Ethics & Environment

Group 9
Manish Goel (2/2013)
Shobhit Pathak (3/2013)
Dhruv Bansal (16/2013)
Shubham Sharma (42/2013)
Karan Karamchandani (45/2013)
Garvit Dhingra (50/2013)

Flow Of Presentation
1.
2.
3.

What are environmental ethics?

Environmental Protection & Environmental Issues
Common Ethical Principles in Environmental Relations

What are environmental ethics?

Ethics: the rules of conduct recognized in respect to
a particular class of human actions or governing a
particular group, culture, etc.
Environmental ethics: rules of conduct or principles
recognized in respect to treatment of our
surroundings, especially natural environment.
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Applied environmental science often involves decision making.

Do the immediate interests of living persons count more than the needs of
unborn generations?

Is pollution bad only if it interferes with human interests and concerns?

Is nature here only to serve humans?

Do animals, plants, and perhaps even rivers, ecosystems and biomes have
rights?

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Environmental Protection
Over the past several centuries, the government or rulemaking bodies of society have recognized many societal rights
and extended legal protection of those rights to a wider
framework.

However, there hasnt been a strong rule for the industries

against the protection of nature.
In absence of strong legal regulation against environmental
violations, Industries have been polluting the environment in
many forms.

Environmental Issues

Air Pollution
Water Pollution
Land Degradation
Acid Rains
Depletion of ozone layer
Deforestation
Environmental disaster
Global Warming

Ethical Principle in Environmental Relations

Biocentric Principles
What is best for nature?
Humans should not disturb natural processes
Nature should take her own path
Humans should not make profits from natural things (e.g.,
trees)
Cutting trees, especially large trees, is wrong
Trees are important to us in many ways so they must not
be cut. It disturbs the ecological balance.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
"Sustainable development is development that meets
the needs of the present, without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs."
It's also about ensuring a strong, healthy and just
society. This means meeting the diverse needs of
all people in existing and future communities,
promoting personal wellbeing, social cohesion
and inclusion, and creating equal opportunity.

If sustainable development focuses on the

future, does that mean we lose out now?
Sustainable development is about finding better ways of doing
things, both for the future and the present. We might need to
change the way we work and live now, but this doesn't mean
our quality of life will be reduced.
A sustainable development approach can bring many benefits
in the short to medium term, for example:
Savings - As a result of SDC scrutiny, government has
saved over 60m by improving efficiency across its estate.
Health & Transport - Instead of driving, switching to
walking or cycling for short journeys will save you money,
improve your health and is often just as quick and
convenient.

INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION

The waste from industries are

directly dumped into surrounding
water bodies and open lands
which causes various types of
pollution. This is known as
industrial pollution.

POLLUTION CAUSED BY INDUSTRIES

AIR POLLUTION-Addition of large amount of
hazardous gases in earths atmosphere.
WATER POLLUTION-Chemicals are discharged
into large water bodies.
NOISE POLLUTION-Unwanted sound are
generated in industries.
THERMAL POLLUTION- Thermal pollution is
caused by either dumping hot water from
factories and power plants or removing trees and
vegetation for industrial use.

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF INDUSTRIAL

POLLUTION
1. Lead, which impairs the neurological development of
children and causes cardiovascular disease in adults;
2. chromium, which causes cancers
3. mercury, which damages the kidneys and affects
neurological development in children
4. cadmium (causes cancer and kidney disease)
5. asbestos (responsible for lung cancers and other lung
problems).
Other volatile organic compounds also cause cancer,
neurological issues, and damage to kidneys, liver, skin,
and other organs.

Role Of Corporate in
Environmental Management
In Past Times
The big corporations were believed to deploy tremendous amount
of human and financial resources for economic value addition.
The big corporations were blamed for all the pollution and
environmental degradation.
They were blamed for producing massive waste in an endeavour to
produce wealth.

In Present Times
The corporate are expected to be proactive and innovative.
The industrys role is changing fast from one that is negative to one
that is positive in all areas of socio-economic endeavour.
Businesses are coming up with new concept of CORPORATE
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

INNOVATIVE BUSINESS
RESPONSES
Many Companies are finding ways and means to cut waste
wherever possible.
Instead of fighting against the regulations, some firms are
taking a proactive stance and are improving their
environmental performance.
Industries have realised the potential for benefits from
pollution prevention.
Companies have found that reduction in raw material and in
amount of toxic wastes they produce can yield savings.

