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Environmental degradation through pollution

Pollution of the environment continues to take very different angles in the modern world. The ever emerging technologies have continued to contribute negatively to the conditions of the modern environment. This is contrary to many people’s expectation. The different technologies being used in a number of companies all over the world have continued to impact negatively to the lives of the majority of people (Robert 2002, pp. 60-80). This is unjust to many people that bears the burden of the negative impact to their lives.

Ethical justice revolves around the concept of people getting their due in the different circumstances in which they find themselves. Moral philosophy thus concerns itself with ensuring that whatever is morally right and good is enhanced where as those considered to be bad, evil and incorrect avoided at all cost (EJF 2005). An injustice practice therefore involves doing what is wrong either to oneself or to a group of people without ones consent. Actions taken without utmost consideration of the interest of the majority of people and without adhering to the moral law of doing the right thing and avoiding the evil is always considered to be wrong and unjust to the concerned people. Davis (2002) explains that indeed law and morality are very fundamental issue in determining whether or not a given act is moral correct or not

There are a number of contemporary issues that have for a very long time led to some people in the society benefiting at the expense of those considered to be the minority group. The minority of people in society in high offices have been known to use their influential positions and political powers in engaging in business activities without considering the impact of their activities to the environment in which they live in ((Hillstrom & Hillstrom 2003).

Environmental Degradation

Environment can be degraded in a number of ways. The different ways through which the environment is degraded, in one way or another, causes great negative effect to the people who lives in it. The problems that are always associated with the degradation of the environment always lead to extremely poor lives by the poor majority that normally do not have adequate powers and financial capabilities to demand and fight for the rights.

Degradation of the environment in which we live in has continued to be a serious contemporary problem in our society. The status quo in the society only faces the rich and well connected since their actions are always viewed as being politically correct despite the fact that the negative impact of some of the actions that are undertaken by those in the high positions are normally ignored (Davis 2002). The degradation of the environment is always lined up against something which is just. People have the duty and obligation to ensure that the environment in which they live in properly guarded (Hillstrom & Hillstrom 2003). This is normally due to the fact that there is always a need to balance the ecosystem and ensure that fauna and flora coexist in the most peaceful manner possible.

There exist a number of ways through which environment is degraded by a few individuals in society leading to other people being subjected to very unjust conditions in which they are forced to live in. Air pollution, deforestation, the green house effect and other forms of pollution continues to take place in our environment despite the fact that the process of degrading the environment always lead to degradation of the environment in which people do live (Robert 2002, pp. 60-80). The United Nations Panel of the High Level Threat lists the problem of degrading the environment as one of the ten major threats to humanity that people have continued to interfere with the manner in which people interrelate in society.

Whenever the natural resources are constantly and greatly depleted and the natural habitat destroyed, there are at times a few individuals in the society that normally benefit from the degradation of the environment that takes place. The changes in the environment associated with the degradation of the environment that takes place always results in people suffering from a number of problems that are associated with the different forms of degradation and that occurs to the environment. Water, air and soil pollution are the most common forms of pollution that contribute to the modern societies’ challenges (Joseph 1979). Cross-border environmental degradation is a very serious challenge that has continued to frustrate national solution in a number of countries. It is very important to ensure that every action that people engages in is good to the entire society rather than simply benefiting the select few people in society. Both land and the atmosphere need to be considered when discussing issues related to the environment and the manner in which it should be take care of.

Deforestation as a form of Environmental Degradation

Logging of tress and clearing of forests has been a major aspect of environmental degradation. Forests have in the recent past been cleared and human settlement of people done. Deforestation is normally done illegally by individuals who use their leadership positions in ensuring that they grab public reserved lands and personalizes them (Williams 2006). The status quo in such circumstances is normally lined up against the will of the majority of the people who depend on the forests for fresh air, rainfall and reduction of soil erosion.

At times forests are cleared with the intention of practicing agriculture and ensuring that food production in the country is increased in order to adequately serve the food needs of the country’s population. To the contrary, rarely do the cleared forest lands get to be used for the strict sense and purpose for which they were intended for. In most cases, a few powerful individual in the society normally personalize the lands and the agricultural produce from the lands sold and money used by a few influential people in the society. The deforested lands normally incur very significant and adverse soil erosion that result into the land become infertile and unfit for the practice of agriculture. The land therefore becomes wastelands that in the end are useless to the people.

The levels of injustices thus could best be explained from the point of view of the intended gain and the overall result. During the clearing of forests, only the few people in society benefit from the derived charcoal and tress (Joseph 1979). The trees and charcoal sold by the few privileged people in society in other industries. However, the poor people in the community, who make up the majority of the population, remain to carry the burden of living in a degraded environment whose land is unproductive. Poverty levels thus sky rocket and other related challenges continue to face people in their lives. Deforestation is thus closely related to the problem of environmental degradation since it even results into negative changes in the weather and climatic conditions. According to Mccann, (1990, pp. 380-415), extinction of indigenous people, animals and forest trees is also caused by deforestation. People and animals tend to move to other locations where conditions could favour their survival while indigenous trees get wiped out of existence.

