Environmental Ethics? (Earth, evolution)

[Sunstone]

What are some sound environmental ethics or principles to live by?

[eudaimonia]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

What are some sound environmental ethics or principles to live by?

Are there any?

I'm not sure what such a principle would look like. I wouldn't say that "recycle", for instance, is a principle or an ethic. It's merely an implementation of a concern for the environment.


eudaimonia,

Mark

[Hema]

The earth is a mother to us. Since we were born, we've been walking on her, yet she sustains and gives us life to this very day. Treat her with respect so that she will be able to sustain future generations.

[GeneCosta]

Originally Posted by Hema

The earth is a mother to us. Since we were born, we've been walking on her, yet she sustains and gives us life to this very day. Treat her with respect so that she will be able to sustain future generations.

Frubals.

I would also like to add that without a natural food chain the earth cries out for help. For example, if we kill a predator by poisoning its water supply, certain animals might reproduce without restriction until their food supply is destroyed and they too go extinct (or migrate into a different region), possibly affecting another species.

For me the website I'm about to provide gives vegetarian or vegan numerous reasons for not eating meat, which I would argue is an ethical standpoint. Some quick bulletins:

- About 700,000 animals are killed per hour in the United States for food.
- More CO2 is produced by the meat industry than any other industry.
- With reducing our meat intake by 10%, there is enough land to provide more than enough food for the people in our world who go hungry.

http://www.vegsource.com/how_to_win.htm

[Guitar's Cry]

I think working towards an ecocentric view (emphasizing humanity as part of an ecosystem) as opposed to an anthropocentric view (emphasizing humanity as the center of life) of our civilization would surely help give us a more sustainable perspective.

[Seyorni]

Originally Posted by GeneCosta

Frubals.

I would also like to add that without a natural food chain the earth cries out for help. For example, if we kill a predator by poisoning its water supply, certain animals might reproduce without restriction until their food supply is destroyed and they too go extinct (or migrate into a different region), possibly affecting another species.

For me the website I'm about to provide gives vegetarian or vegan numerous reasons for not eating meat, which I would argue is an ethical standpoint. Some quick bulletins:

- About 700,000 animals are killed per hour in the United States for food.
- More CO2 is produced by the meat industry than any other industry.
- With reducing our meat intake by 10%, there is enough land to provide more than enough food for the people in our world who go hungry.

http://www.vegsource.com/how_to_win.htm

\
Food animals in the US outweigh humans 4:1.

Most grain grown in the US is fed to animals.

[Hema]

Originally Posted by GeneCosta

Frubals.

I would also like to add that without a natural food chain the earth cries out for help. For example, if we kill a predator by poisoning its water supply, certain animals might reproduce without restriction until their food supply is destroyed and they too go extinct (or migrate into a different region), possibly affecting another species.

For me the website I'm about to provide gives vegetarian or vegan numerous reasons for not eating meat, which I would argue is an ethical standpoint. Some quick bulletins:

- About 700,000 animals are killed per hour in the United States for food.
- More CO2 is produced by the meat industry than any other industry.
- With reducing our meat intake by 10%, there is enough land to provide more than enough food for the people in our world who go hungry.

http://www.vegsource.com/how_to_win.htm

Aw shucks...thanks. Frubals for you too.

I'm vegetarian and I agree with what you're saying. There are acres of land used for grazing a few animals that will produce a limited amount of meat. However, if the same land is used for planting crops, much more people will be fed...I mean MUCH more.

Less resources will be used too:

Land + Water = Crops

Land + Water + Crops = Livestock.

This is from http://www.enviroveggie.com/

"One day while watching The Learning Channel, I learned that in the Biodome, all food was vegetarian. I was fascinated to find that because of limited resources, meat was left off of the menu. This was a group of scientists who had come to the conclusion that because of limited resources, vegetarianism was the most environmentally and economically friendly food-source. And it went beyond that, having the plants for food ALSO converted the carbon dioxide to oxygen to give the Biodome breathable air.

The Biodome project is a “testing ground” for sustaining life during long space flights, on a space station, or on an in-hospitable planet. A group of scientists are given limited space, limited water, and limited resources and are contained in this “dome” for a length of time without any outside resources coming in or without inside waste coming out. It is a completely self-contained environment.
Given limited resources, just like our planet, scientists devised the best way to sustain life in a healthy and humane way. It was determined that plant sources for nutrition would be the best all-around answer for many reasons. For one thing, they don’t use much room. If they were to raise livestock in the Biodome, they would not only need a place to grow the plants, but also a place to grow the livestock. This would impede on the total equipment they could take with them as there would only be so much room. On top of that, not only would the crops need water but the livestock would need water, increasing their need for fresh water. And even further on from that, there would be a substantial increase in waste coming from not only the humans, but now the animals as well. Plus, they would need an area to slaughter the animals which would create an issue of leftover bones and the potential to cause bacteria and illness throughout the dome. It was decided that a plant-based diet would make the most sense as it would take up a small amount of space, use a small amount of water, create little to no waste, would provide a pleasant and relaxing “green” environment within the dome and it would oxygenate the air. "

The Biodome is like a mini-earth. It has limited resources just like the earth does.

It finished with a quote from Albert Einstein:
"Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances of survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."

[michel]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

What are some sound environmental ethics or principles to live by?

Although most members have said it so much better than I will, I believe that there are.

The top and foremost one must be our debt to Mother Earth; what we have done to our wonderful "home" through the generations has been nothing short of abuse...and yes, she has shown her anger; but we deserve it.

We have the responsibility to clear up the act of of forebears, and get "Earth" -somehow - back to what it was before we ruined most of it.