Teaching PowerPoint Slides - Chapter 10

10
ETHICS AND THE

ENVIRONMENT
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Identify the three main sources of threats to the
environment, i.e. global warming, pollution and resource
depletion
 Recognize other emerging environmental threats to
humankind in today’s globalized world
 Conceptualize and classify sustainability, and differentiate
it from sustainable development
 Discuss the sources of renewable and non-renewable
resources
 Assess whether sustainable development is an oxymoron
BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 10–3
Learning Outcomes (cont.)
 Explain the free market arguments on sustainability and

preservation of the environment
 Compare and contrast the arguments of capitalists and
environmentalists on the exploitation and use of resources
 Explain the concept and importance of sustainable
consumption
 Discuss the barriers towards sustainable consumption
 Explore steps that could be taken towards sustainable
consumption
 Explain the concept of green jobs

Learning Outcomes (cont.)
 Discuss the challenges of different labour and

environmental standards across the globe
 Conceptualize and rationalize the importance of
environmental ethics
 Recognize the obligations to conserve and consume
resources within sustainable limits from an Islamic
perspective

Introduction
 There is a need for a total commitment to preserve and

sustain the environment we live in as a matter of ethics.
 Humans are directly dependent on nature for survival.
 Much as businesses are reaping the benefits of exploiting

natural resources to maximize profits, they have to be
equally responsible to preserve the environment for
sustainability of future generations.

The 21st Century: Industrialization,
Modernism and Sustainability
 Industrialization and modernism have provided us with

material well-being and prosperity, promoting mass
production, and resulting in economies of scale,
employment opportunities for the global labour force and
overall economic growth.
 However, these scenarios have also caused

environmental threats and hazards to humankind.
 Today, our lives are threatened by all forms of pollution.

We are also striving to reduce global warming, apart from
addressing the depletion of natural resources.
(cont.)
 The environmental trends and challenges of the 21st
century:

(cont.)
 Population growth
– The world’s population has been growing at an unusually rapid
pace, with more growth in population in the last 50 years than
the previous 2 million years of human existence.
– By 2050, the global population is projected to rise to 9.3
billion. Currently, the rate of population increase is 1.2% per
year.
– The world’s population is increasing, but the earth’s natural
system is not. There is a strong likelihood that there will be a
shortage of natural resources for human consumption in the
future.

(cont.)
 Rising temperatures/Global warming
– Global warming refers to rising weather temperatures of
nations across the globe, despite climatic differences.
– Global warming is a great concern today due to rising
atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide.
– If carbon dioxide concentrations double the pre-industrial
levels during this century as projected, global temperature is
likely to rise by at least 1°C. Meanwhile, sea level is
projected to rise from a minimum of 17 cm to as much as 1
m by 2100, which will alter every ecosystem on earth.

(cont.)
 Falling water tables, shrinking cropland and levelling off
of fish catch
– There is then the problem of insufficient water supply to feed
the growing population, as well as worldwide shrinkage in
cropland per person. This is because a substantial amount of
cropland has been converted to industrial/residential land.
– On top of this, there is also the problem of levelling off of the
oceanic fish catch. Due to over-fishing, most marine biologists
believe that oceans cannot sustain an annual catch of 95 million
tonnes of fish by humans as there is no time for the fish to grow
and breed to recover stocks that have been depleted.
– It will be difficult to keep the growth in world demand and result
in an acute food shortage in the near future if the trends
continue.
(cont.)
 Shrinking forests and extinction of plant and animal
species
– Forests are also overwhelmed by human demands. Over the
past half century, forest areas has shrunk substantially with
the loss occurring in developing countries.
– Timber, construction, manufacturing and pharmaceutical
industries excessively exploit forests to fulfil the needs of
domestic and foreign consumers.
– This will result in extinction of plant and animal species.

Sustainability and Sustainable
Development
 Sustainability was first considered a pre-eminently

ecological concept prescribing rules and principles for the
usage of natural resources in such a way which allows
future generations to survive.
 However, in order to capture a broad understanding of the

concepts of business, politics and wider parts of society,
sustainability in the current scenario is redefined as the
long-term maintenance of systems according to
environmental, economic and social considerations.

Sustainability and Sustainable
Development (cont.)
 Sustainable development is a pattern of resource usage

that aims to meet human needs while preserving the
environment, so that these needs can be met for present
and future generations.

Renewable and Non-Renewable
Resources
 There are renewable and non-renewable resources that
have their own long-term effects on the environment and
on the future generations (in terms of benefits).
 Non-renewable resources are used worldwide to create

electricity, heat homes, power vehicles and
manufacture/produce goods.
 Resources are considered non-renewable if their

quantities are limited or if they cannot be replaced as fast
as they are being used. Some resources from a million
years ago will eventually be depleted altogether.
Resources (cont.)
 Sources of non-renewable resources:

Resources (cont.)

Resources (cont.)
 Renewable resources are an important aspect of

sustainability. The most frequently used renewable
resources are biomass, water, geothermal and solar
energy.
 Unlike fossil fuels, we can regenerate or replenish these

sources.
 With the rising cost and decreasing availability of non-

renewable fossil fuels, renewable resources are receiving
increasing attention.

Resources (cont.)
 Sources of renewable resources:

Resources (cont.)