What is Environmental Audit

Environmental auditing is a systematic, documented, periodic
and objective process in assessing an organizations activities
and services in relation to:
1. Assessing compliance with relevant statutory and internal
requirements
2. Facilitating management control of environmental practices
3. Promoting good environmental management

4. Maintaining credibility with the public

5. Raising staff awareness and enforcing commitment to
departmental environmental policy

SCOPE OF EA
The prime objective of audits is to test the adequacy of
existing management systems, they fulfil a fundamentally
different role from the monitoring of environmental
performance.
The scope of an audit can vary from simple compliance
testing to a more rigorous examination, depending on the
perceived needs of the management.

ADVANTAGES OF EA
Increasing employee awareness of Environmental laws,
regulations and standards
Finding out the potential cost saving areas within the plant
including waste minimization / resource recovery possibilities
Better exchange of data between group related to operation and
management
Helping management to take decisions in relation to plant
modification or alteration
Ensuring better relation with the regulatory authorities by way
of meeting regulatory requirement
Providing an info-base which can be used in emergent
conditions and validating its potential

Ethical Worldviews
Anthropocentrism
Sentio-centrism
Eco-centric Holism

Anthropocentrism
Human centered
morality.
Only humans have
intrinsic value and
moral standing.
The rest of the
natural world has
instrumental value
(use to humans).

Sentio-Centrism
Sentient-being centered morality
All and only sentient beings (animals
that feel pain) have intrinsic value
and moral standing.
The rest of the natural world has
instrumental value.
Both humans and sentient animals
have rights and/or interests that
must be considered

Eco-centric Holism
ecosystem centered morality
Non-individuals (the earth as an
interconnected ecosystem,
species, natural processes) have
moral standing or intrinsic value
and are deserving of respect.
Individuals must be concerned
about the whole community of
life/nature,
Humans should strive to preserve
ecological balance and stability

Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint has historically
been defined as "the total sets of
greenhouse gas emissions caused by
an organization, event, product or
person."

Carbon credit
A carbon credit is a generic term for any
tradable certificate or permit representing the
right to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide or
the mass of another greenhouse gas with
a carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e)
equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide

Reduce your Carbon Footprint

Use cleaner transport

Add energy-saving features to your home
Adopt energy-saving habits
Reduce your Food Footprint
Adopt water-saving habits

CASE STUDY

Somethings Rotten in Hondo

Introduction
George with his family had moved to Hondo, Texas from El
Paso.
He was made the manager of a small plant of Ardnak plastics.
The plant employed a few hundred workers which were a
substantial portion of Hondo's population.
Georges first challenge was that his plants smokestack
emissions were above the EPA guidelines.
Bill, Georges boss called him to warn him about these
guidelines and told him that the company had no money to
replace the smokestack scrubbers.
Bill told George that if the guideline were not met fines would
be levied on the company

 George contacted other plant managers of Ardnak and was

told that they operate heavily at nights ,so when EPA officials
take readings in the day ,its within the standards, which
would further damage the environment.
George was now confused as a month had passed by without
any decision being taken.
Bill called George to tell him that EPA had levied fines on the
company .
Bill told George that he was contemplating moving the plant
to Mexico which was 15 miles away from Hondo and the
Mexican government had assured him that there would be no
environmental restrictions
The condition that the Mexican government had put forth
was that Ardnak would hire Mexican workers only.

Possible Alternatives
George could follow the same approach adopted by other
plant managers in the company
George could relocate to Mexico
George could look for another job

Who are the primary stakeholders?

George
Georges Family
People of Hondo
EPA
The Mexican town

What are the ethical issues?

Whether or not to mislead the EPA as to the
true level of emissions from the plant.
Whether or not capitalize on a neighboring
countrys less stringent laws.
Whether or not to destroy an entire
communitys infrastructure.

Different perspectives for ethics in

Alternatives
Utilitarian Perspective
Rights Perspective
Justice Perspective