Sustainability

Question 1

What is weak sustainability and who is committed to it?

Answer 1

Shallow ecologists

Reconciling economic growth with ecology. I.e getting richer slower.

Question 2

What ways are there to limit economic growth and why do we need to limit economic growth?

Answer 2

To ensure that ecological costs do not threaten long term sustainability
Ways to limit growth
- govt become more active in protecting the environment
- higher taxes will discourage people an penalise

Question 3

What are the two things that sustainability draws attention to?

Answer 3

1. Sustainability draws attention to the fact that earths resources are finite and are not renewable, if we don’t protect/ nurture present environment it will not be around in future.
2. Protection for future generations so that they can live the same lifestyle as us, we need to use earth resources in sustainable manner.

Question 4

What do deep ecologists believe in?

Answer 4

Deep sustainability

Question 5

Three general reasons as to why shallow ecologists have shown a concern about protecting future generations?

Answer 5

1. Ecological stewardship
2. Cross generational justice
3. Liberal idea of natural rights

Question 6

Tell me about ecological stewardship?

Answer 6

Global commons not owned by anyone individually, we are just stewards - temporary

• not our right to exploit it.
• duty to respect natural world and protect it for future generations and good of mankind
• leads to a belief in futurity as stewards we must not do anything that will negatively impact future generations and their needs.

Question 7

Cross generational justice?

Answer 7

Notion of whole human species
No distinction between present and future generations.
Moral obligation and duty to children, children’s children
Out of compassion, respect natural world so children children have same opportunities/ standard of living we have had.

Question 8

Liberal idea of natural rights

Answer 8

Every human being has inalienable rights
Can’t be taken away
Acknowledging future generations and their rights.

Question 9

Critiques on the reasons for sustainability (2)

Answer 9

All rights depend on reciprocity
Absurd to give people who have yet to be born with rights that impose on people currently alive since unborn not give any duties to the living
2. Unlimited size of future generations, futurity is incalculable.
May be better off making sacrifices pointless
Or sacrificing which is entirely inadequate to meet future meets.

Question 10

Bio centric equality ?

Answer 10

All species of equal moral worth, humans not above other species of animals.

Question 11

Who is main advocate of bio centric equality?

Answer 11

Peter singer