Environmental Science and Ethics
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The purpose of this integrative essay is to identify the linkage between environmental science and ethics, two discrete scholarly and academic fields that move from theory to practice, thereby shaping human attitudes and behaviors. It will be argued herein that environmental science and ethics are primarily linked because of the necessity of employing ethical constructs in all scientific pursuits and because ethical mandates and value systems invariably impact upon the ways in which man interacts with the world (Brennan, 1998). The specific topic to be explored is how ethics and environmental science combine to foster environmental protectionism, or activities that respect the needs of various environmental sciences (e.g., geology as a locus for oil exploration) to generate data and "products" while employing ethical values that foster environmental responsibility. Environmental science is defined as a broad, science-based study of the physical, biological, and chemical processes shaping the environment and the effects of human activity on these physical processes. Its purpose is to provide an understanding of key environmental processes and their relationship with human activities. Subsumed within environmental science are aspects of geology, biology, chemistry, and ecology and the human activities of business, industry, and population growth (Environmental science, 2004). Environmental science approaches the topic of this essay by providing a specific focus f
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Conversely, environmental science generates knowledge, techniques, and processes that facilitate man's capacity to control, manipulate, and dominate his environment. For example, new environmental science technologies related to the field of geology allow man to identify and then retrieve oil and natural gas deposits in remote and isolated environments. It is quite clear that all forms of fossil fuel extraction have the potential for generating environmental ill effects -- just as the use of fossil fuels adds to global pollution and fosters global warming. The ethical consideration that thus needs to be applied in this example is whether or not the benefits of environmental resource exploitation are sufficient to compensate for the negative effects that will be created (Rose, 2002).
In biology in general, and in human genetic engineering in particular, these are clearly important issues. Sharpe (2002) argues that ethical debate over the activities of environmental scientists from all of the discipline's subsidiary fields is important in order to ensure that right-minded conduct characterizes the sector. There is no doubt that environmental science research projects are costly; many are funded by corporate int
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Ethically Rose, , Ideally Park, Walt Whitman, Shelley Wordsworth, Yeats Irish, Major Fadiman, System Science, Schick Vaughn, Earth Science, environmental science, earth science, rose 2002, environmental sciences, human activities, environmental protection, environmental science ethics, scientific research, world nature, science ethics, earth system, earth science poetry, schick vaughn 1999, example harvey 2004, washburn et al,
Approximate Word count = 2725
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)
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