Environmental Ethics Editor: Ben A. Minteer, Nature.com
What responsibilities do we have to wild species & ecosystems ? & to present & future generations of humans dependent on critical ecological services? How does the recognition of rapid, global environmental change challenge our traditional understandings of these obligations? What does it mean to be "sustainable" & why do many believe that achieving sustainability is an ethical imperative for science & society in this century?
These questions, & others like them, are explored in this series. Environmental ethics is a branch of applied philosophy that studies the conceptual foundations of environmental values as well as more concrete issues surrounding societal attitudes, actions, & policies to protect & sustain biodiversity & ecological systems. As we will see, there are many different environmental ethics one could hold, running the gamut from human-centered (or "anthropocentric") views to more nature-centered (or "non-anthropocentric") perspectives. Non-anthropocentrists argue for the promotion of nature's intrinsic, rather than instrumental or use value to humans. For some ethicists & scientists, this attitude of respecting species & ecosystems for their own sakes is a consequence of embracing an ecological worldview; it flows out of an understanding of the structure & function of ecological & evolutionary systems & processes. We will consider how newer scientific fields devoted to environmental protection such as conser- vation biology & sustainability science are thus often described as "normative" sciences that carry a commitment to the protection of species & ecosystems; again, either because of their intrinsic value or for their contribution to human wellbeing over the long run.
The relationship between environmental ethics & the environ- mental sciences, however, is a complex & often contested one. For example, debates over whether ecologists & conser- vation biologists should also be advocates for environmental protection ? a role that goes beyond the traditional profile of the "objective" scientist ? have received much attention in these fields. Likewise, we will see that issues such as the place of animal welfare concerns in wildlife management, the valuation & control of non-native species, & the adoption of a more interventionist approach to conservation & eco- logical protection (including proposals to relocate wild species & to geoengineer earth systems to avoid the worst effects of global climate change) frequently divide environ- mental scientists & conservationists. This split often has as much to do with different ethical convictions & values regarding our responsibility to species & ecosystems as it does with scientific disagreements over the interpretation of data or the predicted outcomes of societal actions & policies.
The essays in this series illustrate the diversity of environmental ethics, both as a field of study & as a broader, value-based perspective on a complex web of issues at the junction of science & society. To gain a fuller understanding of the concepts & arguments of environmental ethics, begin with this introductory overview. From here you can explore a range of topics & questions that highlight the intersection of environmental ethics, ecology, & conservation science.