Part A
You need to say something about your footprint based on what you have just read in the “Sustainability?” section. How do you feel about this?
My ecological footprint is 4.7 global hectares and l will need 2.8 earths to sustain my lifestyle. Wow this is unsustainable and under Kant universal law this will not be accepted. If everyone behaves the way am doing now then it won’t be long before we start regretting our own actions. If l think that l am rational person then we are destroying this earth that we say we are saving.
Part B
I reflect to – assignment 06.
Do I really practice these values?
From the footprint calculator l think l do not practice these values. In assignment 06 l said we should save the rhino since this is the right thing to doll will stick with these, which l practice on a day to day basis. And said l am a Christian and it my moral duty to be a custodian and steward of God’s kingdom both the flora and fauna. The reason my footprint is high is because of this world system has been set. The industrial revolution meant that we had to change our natural way of living to a more sophisticated way of living. We now need electricity for lighting, cooking, and heating yet in the old day people used wood and natural energy for day to day activities. In those day people would use the sun for drying food instead of using refrigerators which use l lot of carbon.
What l say is not what l really do according to the footprint calculator, l don’t think l will ever change my opinion on ethical values. Though l practice my ethical values in real life but scientifically we have proven wrong. We are egoists by nature and its survival of fittest. The food one consumes, the car l drive, the clothes l wear just shows how ignorant we are of the consequences of our actions. The reason we are studying at UNISA is for to have a better job, houses, cars, jets and so on. A better life will mean more use of unsustainable source of energy.
PART C
“It’s all in the outcome – Consequentialism”
The life l am living now is now all about the outcome. It’s all about utilitarianism if l am happy l do not care about the outcome. Therefore, utilitarians would not mind having 20 000 children die every day and why they will support White Basson getting such hefty amounts as remuneration. We need to change our way of living as this is not sustainable. The issue of climate change remains a great debate amongst nations. Whilst other nations are calling for a reduction in carbon emissions, the President of the United States does not believe so and he had to pull out of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. The reason is because he wants to promote coal mining and create new jobs despite the consequences. So, it’s better to save the coal mining business open than to care about environment.
“Fair’s Fair – Distributive Justice” – here you need to think about what is fair for our children – for future generations;
The industrial revolution has made the world to be what it is today. The yesteryear inventions have made us to be dependent on coal and other products that pollute the air. Our children deserve a better future and need to enjoy the life we are enjoying now or even better. This means we need to change the way we need to find alternative energy sources. Technologically we should start exploring ways to fully utilise solar, wind and lunar energy so that our children will utilise these environmental friendly energy sources. According to United nations the 17 sustainable goals on development SDGs signed by 194 countries seeks to ensure there is a fair distribution of resources, and if these are followed by all the 194 countries who signed it in 1994, l think we will leave a better future for our children. The threat of nuclear war by North Korea and United America poses a great threat to the future of our children. We need to leave a better future for our children.
“Greenies – Environmental Ethics” – here you can choose any angle you like. Surprise us!
We need new technologies that do not use a lot of our natural resources. A professor in Netherlands is developing a lab grown hamburger and hopeful this will be fully developed. This will mean we will not kill animals to meet our ever-growing appetite of meat. How about building smart cities which use solar and wind energy only. We need more smart cars that do not emit carbon monoxide.
References
1. https://qz.com/682369/the-future-of-meat-lies-in-a-325000-lab-grown-burge r/ accessed 23/09/2017
2. http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ accessed 23/09/2017
3. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/climate/trump-adviser-un-paris-climate-agreement.html?mcub z=3 accessed 23/09/2017
