Do+Humans+have+Obligations+to+the+Environment+and+Future+Generations?-Final+Draft-Ruth+N.+Castillo

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Running head: HUMAN OBLIGATIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENT 1

Do Humans Have Obligations to the Environment and Future Generations?

Ruth N. Castillo

Escuela Internacional Sampedrana

HUMAN OBLIGATIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENT 2 **Abstract** This paper examines the different reasons why humans should be concerned with the ongoing situation the Earth’s environment faces and why we must take action.

Derek Parfit’s thesis states that every small change has grander effects in the future. We humans are the cause of the world’s resource depletion and therefore the Sixth

Planetary Extinction. There have been six world scale extinctions, and we are living through the sixth one today. So, all the changes we have caused in the environment,

such as deforestation, over population, pollution and overexploitation of species have caused economies to decrease in force, hence, affecting human quality of life and

the survival of our species. World leaders have taken notice of these effects which affect the poorest nations, and call upon others by creating conscience and awareness

of the situation, as well as encouraging people and countries to take action. There are some arguments that oppose this view, but groups like these don’t realize how

much we are being affected by climate change and other factors, which are ultimately destroying us. Humans have a duty as inhabitants of Earth to protect it and make a

better world for others by having a more ‘green’ mind set and considering the consequences we might face as a species.

HUMAN OBLIGATIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENT 3

Every single organism in the world is interconnected. What happens to one of them, inevitably affects the other in the long run, and this definitely doesn’t exclude

humans. We share a food chain with all the other organisms living on earth, one that if disrupted, can seriously affect our economies and qualities of life. If we want to

ensure our quality of life in the future, we must preserve the environment for our children to have a better place to live than we now have and to ensure the survival of our

species. If we continue to destroy the environment, we are contributing to the Sixth Planetary Extinction (global extinction currently happening), placing the survival of our

species at risk, and leaving us with an uncertain tomorrow. Human beings therefore have a moral obligation to preserve the environment for future generations to ensure

human survival and a favorable quality of life.

First of all, we have to realize something that is very important in our world: every little change matters. A single, seemingly insignificant action can change

circumstances drastically. For example, the human body’s reproduction cells develop in a very delicate environment, and the slightest change in it can affect the cells. “A

change can result in the fertilization of the egg by a different sperm,” causing the creation of a different person that what the situation originally was going to create.

According to one part of Derek Parfit’s thesis, our intervention in the environment will make a sufficient impact to assure that different people will be born from those who

would have been born if our intervention were lacking (D’Amato, 1990). In simpler words, every change is important no matter how small. Parfit’s theory can apply to

different circumstances. The world’s seas are increasing

HUMAN OBLIGATIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENT 4

in temperature, and although it might only be by one degree or so, it affects organisms such as corals drastically since they have to live in a specific temperature in

order to survive and provide life to the entire coral reef. Therefore, small changes affect non-human organisms and eventually us humans. In any situation, a small

change can lead to very unfavorable repercussions. Hence, we have a moral obligation to preserve the environment because we cannot act in any situation where our

actions would leave others and future generations worse off. It is our duty to cultivate our natural sense of obligation in order to not act wastefully, this being for our own

benefit.

Furthermore, we have to consider the food chain in the equation. This is of major importance for our survival and if disrupted, humans and other non-human

organisms can suffer disastrous consequences. Currently, we are facing problems of resource depletion, but these are due to human activity and we have caused them

upon ourselves. In order to try and save the world from this massive Sixth Extinction, “we ought to try to preserve those species that have been driven to the brink of

extinction by human activities and we should make sure that no additional species are endangered or threatened by our behavior” (Michael, 2005). We humans have put

forth the Sixth Extinction by the transformation of landscape through means such as deforestation, overexploitation of species, over population, pollution, and the

introduction of alien species. Consequentially, resource depletion causes the Sixth Extinction. Soon Earth’s carrying capacity will come to its limit and there will not be

enough food and resources for all of Earth’s inhabitants. If we would only have this issue to worry about, then our future wouldn’t look so bad. But with the increasing loss

of biodiversity, the picture is very different, one that few are happy to imagine. Also, every hour, approximately three species become extinct. At this rate, the

HUMAN OBLIGATIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENT 5

world will be in catastrophic conditions less than 60 years from now if we continue to diminish resources ( Leahy, 2006).

