Conservation Values and Ethics

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Chapter 4

• Conservation Values and Ethics

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It is inconceivable to me that an ethical
relation to land can exist without love, respect,
and admiration for land, and a high regard for
its value. By value, I of course mean something
far broader than mere economic value I mean
value in the philosophical sense.

• - Aldo Leopold, 1949

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Dr. J. Baird Callicott

• University of North Texas
• Chair, Dept. of Philosophy and Religion Studies

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Environmental Philosophers

• Instrumental Value
• Also called Utilitarian value
• The value something has as a means to anothers
  ends
• Anthropocentric
• Human-centered
• Biodiversity has a value only as a means to human
  ends.

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Environmental Philosophers

• Intrinsic Value
• Also called Inherent value
• The value that something has as an end in itself.
• Biocentric or Ecocentric
• The view that biodiversity is valuable simply
  because it exists.
• Value independent of human interests.

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Instrumental Value

• Four general categories
• Goods
• Services
• Information
• Psycho-spiritual resources

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Instrumental Value - Goods

• All things we consume are goods
• Food and clothing
• Heat and energy
• Building materials and sites
• Spectrum of consumption is narrow
• Discovery of new goods all the time

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Tomatoes
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Instrumental Value - Goods

• All things we consume are goods
• Food and clothing
• Heat and energy
• Building materials and sites
• Spectrum of consumption is narrow
• Discovery of new goods all the time

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Madagascar Periwinkle

• Cantharanthus roseus
• Used as ornamental in 19th century
• Later developed into treatment for cancer in late
  1950s

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Madagascar Periwinkle

• Example of medicinal benefits of biodiversity in
  remote areas
• Example of anthropocentric value
• Perpetuates the view that biodiversity is only
  worthwhile IF it benefits humans

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Instrumental Value - Services

• Photosynthesis
• Pollination
• Decomposition
• Nitrification

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Instrumental Value - Information

• Genetic information
• Potential implications for economics
• Genetically modified goods

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Psycho-spiritual resources

• Value in the beauty, variety, and wonder of
  nature and all its parts
• Biophilia humans love of living things our
  innate tendency to focus on life
• Some consider this to be a component of intrinsic
  value, rather than instrumental

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REVIEW

• Instrumental Value
• Four kinds
• Goods
• Services
• Information
• Psycho-spiritual resources

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Intrinsic Value

• The value something has because it exists
• Biocentric philosophy adds
• Organisms are self-organizing and self-directing
• Organisms grow up
• Organisms have sense of purpose

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Is it possible for something to have both
intrinsic and instrumental value?
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Philosophies converge
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Distinct Philosophies
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Monetizing Biodiversity

• Valuing biodiversity in terms of dollars
• Already occurs
• Sources of food/materials have market price
• Travel cost method
• Contingent valuation
• Existence value

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Monetizing Biodiversity

• Ecosystem services
• Cleaning the air, pollinating flowers, etc.
• Costanza et al. (1997)
• Calculated 33 trillion/yr for 17 ecosystem
  services
• GNP of countries 18 trillion
• Likely underestimation

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ESA Monetization

• 1978 Amendment and God Squad
• Can approve projects that impact species if
  benefits are great enough
• CBA Cost-benefit analysis
• SMS Safe Minimum Standards
• Assumption biodiversity should be conserved
  unless the cost of doing so is high

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CBA vs. SMS
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Conservation Ethics

• Constrains self-serving behavior in deference to
  some other good

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Anthropocentrism

• Human-centered value system
• Biodiversity value to humans
• Also, human activities affect other humans
• Intergenerational equity
• The idea that our activities should consider
  future generations when determining
  sustainability

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Conservation Ethics

• Judeo-Christian stewardship
• Older view held mans dominion over nature
• Later interpreted as stewardship
• dress it and keep it
• Gods view that life on earth is good

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Islam and Biodiversity

• No distinction between religion and secular law
• Koran advocates both instrumental view of natural
  resources with a responsibility to stewardship

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Hinduism and Biodiversity

• All things belong to one being Brahman
• All life forms share the same essence
• Inspiration for romantic-transcendentalist
  movement

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Jainism and Biodiversity

• Views all living things as possessing an
  immaterial soul
• Advocates ahimsa non-injury of all living things

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Biocentrism

• Describes nature having an intrinsic moral worth
• Universal concept outside of cultural and
  political definitions
• How is moral worth decided?
• Rational thought?
• Sentience?
• Inherent worth?

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Biocentrism
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Ecocentrism

• Focuses on the community, rather than individuals
  or humans
• Responsibilities flow through family units to
  global communities
• A thing is right when it tends to disturb the
  biotic community only at normal spatial and
  temporal scales. It is wrong when it tends
  otherwise.