Discussion Questions: Environmental Ethics

Environmental ethics

Question one

When the word environmental ethics is mentioned, I think of the laws protecting our surrounding. However, it is defined as the association, worth and rights of human beings to their surroundings. Human beings contribute much in pollution and abuse of the environment. Therefore, people should be informed on how to care for their surroundings. Animals should be accorded the same rights as human beings, a statement that fulfills the basic principle of equality. It does not necessitate balanced or similar treatment, but equivalent concern. For instance, if a person kills a dog for no good reason, he or she is acted upon by the body that protects animal rights. It states that animals ought to have a life free from pain and misuse. Animals not only live to fulfill our experimental desires, but experience pain and fear as we do. Human individuals too should not be experimented on because by so doing, one will have violated the human rights and could be locked up in jail, which calls for an alternative solution to the experiments.

Question two

I believe that global warming is existent and human beings have increased its effect to the Earth, a condition that caused climatic change in various nations. The United States should make it the main concern in order to reduce the effects of global warming. I am fully concerned with global warming because it has negative influence on all human beings. For instance, it has been noted that global warming has caused warming in the oceans. Such increased temperatures have resulted in new and emerging communicable diseases. Nothing indicates that global warming is bogus because of its impact on human beings and governments at large. The former vice president of America, Al Gore has several concerns and stances on global warming. He points out that all people should make efforts to protect the environment, since it affects the health of all individuals. He affirms that the industries contributing much on pollution of the drinking water would adversely be affected regardless of their economic impact. He further gives examples on various steps to reduce the impacts of global warming by organizing bodies that fight global warming.

Question 3

Hunting for fun is compared to killing. People who hunt for fun kill animals and do nothing with the carcass. This reduces the species of the killed animals, which may serve to create incomes in the future. Again, animals have a right to live, just like human beings. As seen above, they experience pain and fear and should not be put to death for no apparent reason. When people go on hunting for fun, they may face accidents in the forest. One could easily get a snake bite or step on a puff adder. Alternatively, human beings ought to register with the necessary board in order to pay tax, which will reduce their chances of hunting whenever they please.

Many people who hunt do not have necessary knowledge of handling weapon, thereby they may accidentally cause deaths of human beings. I am neither a hunter nor are my family members. Therefore I am annoyed about the idea of killing an animal for pleasure. I do not want to imagine causing pain and suffering to an animal for no reason. Killing for the interest of gaming is ethically wrong and those practicing it should be termed as criminals since they are against the animal rights law.