Environmental Ethics

Author(s): S M Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 22

in after the passing away of their founding fathers because of subjective and selfish interpretations of their preachings by their successors. The religions based on love and compassion for all got impregnated with arrogant and abhorant variety of ill conceived superiority over other religions. This resulted in fierce competition for imposing one's interpretations over others by enticements and brute force also and relative success of one over others was proportional to military and money power. There was spate of conversions and fierce battles. History is full of cruelties, mass massacres, slavery and exploitation in the name of religion. The obscurantism of bygone medieval era is still persisting in some sects and their fanatics who hold the whole civilised society in ransom from time to time. Wars and conflicts in any form are far more destructive for environment than any other factor.
Perspective :
Whatever be the beliefs and perceptions of any individual, society or nation, there is unequivocal convergence that all need good air to breathe, unpolluted water to drink and healthy soil to produce healthy food. Gone are the days when pollution at one place did not have significant adverse effect on other place because it was very low in intensity. The degree of pollution now is so high that it is affecting everyone, everywhere. The clouds carrying acid rains because of industrial pollutants from any country can drift and harm anywhere. The widening ozone hole, thinning of icecaps, greenhouse effects, poisonous pesticides are harming all and all over. The ideological pollution of minds manifest in consumerism and hedonism is spreading fast even in hitherto conservative societies because of modern telecommunication networks which have shrunk the world in almost one compact village. This has necessitated convergence of some basic perceptions, concepts and commensurate minimum ethical code of conduct in respect of environmental protection. Every individual young or old, group of people, societies, nations big or small, high or low, rich or poor, educated or illiterate, strong or