Ethics, Economics

and Environment
Maria Charisma S. De Leon
Environmental Ethics: The
Foundation of Sustainable
Society
Environmental
Ethics:
Ethics – branch of philosophy that seeks to define
fundamentally what is right and what if wrong

Environmental Ethics - The discipline in philosophy that

studies moral relationship of human beings to, and also the
value of moral status of, the environment and its human
contents
Philosophical Approaches of
Environmental Ethics
1. Anthropocentric (human centered)
- instrumental value
- ecosystem services
2. Biocentrism (life-centered)
Biocentric outlook (Paul Taylor)
3. Ecocentrism (ecosystem as a whole)
Sustainability
-meeting the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Frontier Mentality
- resources are unlimited and meant for human
consumption
- If resources run out more can be found elsewhere

The frontier ethic may be replaced by a more sustainable

view as evidence of global decline and its wide-ranging
effects continues to mount
Leopold’s Land Ethic
-the relationship between people and the land

- Aldo Leopold described a land ethic that called on people

to:
- view themselves as the part of the environment
- discard the notion of humans as conquerors of
nature
 Sustainable Economics:
Economics and Challenges
Facing the Industrial Nation
Economic system

- Produces, distributes and consumes goods and services

Subsistence economy
- Economy where people meet their daily needs gathering
from nature or from what they can produce on their own
Capitalist market economy
- Economy where buyers and sellers determine prices,
production, and distribution of goods and services
Centrally planned economy
- Economy where government decides how to distribute
resources
Mixed economy
- Economy where governments intervene to some extent,
most national economies are mixed
Classical economics
- pursuit of economic self-interest within competitive
markets (supply and demand
Neoclassical economics (NE)
- Combines consumer preference, supply and demand,
cost and benefits (market system today operate on this
model)
Resources used to produce goods
and services
Economic Sustainability
- Ability to meet the economic needs of the present
without diminishing economic opportunities of the
future
- Capacity of future generations to earn an income and
allow for economic growth

-we need economic growth to ensure our material welfare

Economic sustainability will require
“An expanded social and ethical
awareness
Strategies to shift an eco-economy
- Use resources more efficiently
- Use indicators that monitor economic and environmental health
- Have market prices of goods and services include their harmful
effects on the environment and human health
- Phase out environmentally harmful government subsidies and tax
breaks
- Shift taxes by lowering taxes on income and wealth and
increasing taxes on pollution and resource waste
- Use eco-labelling to identify products produced by
environmentally sound methods
Industrialization
- It is the transformation of raw materials into
finished products through the use of machines
Role of industrialization in
economy
- Produces different products
- Gives employment
- Has the capacity to adjust to the changing tastes of
the consumers
- Helps economy earn foreign currency that is use to
finance export
Components of industrial sector
- Mining sector
- Manufacturing sector
- Construction
- Energy sector
- Water sector
Challenges facing the industrial sector
- Changing compliance regulations and traceability
- Innovation
- Skills gap
- Healthcare
- Environmental concern
 Sustainable Economic
Development: Challenges
Facing the Developing
Nations
Sustainable Economic Development
- Sustainable economic development is economic
growth that strives to meet the needs of humans
maintaining natural resources and the
environment, without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.
- Economic development is intended to transform
poor countries into richer with changes in their
economic and social structure.
Sustainable Economic Development Goals and
Objectives

- National income determinants

- Natural resources investment
- Capital support services
- Basic attention token exchange
- Addressing corruption with clarity
- External depth management
Challenges facing the developing nations

Environmental Problem
- rapid population growth
- pollution
- loss of habitat
- global climate change
Social
- poverty
- poor health
- illiteracy
- famine
Challenges facing the developing nations

