chose to connect to science was environmental justice issues. Environmental justice has been defined “as fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, ethnicity, income, national origin, or educational level in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies”( ). Specifically focusing on the inadequate access to healthy food. This is a disadvantage that compromises the health of a community and or its residents. Certain communities; particularly lower-income or minority communities. These residents often lack supermarkets or other...
Words: 1000 - Pages: 4
...Environmental Issues and the Industrial Revolution xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Argosy University Environmental Issues and the Industrial Revolution As the population continues to grow, the impact on the environment will continue to impact all of us on the Earth. The more industrial plants, mean more greenhouse gases that will be emitted into the atmosphere, some will return causing the planet’s surface to warm. Greenhouse gases in turn leads to Global Climate change. Three most environmental negatives to me are first the growing population. People wanting larger families, technology is more advance, which leads to better medicine and people living longer. The more people the less resources we will have to survive with. Two triggers that had an increase of population we went from hunter to gather lifestyle to an agricultural life style. The agricultural revolution began around 10,000 years ago with people growing their own crops and raise animals for consumption. It was easier for the people to meet their nutritional needs and in turn they began to live longer and produce more children. Second, Greenhouse gases are atmospheric gases that absorb infrared radiation, caused by the industrial revolution. The building of power plants, cars and buses, are some of the reasons of greenhouse gases. Pounds and Crump (1994) hypothesized that hot, dry condition was the main reason for such high adult mortality and breeding issues in other species. Due to greenhouse gases, the warming...
Words: 1120 - Pages: 5
...An environmental issue Course title Course instructor Name Date Introduction Bio means life while diversity means variation in the various aspects of things. Biodiversity entails the extent of variation of forms of life within a given planet or species. The number of plants’ species, microorganisms, the great diversity of species’ genes, animals, the various planets’ ecosystem such as deserts and coral reefs forms part of biodiversity on earth. However politics and power have greatly influenced the shaky balance. There has been a great biodiversity loss since the human race emerged. (Miller, D. A. 2008 p.23) Biodiversity has as well affected cultural diversities and thus should be keenly dealt with. This ranges from the various types of traditional foods used by the various societies. Biodiversity loss is rendering them extinct. Physical Elements of Biodiversity Loss In the physical reality much can be read on biodiversity loss. For example, the emergence of new breeds of animals and plants can be seen being developed in any other corner of the world. People are keenly trying out new breeds as a means of curbing food shortage. For example, the genetically modified food has been termed as a way of reducing food shortages. This has impacted negatively to human health. Population decline of species, a research done in UK in 2008 clearly revealed that the population of bats was...
Words: 1618 - Pages: 7
...WK1: Community Environmental Issue University of Phoenix SCI 275 May 11, 2014 Community Environmental Issue The main issue in the state of Ohio would be power plants. There is one really big power plant that my grandfather has worked at for the past 28 years of his life. He states that they have currently started changing things up so that it is more environmentally safe for our environment. This paper is about the power plant issue and how it is an environmental sustainability issue, and who it will affect, what causes the issue, and how the government can regulate or not regulate it, and the solutions that can be proposed to help with this issue. The issue is that power plants cause many additional problems to the environment just so people can have electricity. Fossil fuel-fired power plants are the nation’s largest source of carbon dioxide, the leading global warming pollutant” (Environment Ohio Research & Policy Center, 2013). “In the United States, warmer temperatures caused by global warming have already increased the frequency and severity of heat waves and heavy downpours, resulting in more intense wildfires, floods, droughts, and tropical storms and hurricanes” (Environment Ohio Research & Policy Center, 2013). “In 2011, power plants were responsible for 42 percent of all U.S. global warming pollution” (Environment Ohio Research & Policy Center, 2013). “Power plants use water for cooling, reducing the amount of water available for irrigation, wildlife, recreation...
Words: 1790 - Pages: 8
...Overfishing and destructive fishing Fishers in the Philippines are increasingly coming home with pitiful catches. Of a number of factors which have led to this situation, one stands out: over-fishing in many areas. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), there has been a drop of 90% in the quantity of marine organisms that can be trawled in some traditional fishing areas of the Philippines. This isn’t just a question of declining fish stocks and biodiversity, but also of social impacts and economic losses. Mismanagement of fisheries resources is estimated to cost US$ 420 million annually in lost revenues. At the root of the overfishing problem is weak fisheries management, ineffective policies and poor enforcement of fishery laws. Deforestation After decades of deforestation, which has left about 3% of the original cover, forests continue to be under threat from agriculture and urbanization, illegal logging and forest fires. Sustained forest loss in the Philippines is causing severe soil erosion, and is threatening the country’s rich biodiversity. This is particularly worrying as many of the Philippines’ species, which depend on these forests, are endemic (they cannot be found anywhere else in the world). For example, of 180 native terrestrial mammal species here, about 61% are endemic. Inconsistent laws, inadequate regulations, weak enforcement and lack of funding are making forest conservation a major challenge. Sources • BirdLife. Red Data Book - Threatened...
Words: 599 - Pages: 3
