This work was oriented to Environmental Ethics which arises as a reflection derived from man's relationship with nature and the concern for its preservation as a guarantee of the development of future generations.
Martínez, A. (2001), defines " environmental ethics as rational and practical reflection on the problems derived from man's relationship with nature." A redefinition of ethics is then considered, seen not only as occupied with the values and norms of the human being, but applied to its interaction with all living beings and its survival. The one that evidently is in between said whether the attitude of throwing garbage with carelessness on beaches, streets, rivers, among many others, is not modified and one begins to value the environment as a habitat and as part of the social responsibility of each of the citizens.
Social responsibility being understood as man acting responsibly before the environment that surrounds him and assuming a morality consistent with it. Whoever does not abide by the norm and the environmental protection law would then become an “ ecological criminal ”. As a proposal for the development of the country, it is proposed to execute the environmental code of ethics appropriate to each region, with citizens being the managers of compliance.
This work was aimed at the Environmental Ethics emerges as a reflection arising from the relationship of man with nature and concern for their preservation as security for the development of future generations. Martinez, A. (2001) defines «environmental ethics as a rational and practical reflection on the problems of man's relationship with nature.» This raises a redefinition of ethics not only as busy view of the values and norms of human beings, but applied to interactions with all living beings and their survival. This obviously is in between that if the attitude of carelessly throwing litter on beaches, streets, rivers, among many others, is not modified and begin to assess the environment as habitat and as part of the social responsibility of each of the citizens.Provided social responsibility as the man acting responsibly with the surrounding environment and taking a moral line with this.
Introduction
This article constitutes a brief analysis of the environmental situation of the current world. Climate changes, pollution, the decrease in the ozone layer, the frequent and devastating tremors that occurred between 2009 and 2010, events observed worldwide, from which our country Venezuela does not escape, deserve that human beings begin to reflect on your attitude towards the environment. Reflecting to what extent the irresponsible action of throwing solid waste anywhere, beaches, rivers, mountains, streets, highways, avenues, has served to accelerate these processes. From the perspective of acting with conscience and evaluating the relationship of ecosystem interdependence. Demanding the responsibility that must be assumed to guarantee the survival of humans and other species on planet earth.Assuming a management system where an environmental code of ethics is established that responds to the emerging problems that are currently experienced.
Two great moments have been developed, environmental reality and environmental ethics as a way to guarantee a better quality of life. At the same time, the bibliographic references used for this purpose are mentioned. Hoping to create awareness and responsibility of citizens to the environment around us.
The Present Environmental Reality
Currently, a great number of climatic changes are observed with concern, which have caused concern in today's world population. There is talk of global warming, energy crisis, Tsunamis, a word that for many was unknown, what the Japanese define as “a giant wave that arrives at the port”. In reality it is not a wave but a series of them that are produced in a body of water that generates a lot of speed and that when pushed violently by a force with vertical displacement of a large column of water, causes devastation for kilometers from the coasts. Evidence of this very recently (March 2010) in Chile, Japan, further afield in Jamaica, Lisbon, Sicily,
Another phenomenon that is observed worldwide (Canary Islands, Venezuela in its entirety, among others) such as the so-called meteorological level called calima defined by wikipedia (2010) as “the existence of very small particles of dust or sand in suspension in the atmosphere". What affects the visibility, produces affections in the eyes, allergies, in the nose and throat, and if it persists it can produce in the population bronco spasms, asthma among other affections. In short, it could cause major diseases in the man who inhabits the earth. The photo shown below reflects the effect of the haze in the Miranda State, Barlovento Region. Where the effect of the haze is clearly seen as this makes it difficult to visualize the mountains.