History Behind Sustainability and
Sustainable Development–An
Oxymoron?
 Since the 1980s, human sustainability has implied the
integration of economic, social and environmental spheres
to ‘meet the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.
 While sustainability and sustainable development were

recognized by the United Nations in the 1980s as major
issues of concern, nations continued to promote economic
growth for society's well-being and prosperity.

History Behind Sustainability and
Sustainable Development–An
Oxymoron? (cont.)
 This in turn caused natural resources to be exploited.
Hence, for many people, the term ‘sustainable
development’ (SD) is an oxymoron.

Free Market Arguments on
Sustainability and Preservation of
the Environment
 Advocators of the free market will not share the views of
many environmentalists about morally relevant topics.
This is due to the free market mindset on resources—that
they are ‘infinite’ and a means to an end.
 On preservation of environmentally sensitive areas, they

argue that ‘preservation’ will be a ‘waste’ since it would
represent resources that are unemployed and yield less in
human satisfaction compared to when they are processed
to produce goods and services.

the Environment (cont.)
 On a strict free market view, preserving biological diversity

is appropriate only if doing so satisfies more consumer
preferences than the alternative.
 The latest scientific evidence continues to show that

humanity is living unsustainably and for that reason to
return human use of natural resources within sustainable
limits will certainly require a major collective effort.

the Environment (cont.)
 Sustainable development should not focus solely on
environmental issues; it has to be linked to the
commitment towards the socio-economic development of
a nation.
 The key players in the macro-economy (i.e. the

households, businesses and foreign sectors) have to
come forward and work together to address this issue on
a collective basis.

Sustainable Consumption
 Sustainable consumption is the use of goods and services

that respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of
life, while maintaining the use of natural resources, toxic
materials and emission of waste and pollutants over the
life cycle, so as not to jeopardize the needs of future
generations.
 Sustainable consumption includes various aspects of

environmental, social equity and moral concerns, so it is
not only about buying ecological goods and protecting the
environment, it is also about personal health and lifestyle.

Sustainable Consumption (cont.)
 Sustainable
consumption is the
only way to ensure a
proper balance of all
these issues in the
long term.
 Sustainable
consumption barriers
(see figure on the
right):

 Steps towards
sustainable
consumption:

 Green jobs
– Green jobs are created as a by-product of encouraging
sustainable consumption.
– These jobs are in industries which produce environmentally
friendly products and services.
– There are a number of approaches that companies have
taken to achieve the goal of a greener workplace (e.g.
incentivizing carpooling, introducing paperless offices,
videoconferencing, increasing recycling efforts, home-based
teleworking).

Challenges of Different Labour and
Environmental Standards Across
the Globe
 Many developed countries bypass the lax laws in

emerging economies to send ‘end-of-life’ electronic waste.
This situation can lead to serious environmental
catastrophes.
 There seems to be a growing problem of unregulated

reprocessing of environmental and electronic waste where
the release of lead, mercury and other dangerous
chemicals poses serious threats to human and
environmental health in these countries.

Environmental Ethics
 Environmental or ecological ethics is therefore part of

environmental philosophy which considers extending the
traditional boundaries of ethics from including humans
solely to including the non-human world or gifts of nature,
complementing human lives.
 An ecological ethic is an ethic which claims that the

welfare of at least some non-humans is intrinsically
valuable, and because of its intrinsic value, humans have
a duty to respect and preserve them.

Environmental Ethics (cont.)
 Failure to respect and appreciate the gifts of nature may

affect our quality of life and well-being.

Environmental Ethics from an
Islamic Perspective
 In Islam, the environment is sacred and has an intrinsic

value. Even if there is no threat or shortage, we must still
look after natural resources, protect animals and plants,
and, more generally, improve and develop the
environment. As the vicegerent of God, we have to
channel the mercy of God to everything within our reach
(Shomali, 2008).
 Nature is therefore a divine trust and man is the trustee

as a khalifah on earth. It has to be managed within
sustainable limits since extravagance is prohibited and
moderation is promoted in Islamic teachings.

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10

ETHICS AND THE

At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 Explain the free market arguments on sustainability and

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 Discuss the challenges of different labour and

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 There is a need for a total commitment to preserve and

 Humans are directly dependent on nature for survival.

 Much as businesses are reaping the benefits of exploiting

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 Industrialization and modernism have provided us with

 However, these scenarios have also caused

 Today, our lives are threatened by all forms of pollution.

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 Sustainability was first considered a pre-eminently

 However, in order to capture a broad understanding of the

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 Sustainable development is a pattern of resource usage

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 Non-renewable resources are used worldwide to create

 Resources are considered non-renewable if their

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 Renewable resources are an important aspect of

 Unlike fossil fuels, we can regenerate or replenish these

 With the rising cost and decreasing availability of non-

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 Sources of renewable resources:

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 While sustainability and sustainable development were

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 On preservation of environmentally sensitive areas, they

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 On a strict free market view, preserving biological diversity

 The latest scientific evidence continues to show that

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 The key players in the macro-economy (i.e. the

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 Sustainable consumption is the use of goods and services

 Sustainable consumption includes various aspects of

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 Many developed countries bypass the lax laws in

 There seems to be a growing problem of unregulated

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 Environmental or ecological ethics is therefore part of

 An ecological ethic is an ethic which claims that the

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 Failure to respect and appreciate the gifts of nature may

BUSINESS ETHICS (SECOND EDITION) All Rights Reserved

 In Islam, the environment is sacred and has an intrinsic

 Nature is therefore a divine trust and man is the trustee

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