The damage caused to the previously existing forests has had the adverse effect of reducing the living standard of people and hence a gradual fall in people’s life expectancy. People who are paid to do logging sometimes do it out of ignorance of the adverse negative effects which the logging could have to their own lives. Increased rates of deforestation thus leads to the general increase in the injustices being carried out to the people who are greatly affected by the negative impact of the deforestation (Michael & Konstantinos 2008).

Air pollution and Over Exploitation of Natural Resources as forms of Environmental Degradation

Introduction of chemicals, biological materials and particulate matters into the environment thus causing discomfort or death to people and other living organisms is normally associated with the different forms of degrading and polluting the environment. The emission of chemicals into the atmosphere also results into the degradation of the natural environment. Whenever the environment is degraded by industries and machinery, it is normally the people who live in such environments thus bears the greatest burden. The rich people in society are normally the ones behind companies and industries that mainly pollute the environment. Many manufacturing plans, incinerators of wastes, furnaces and other forms of fuel burning devices normally make very good profits due to the demand in their products and services (Parry 2003, pp. 24-39). Chemicals used in agriculture are also always targeted at ensuring that there is an improvement in the agricultural production levels.

Fumes that are emitted to the environment from sprays, fumes, aerosol sprays and vanish also cause harm to the environment. When a lot of injustice is being done to the people who are exposed to such sprays and fumes, the major beneficiaries of the industries always escape unhurt and unaffected. In the United States of America for instance, residents of more than ten United States of America states are heavily exposed to dangerous and heavy levels of smog. The smog, which normally exceeds EPA standards of air, affects a lot of people in a very unjust way (Mccann 1990, pp. 380-415). Many Americans are reported to having suffered from respiratory diseases that are closely associated with the emission of dangerous smog into the atmosphere. It is only reasonable to be good to other people and ensure that our actions do not interfere with their wellbeing. Top leadership and management of private companies and state corporations gang up in order to ensure that the interest of the vulnerable are not addressed thus continuity in oppression (Rawls 2003, 24-39). The effects caused by air pollutant from companies could range from very subtle biochemical variations to complex and difficult conditions of breathing, coughing, wheezing and aggravation of the existing and diverse cardiac conditions.

On the other hand, the society’s natural resources have continued to be exploited by either individuals in the governmental or people who are very influential in society. Renewable resources are at times harvested at a faster rate than the rate at which they are regenerated. Due to over fishing in the US and over logging, the habitat get destroyed. The uncontrolled exploitation of resources always benefits the rich strategically placed individuals in the country. Instead of the money realized from the selling of the resources being invested in ensuring that the future lives of people are not put in danger, injustices are done to people through sidelined them. Few self interests are therefore catered for (Rawls 2003, 24-39). This then lead to problems such as the green house effect (global warming), lack of rainfall, and overdependence on other countries for the overexploited scarce resources.

Solution to the Injustice: What is thought to would be Just

Just like the Nazis who were bad, many people in the society do a lot of evil acts without considering the common good of the people in the society in which they live in. however, it has been proven beyond any reasonable doubt that the need to do good and ensure that the needs of the majority of people are fully catered for overweighs the individual selfish good of the rich and privileged people in society (Williams 2006). This explains the concept of people having to invest money where their mouths are. Indeed as people who think in a morally upright manner, individuals always need to combine the theoretical understanding of morality with the general and in-depth explanations that do exist with regards to morality in our society.

Environmental degradation is a major problem that always need to be accorded a lot of attention with the intention of ensuring that the common good of the majority of people are catered for. The only best solution for the government, the nongovernmental organizations and the human rights activists to collaborate in coming up with measures that would fully cater for the needs of the majority in society (Rawls 2003, 24-39). Environment and the natural resources should be conserved through proper formulation of policies that would safeguard the environmental from the greedy people that do not pay attention to the problems faced by the majority through the degradation. The just option would therefore be to ensure that totally no degradation of the environment takes place.

Measures to be taken to counteract the Environmental Degradation Injustice

Environmental degradation always needs to be fully addressed and the necessary measures to stop this form of injustice clearly stipulated by the necessary authorities. To begin with, there should be measures to ensure recycling of renewable resources in order to reduce the rate at which the resources are exploited. There is also need to ensure that stringent policies that stipulate the due process of exploiting resources are put into place. The judicial process should be more flexible and more clear so that the necessary punishments and penalties to those who degrade the environment are clearly stated. There should be no any form of favoritism and discrimination among the individuals in the society as this always lead to a few people benefiting at the expense of the majority due to laxity to follow the due process of the law in ensuring that people who face the law are duly punished.

Moreover, the injustice of degrading the environment could be addressed by ensuring that the drainage system in countries is well planned so as to avoided depositing waste products from industries to water sources such as lakes and rivers and to the atmosphere (Davis 2002). Public awareness should be enhanced and people educated on how best to protect the environment from the few selfish people that may be out for no good. Ecologically sustainable developments should also be promoted by the citizens, the government and other nongovernmental organizations with the intention of promoting very justifiable social development.

Conclusion

Even though the Nazis were bad, whatever we do should always ensure that we always invest our money in things that are of the greatest importance in accordance with the common moral law. Environmental degradation continues be a very sensitive issue in our lives. The injustice caused to people through degradation of the environment and over exploitation of the resources need to be catered for through ensuring that environment is fully protected and the scarce resources used for the betterment of the common good.

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