All of the current environmental problems we have caused, such as pollution, deforestation, and the result of all environmental problems, global warming, have a

strong impact on our quality of life. Additionally, with the current ongoing natural disasters, such as earthquakes, storms and tsunamis, we are starting to experience the

effects of our destruction. Countries’ economies are being affected because of this, and these issues have come to the attention of international politicians. Organizations

are now putting forth the ratification of treaties such as in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. Scientists and politicians call upon others to take concern

for the situation and join efforts to preserve threatened habitats and endangered species (Picard, n.d.). United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called upon

others to take action. “Our lives depend on biological diversity. Species and ecosystems are disappearing at an unsustainable rate because of our actions. The

consequences for economies and people will be profound, especially for the world’s poorest people. In 2002, world leaders agreed to substantially reduce the rate of

biodiversity loss” (Moon, n.d.). World leaders know that we are at the brink of a great disaster if we don’t take action. Another world leader to call for action is European

Union Commission President José Manuel Durão Barroso. He stated during his speech at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2008

that the world’s biodiversity loss is a threat to our life, natural environment, quality of life, and economies which constitute the much more direct life-support system on

which human well-being depends. He agrees that “we have a moral obligation to be careful stewards of

HUMAN OBLIGATIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENT 6

the planet for future generations” (Barroso, 2008). In order to provide future generations with a better world, and ensure our survival as a species, we must take action to

decrease and eventually stop the damage we have caused. Also, we have to focus on our economies which could be greatly affected if no action is taken to conserve the

environment.

However, some people have an opulent model perspective in response to an asserted environmental obligation to future generations. This opulent model is one

of Edith Brown Weiss’ three different approaches one might take in response to an asserted environmental obligation to future generations. She currently is the professor

of International Environmental Law at Georgetown University. This perspective “denies any such obligation and permits present extravagance and waste” (D’Amato,

1990). Others are caught up in self interest and they divorce from nature and believe they have dominion and total control over other organisms; they believe humans are

omnipotent. This is called the stewardship argument, and it appoints humans as sole custodians of biodiversity (Picard, n.d.). Another group takes a position in which

they believe that what is currently happening is just another usual natural phenomenon.

These groups definitely are not realizing they are contributing to their own destruction. We (humans and all other organisms) are governed by the same natural

laws and we must remember we are part of nature; humans affect other organisms and they also affect us. The people who have these points of view disregard the fact

that we are entering the Sixth Extinction because of men’s excess and that if they do nothing about it, they will also be part of this extinction. They believe humans are

omnipotent and above all other creatures, but in reality we all share the same earth and the same environment, and

whatever happens to it, will charge on us too.

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Humans, ever since their existence, have caused little changes in the environment that now result in the current situation we are facing. Our destructive, selfish

and greedy nature has devastated entire ecosystems and species, giving rise to problems such as pollution, deforestation and climate change, which are undeniably

affecting us humans. Because of it, countries’ economies are being affected and human quality of life is being threatened. The most affected nations are the poorest

ones, bringing their quality of life even lower than that of the rest of the world. We are facing difficult challenges, and this is why we humans have a moral obligation to

preserve the environment for future generations. We must prevent falling into a deep world crisis, deeper that the one we face now. If we stand with arms crossed, we will

feel the effects of natural disasters, low economy and poor health at greater levels than we would if we all switch our mind sets to an environmentally proactive one and

start to make a change. We cannot morally permit ourselves to have our children live in a world worse off than the one we live in, and it is our duty as citizens of the world

to save our only home.

HUMAN OBLIGATIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENT 8 D, Barroso, J. M. (Director) (2008, May 28). Biodiversity: We Have a Moral Obligation. //Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity//. Lecture
 * References**

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2010, from http://anthonydamato.law.northwestern.edu/Adobefiles/a90c-duty.pdf

Leahy, S. (2006, September 20). Environment: 60 Years to Restore the Ozone Layer Over Antarctica - IPS ipsnews.net. //IPS Inter Press Service//. Retrieved March 18, 2010,

from http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=34810

Michael, M. (2005). Is It Natural to Drive Species to Extinction?. //Ethics and the Environment//, //10//, 49-66.

New Press, T. A. (n.d.). The Sixth Extinction (ActionBioscience). //ActionBioscience - promoting bioscience literacy//. Retrieved February 26, 2010, from

http://www.actionbioscience.org/newfrontiers/eldredge2.html

Paquette, P. (2003). //Ethics in the World. Philosophy Questions and Theories// (p. 294-295). Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill.

Picard, K. (0). Biodiversity and Ethics: Do We Have a Responsibility to Preserve?. //University Journal//, //n.d.//, 44-46. Retrieved February 26, 2010, from http://bama.ua.edu

/~joshua/archive/aug06/Kathryn%20Picard.pdf

n. d. (Director). (2010). //Welcome to 2010: International Year of Biodiversity// [Slide program]. n.d.: United Nations.