RE: the big debt

["Bernie Doeser" <bernie@doeser.org>]

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Some problems with this line of thought

- By our existence we use resources. Our individual existence, even for the
most careful, results in the generation of carbon dioxide, waste and the
depletion of natural resources. Agreed, our lifestyle will have a major
impact on the level of damage we do to our environment, but if it is wrong
to damage the world a lot, is it not therefore also wrong to damage it a
little ? The natural conclusion is that we should all commit suicide.

- Are we doing the right thing? Recent studies into the effect of the ban on
whaling have had, have shown that certain species of seal are now endangered
as some whales who used to feed on discarded whalemeat are now eating seals.
By attempting to change to a less harmful policy we have resulted in
unintended more harmful consequences. At the base of this issue is the
problem that our actions are links in causal chains. What we decide to do
may have an intended benefit in the short term, and an unintended
dis-benefit in the long term. The release of minks into the wild, the
introduction of river perch into African lakes and the introduction of
rabbits are examples of human actions intended to make some positive change,
but which resulted in far greater damage than benefit.

- The environment as a shared resource. I wonder if the history of "the
commons" can help us better share our use of the environment. Shared village
pasture ran the risk of being over grazed by individual farmers - shared
property always suffers from "unfair" exploitation. Mechanisms to control
this generally take the form of centralising ownership, either through
privatisation, or through governmental control. The resource is then
formally managed. But can this be done with the environment ? To some degree
this is happening already - permits to pollute and carbon trading are
examples of where governments are taking steps to manage use of the
environment.

- Conflicting values. David Bellamy has recently been the subject of much
criticism (and has been dropped as patron of the Centre for Alternative
Technology) as a result of his opposition to wind farms - an example of
where there is a conflict between some visual/aesthetic value and another
air quality/greenhouse effect value.

In a way we could be said to be cursed with our capability for moral action,
as whatever path we take will face some form of valid criticism. Of course
we could abandon all hope of making moral decisions about the environment,
but a far better approach in my view is to rapidly expand and improve our
understanding of the environment, then at least we stand a chance of making
fewer mistakes.

Bernie Doeser
Sandiway, Cheshire, UK.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-bups-dis@purplepancake.com
[mailto:owner-bups-dis@purplepancake.com]On Behalf Of Alice Evans
Sent: 27 August 2005 12:02
To: BUPS-DIS@bups.org
Subject: the big debt

To reply to this message or start a new topic please email:
BUPS-DIS@bups.org


** For Your Eyes Only **

Ausser,

apologies if ive misunderstood ur points but...

1. you seem to imply that just because previous species have become extinct,
so too our own must some day perish.

But there are 3 major problems with this view;

(it overlooks our intelligence, the real problem and other species)

1. Our intelligence to realise that our lifestyle threatens others and that
we can do otherwise, i.e. such behaviour is needless, entails that we have a
duty and responsibility to do otherwise.

Just because previous species have become extinct does not entail that
future generations of our own have no rights claims to a viable existence.
unlike the puffin, we are able to conjecture and rationalise. we have
realised that our behaviour impoverishes the opportunities of future
generations. such intelligence endows us with a duty and responsibility to
act in the interests of future generations.

2. you may argue that future generations have no rights claims to existence
but given that is within our power to provide them with similar
opportunities that we have benefitted from ought we not act accordingly? it
is not so much that or species will become extinct but that future members
of our species will be unable to utilise the earth's ecological resources,
for we will have plundered them.

its not just a matter of the species ending but that their opportunities
will be limited and their standard of living will suffer as they endure the
consequences of ever-increasing pollution, tropical storms, a lack of energy
sources etc etc.

3. even if our species does become extinct, what about other species
suffering at the hands of our selfish exploitation of this planet? surely
the debt is due to all those we have taken from. i mean u cant really say
that we owe this debt to the planet, because its not a 'moral agent', so to
speak, but surely we owe this ecological debt to all those which have an
actual or potential interest in such matters.

As Aldo Leopold said "[We need to] change the role of humans as conquerors
of the land community to plain members and citizens of it".

Surely, each person should attempt to maintain a degree of sustainability in
their lifestyle but at present we are incurring a massive ecological debt.
We use far more of the pot than which we are entitled, merely on the basis
of "wanting to, being able to and hence doing".

Can any suggest a defence for current behaviour?

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