Consecutive phenomena such as the recent earthquakes, on February 27, 2010, the earthquake of great magnitude in Chile (8.8 on the Richter scale), in January 2010 devastation in Haiti, Mexico (2009), Lima (2009), Italy (2009), Japan (2009-2010). Human Influenza (H1N1), in Mexico and Argentina at a higher level than in Venezuela (2009). Torrential hail rains, accompanied by strong winds, after a 6.4-degree tremor on the Richter scale, epicenter in Caracas and the Coastal Region of the Carabobo State, in Venezuela, (2009). The trough of (1999) in the Central Coast. Just to mention the last ones. Seas and rivers overflowing with plastic and glass waste. Diseases, which have proliferated like dengue, produced by the white-footed mosquito. Anyway,To continue listing environmental phenomena would be to lose part of the information that you want to get, what undoubtedly deserves to be evaluated is to what extent the irresponsible and criminal action of man has contributed to these phenomena considered as disastrous due to their great magnitude, to occur world level.
Citizens who enjoy the scenery and the benefits of the waters of some of the beaches or rivers are very often observed and when they leave they leave solid waste. Demonstrating that they do not value the environment, nor have they internalized that their life, that of the next generations, depends on it. It is up to us, as responsible citizens of the world, and of the country, to recognize unethical behavior when we see it and to denounce it when necessary. Otherwise, you are in an “ecological delinquent” condition. What Bernal, M. (2010). It defines as those people who maintain irresponsible behavior towards the environment, failing the norm and the laws of environmental protection. The images shown below speak for themselves. Where it is observed that despite having the trash cans destined for recycling,people leave rubbish lying on the sand of the beaches of Rio Chico, Miranda State.
It is denoted in these images a carelessness on the part of the visitors when depositing the waste, dropping it without precaution to the sand and depositing in a pot that clearly says "glass" and is intended for the collection of that material, it is clearly observed that they deposit any type of waste, plastic, food scraps, plastic bags, among others. Denoting that without education and responsibility no change is possible.
Imagine for a moment that we do not have adequate air to breathe in Caracas. It's just a matter of imagination, isn't it a reality? Let's reflect on it. Imagine a giant wave that enters through Ávila and devastates the city. What actions should we take to prevent such a prophecy from coming true? Prophecy, history, story, that have been heard in the voice of our ancestors, and yet not much has been done as responsible citizens to avoid it. We also know that without oxygen man will not be able to survive. What do we do to take care of our environment ?.
What do we do as natives to protect our habitat? Have we internalized that our life and that of our children and that of your children's children depend on the environment? Civility allows us to assume that we are social, interrelated, and interconnected entities and at the same time demonstrates that this relationship is obviously not accidental, it is causal, we depend on all the beings that inhabit planet earth to survive, and on the same land that we gives food. We belong to that ecosystem, and as such we need everyone to survive.
Environmental Ethics as a Path to a Better Quality of Life
Maya, A. (1990) proposes “that an Environmental society will be that society that is built from ethical-environmental values, which imply a decentration of the problem of life to human life, and that introduces in its ethics, the respect and responsibility to all forms of life and to what sustains it, within a systemic, ecological and comprehensive perspective ”. According to Maya, with the emergence of man from the environment, transformations of the ecosystem begin. The human being is characterized by choosing the responses he gives to a given situation, just what differentiates him from other animals, and in these responses the free will that characterizes him plays a very important role. The ability to make decisions, which seen as a capacity inherent in the human,it leads cultures to build their adaptive forms in diverse ways.
In this order of ideas, some are responsible environmental societies and others are not; This depends on the greater or lesser understanding, awareness and love that each culture has of the ways of being in collusion, between man and nature. Maya argues that if environmental problems have emerged from cultural practices, it will have to be in the fabric of culture, and in it, the fabric of ethical values, where solutions are built that necessarily include the environmental dialogue of political aspects, ecological, economic, scientific, aesthetic and technological.
Ramírez, R (1990) proposes three components, which constitute the bases for an environmental ethic: freedom, responsibility and solidarity.
