Environmental Ethics

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

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impairment of hearing. News paper press, Jet flying over 300 metres produce 100 dB. Textile loom, autohorn one metre away generate 110-120 dB and this level is "uncomfortably loud" and cause progressive damage in loss of hearing. Maximum recorded rock music produce 130-140 dB and Jet plane at take off gives 150 to 170 dB and rocket engine produce 180 dB. These levels are painful, traumatic and injurious to mental health. Sound pollution is more harmful to children.
Fall out of Consumerism :
With all the technology, knowledge, material comforts at its command mankind is still not at peace with itself and other constituents of environment around. Natural resources are being consumed at very fast rate and will be exhausted thus endangering the very foundations on which the citadel of material glamour and glare is standing. India supposed to be rich in its coal deposits is being forced to import coal from Indonesia etc. at thrice the local cost to feed its increasing number of thermal power plants due to rise in electricity consumption. Petroleum imports are already threatening the balance of payments and leading to debt trap like many other developing countries. In absence of the equitable and fair distribution of consumables tensions between haves and have-nots are increasing. Only a fraction of population hardly 10% live in opulence, consuming more than 80% of the total resources and products. The mass of people, the remaining 90% subsist on meagre 20%. In both haves and have-nots also there are myriad stratifications. There are people just 1% who have fabulous life style more than poorest million put together. Similarly there are various degrees of consumption in have-nots. There is fierce rivalry in between the myriad groups of people, societies and nations to get more and more, exploiting and usurping each other. The people who muster money and muscle power by hook or crook usurp maximum share.
It is population explosion that is creating serious unemployment problem for youth who are being allured by
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