Ethics an environmental Sciences.

Abstract

SUMMARY Ibis paper reviews the status of environmental etbics aud its applications in environmental decision making. It is targeted towards an audience of non-profes- sional etbicists witb a bio-etbical interest. Ihe text starts with an historical analysis of the sejentifie background of con- temporary environmental problems. Ihe origin of ecology in botany is discussed, togheter witb the spread of the ecological approach to other sejentifie disciplines. Introduction of applied ecological knowledge hegan in the 1930s during a period in which tbe appearance of contemporary environmental problems was being ack- nowledge for the first time. The sejentifie response of this acknowlcdgement was te establishment of environmental selence and human ecology. The societal roots of te environmental discussion are also discussed. Attention focusses on te roles played by tbe nature conservation, environmental, consumer and anti-nuclear movements, popular and popularized science, the media and the development of environmental policy and regulation. Ibe scientific approacb and the societal background enable us to underestand dic concept of te «environmental crisis», wbich itself provides the most important contextual baekground to environmental ethics. This background 18equally essen- tial to understanding contemporary views on te fundamental issues underlying environmental problems. lo illustrate contemporary tbinking, an analysis of Agen- da 21 shows how environmental problems are currently seen as the result of poverty, consumption and production patterns and demographic and decision making issues. Using this environmental knowledge background as a reference, te main lines of thinking in environmental ethics are overviewed. Ihe overview begins by loo- king at approaches which value te environment because it is or might be of value to man. It continues by considering approaches which are intermediate between te