Ethics, economics and environmental management
December 19, 2007 by amathew , amathew , Brian Butler , John Morelli and John Morelli | Filed under: Codes of Practice,Competencies of the Environmental Manager [2, 3, 4],Literature Review,RESEARCH CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS AND CREDENTIALING,Standards of Competence
Azqueta, Delacamara; Ethics, economics and environmental management; Ecological Economics 56 (2006) 524 -533The article begins by examining the relationship between human beings and the biosphere, and raises the argument that every person on earth should be entitle to the same right to enjoy the benefits of this planet, and this idea also extends to future generations. This idea is the basis for sustainability: the right for present and future generations to utilize the earth’s resources. The authors then discuss the impact that current economic and political practices have on the success of sustainability: over-consumption of resources does not support sustainability. The authors also posit that the value we place on the environment is a key factor in the overall success of sustainability and that ethics plays a role in the value we place on nature: if the only concern of a society is the economic value of the environment, sustainability will not be achieved. The authors determine that the idea of Environmental Ethics arose from the framework of the rights and duties between humans and other living and non-living creatures. The article concludes with the idea that the future of the planet depends on the values (both economic and social) that humans place on resources, and that our ethical viewpoint is the driving factor in the success of sustainability.