Assuming freedom if there is a minimum of respect for the common ground, which is nature, which makes possible the free actions of men. Freedom is the basis of responsibility and solidarity; freedom is only possible if there is a conscious understanding of nature.
Responsibility, common denominator of all environmental thinkers, is the second principle that it raises, by the Jonas principle that man must respond to life itself for his actions.
Solidarity is the third principle for the construction of an environmental ethic. It consists in accepting that the other living beings, human and non-human, have the same right to life as any other being, so that squandering, throwing away or underutilizing destroying, the patrimony of the earth, expresses an ingratitude towards nature and risks its survival, thereby aiming at the self-destruction of life itself. In this sense, it should be added that solidarity also includes being linked to the protection of mother earth. Consciously establishing the ethical behavior that guarantees the survival of human beings and the beings that make up ecosystems.
Environmental Code of Ethics a Management and Development Proposal
Within the framework of the Environmental Impact Assessment project in Central America, the First Expert Forum on Ethics, Quality and Transparency in Environmental Assessment was held in Costa Rica on June 30, 2006. This meeting was held in search of the creation of a "Code of Ethics for Environmental Managers in Central America". Under the responsibility of the Development Commission (CCAD) and executed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). And in order to adapt it to each country in particular, however, the participation of various actors in society is necessary, especially those who, due to the type of work they carry out, affect or impact the harmony of the environment. And that at the same time a series of conditions are established such as:
- The execution of an environmental code of ethics adapted to the law and the local norm, where the participation of Governments, Mayors, businessmen and ordinary citizens is essential to facilitate the protection of the environment.Generation of a process that ensures compliance with local regulations, including those related to the management of solid waste, recycling, disposal and disposal of hazardous materials. Manage the process through entities that are responsible within each company, business, community, in compliance in environmental matters and that comply with the training in an appropriate way regarding environmental issues.Generate responsibility in the mass media for initiatives that allow the creation of awareness among citizens, allowing the development of microphones where contribute to the proliferation of environmental ethical values. Promotion of environmental ethics in schools, where it is inculcated in children, youth, adolescents and adults,love for nature and demonstrate the importance of education from the inside out of the classroom, the Country Education. Promote honest and responsible work towards the solution of problems of environmental deterioration, in order to protect health and promote well-being of the population Seeking a balance between the different aspects of human development and the conservation of natural resources, taking into account the rights of future generations.attending to the rights of future generations.attending to the rights of future generations.
The common citizen, the one who lives in the neighborhood, in the urbanization, on the beach, in the mountains, among other places, must feel as a manager of caring for their environment, education must leave organizational climates, they must leave the house to the neighborhood, from school to community, from university to country. Thinking about specific areas has limited us to rules for specific places, an example of this is the so-called “metro culture”, where people barely leave this area throwing the waste that they have accumulated on their journey on the street. We must begin to educate for the common well-being, for the improvement of life within the country, within the planet earth, within the globalized world, interacting in a trans-disciplinary way and placing the metacognition or reflection of knowledge in every act of our lives. Allowing so,the survival of the human species, in accordance with its natural environment. Without damaging the ecosystem.
Definitely the contamination caused to the environment by the garbage threatens the life itself and of the “New Generations”. "For them and for them", it is worth changing your attitude.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE
Bernal, M. (2010). Environmental Ethics and Social Responsibility. Arbitrated Article. Venezuela: Experimental University of the National Armed Force. Nucleus- Los Teques. UNEFA-IVIC Agreement.
Martínez, A. (2001), Ëtica Ambiental. Valladolid, Spain: University of Valladolid.
Maya, A. (1990) Towards an Environmental Society Environmental Society, Bogotá: Labrador.
Ramirez R (1990). The Environmental Crisis in Modernity: the urgency of a new ethic. In: Memories of the First Latin American Seminar on Urban Habitat and Environment, Bogotá: ICFES. pp53-58.
Wikipedia. (2010). Definitions of Calima..
