Abstract
Sustainability is a utopian vision that requires living harmoniously with nature, which will exact harsh penalties on species that exceed Earth's carrying capacity and violate nature's laws. To make this vision a reality, humankind needs a global ethical consensus on sustainable use of the planet—sustainability ethics. Sustainability ethics has the goal of developing a sustainable, mutual- istic relationship between humankind and the interdependent web of life that serves as Earth's eco- logical life support system. The quest for sustainable use of the planet is a value judgment that has more than one component. Arguably, the most important is increased attention to and compassion for posterity's quality of life, in short, leaving a habitable planet for future generations. This requires leaving natural capital and the ecosystem services it provides undiminished at the least and increased at best. Although material possessions can be left to direct descendants, protecting the planet's ecological life support system must not only be for all of humankind's descendants but those of the 30+ million other species with which we share the planet. This is difficult because the recipients are distant (as individuals) both temporally and spatially. Therefore, this quest will not be realized until an agreement emerges on the values and attitudes necessary to make sustainability a reality. Science can then develop the standards and criteria necessary to reach this goal. In view of present unsustainable practices, a basic ethical consensus is necessary to develop sustainable practices.
Highlights
Sustainability is a utopian vision that requires living harmoniously with nature, which will exact harsh penalties on species that exceed Earth’s carrying capacity and violate nature’s laws
Important similarities are present in the concepts of eco-ethics (Kinne 2003) and sustainability ethics
The major difference between eco-ethics and sustainability ethics is that the latter envisions that Homo sapiens will exist on the planet indefinitely
Summary
Success or failure will come down to an ethical decision, one on which those living will be defined and judged for all generations to come. Important similarities are present in the concepts of eco-ethics (Kinne 2003) and sustainability ethics Both focus intently upon the ethical relationship between humankind and natural systems. Both deplore the folly of humankind’s present unsustainable course, which includes exhausting the planet’s nonrenewable resources such as fossil fuels, water, and minerals. Sustainability ethics is defensible if one assumes humankind and natural systems are co-evolving in a mutually beneficial way. The concept is not ethically defensible if one assumes sustainable use of the planet has the primary goal of manipulating natural systems so that they are always optimally beneficial to humankind, even if this manipulation impairs the integrity of natural systems and subverts the natural successional processes of species turnover and replacement over evolutionary time. How can one Cairns: Sustainability ethics scientifically discount these concerns? American television commentator Andy Rooney’s closing remarks regarding the space shuttle Columbia tragedy fit well when considering sustainable use of the planet: ‘Rarely does man concern himself with caring about future generations, but the space program is one example where he does.’ Clearly, sustainable use of the planet should be another
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