Economic
- transition to free market economies produce rising standards
of living and an expanding middle class
- “Brain Drain”
- Growing gap between rich and poor
Political
- growing demands for political freedom and individual right
 Law, Government, and
Society Environmental Policy
and Decision Making
Major Environmental Laws in the Philippines
- REPUBLIC ACT 9003 ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
ACT OF 2000
- REPUBLIC ACT 9275 PHILIPPINE CLEAN WATER ACT OF 2004
- REPUBLIC ACT 8749 PHILIPPINE CLEAN AIR ACT OF 1999
- REPUBLIC ACT 6969 TOXIC SUBSTANCES, HAZARDOUS AND
NUCLEAR WASTE CONTROL ACT OF 1990
- PRESIDENTIAL DECREE 1586 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT (EIS) STATEMENT OF 1978
Policies and Legislations Description
Philippine Constitution(1986) Contains the State’s obligation to protect and advance the right of the people to a
balanced and healthful ecology (Article 2, Section 15 and 16).
Local Government Code Republic Act Certain sections strengthen the role of LGUs in the environmental governance of
7160 (1991) the country.
Republic Act 10121 An Act strengthening the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
System, providing for the National DRRM framework and institutionalizing the
National DRRM Plan, appropriating funds therefore and for other purposes
Republic Act 9729 An act mainstreaming climate change into government policy formulations,
establishing the framework strategy and program on climate change, creating for
this purpose the climate change commission, and for other purposes.
Proclamation No. 2149 (1981) Declares certain areas including watershed reserves as environmentally critical
and within the scope of the EIS system.
Republic Act No. 7586 or the National Encompass outstanding remarkable areas and biologically important public lands
Integrated Protected Areas System Act that are habitats of rare and endangered species of plants and animals,
of biogeographic zones and related ecosystems, whether terrestrial, wetland or
marine, all of which shall be designated as protected areas.
Republic Act No. 7942 or the Provides that proclaimed watershed reserves, old growth or virgin forests,
Philippine Mining Act (1995) wilderness areas, mossy forests and NIPAS areas among others are closed to
mining applications. Mining contractors are also required to undertake
environmental protection and enhancement programs to include among other
things revegetation, watershed development and water conservation.
People’s Small Scale Mining Program Allows small mining operators including the poor people to benefit from the
Republic Act 7076 (1991) country’s mineral resources.
Policies and Legislations Description
Republic Act No. 8041 Water Crisis Act Directs the government to adopt urgent and effective measures to address
(1995) national water crisis; provides for the identification and designation of critical
watersheds where development undertakings are to be suspended.
Presidential Decree 1152 or The Prescribes management guidelines aimed to protect and improve the quality of
Philippine Environment Code (1996) Philippine water resources through improvement of the quality of the Philippine
water resource.
Republic Act 8435 or The Agriculture Prescribes that DA will coordinate with DENR concerning preservation and
and Fisheries Modernization Act rehabilitation of watersheds to support irrigation systems; promotes development
(1997) that is compatible with the preservation of the ecosystem in areas where
agriculture and fisheries activities are carried out.
Republic Act 8371 or The Indigenous Ascribes rights of the ICC/IPs sustainable use, manage, protect, conserve land,
Peoples Rights Act (1997 water and other areas of economic value; ascribes the right to formulate and
pursue their own plans for sustainable management and development of land and
natural resources; provides that government adopt effective measures to
implement laws that will preserve the quality of surface and ground water that
may affect ancestral domains.
Presidential Decree 1067 or The Governs the ownership, appropriation, utilization, exploitation, development,
National Water Code of the Philippines conservation and protection of water resources.
Republic Act 9275 or The Philippine Aims to protect the country’s water bodies from pollution from land-based
Clean Water Act of 2004 sources (industries and commercial establishments, agriculture and
community/household activities).
Republic Act No. 9003 The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act
Pollution Control Law Presidential Provides guidelines for prevention, abatement and control of pollution of water,
Decree 984 (1976) air and land.
Policies and Legislations Description
Philippine Environmental Impact Mandates EIS for government and private sector projects affecting the quality of
Statement System Presidential Decree the environment.
1586 (1978)
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law Exempts land devoted to reforestation, wildlife, etc. from land conversion.
Republic Act 6657 (1987)
EO No. 223 (1987) Vests in the PNOC jurisdiction on the management of certain areas supporting
hydropower and geothermal project.
EO 224 (1987) Provides that management of certain watershed area was transferred to the
jurisdiction of National Power Corporation pursuant to the energy-generating
program of the government.
Joint Memorandum Circular No. 98-01 Manual of Procedures for DENR-DILG-LGU partnership on devolved and other
forest management functions
Executive Order No. 23 Declares a moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in natural and
residual forests nationwide, and creating the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force.
Executive Order No. 26 Declares the implementation of the National Greening Program as a government
priority program to reduce poverty, promote food security, environmental stability
and biodiversity conservation, and enhance climate change mitigation and
adaptation.
Executive Order No. 277 Amends Section 68 of PD 705, penalizing possession of timber and other forest
products without legal documents.
Executive Order No. 263 Adopts community-based forest management as the national strategy to ensure
the sustainable development of the country’s forestland resources and for social
equity.
Policies and Legislations Description
DENR Administrative Order No. 97-05 Defines the procedures in the retention of areas within certain distances along the
banks of rivers, streams, and shore of seas, lakes and oceans for environmental
protection.
DENR Administrative Order No.92-34 Rules and Regulations to Implement Republic Act No. 7076 Otherwise Known as
“Peoples Small Scale Mining Act of 1991”.
DENR Administrative Order No.92-50 Guidelines on the Disposition of Confiscated Logs, Lumber and Other Forest
Products for Public Infrastructure Projects.
DENR Administrative Order No. 15-90 Amends certain provisions of DAO 96-29 and providing specific guidelines for the
Establishment and Management of Community-Based Projects within Protected
Areas.
DENR Administrative Order 96-26, Revised Guidelines Governing the Harvest and Transport of Planted Trees and
September 10, 1996 Non-Timber Products within Social Forestry Areas.
DENR Memorandum Circular No. 24, Implementing Guidelines for the Conversion of Timber License Agreements (TLAs)
July 13, 1994 to Industrial Forest Management Agreements (IFMAs).
DENR Administrative Order No. 42, Revised Regulations and Guidelines Governing the Establishment and
August 22, 1991 Development of Industrial Forest Plantations (IFPs)
DENR Administrative Order No. 62, Institutionalizes community organizing as an approach and strategy in the
October 15, 1993 planning and implementation of programs and projects in the DENR.
DENR Administrative Order No. 68, Amendment to DAO No. 60, Series of 1993, to encourage more investors in the IFP
December 16, 1993 program of the government and to accelerate the establishment of industrial
forest plantations.
DENR Memorandum Circular No. 09, Requires Timber License Agreement/Timber Production Sharing Agreement
August 03, 1992 holders to prepare and submit a Medium Term Forest Management Plan.
Policies and Legislations Description
DENR Memorandum Circular No. 09, Requires Timber License Agreement/Timber Production Sharing Agreement
August 03, 1992 holders to prepare and submit a Medium Term Forest Management Plan.
DENR Memorandum Circular No. 35, Criteria and guidelines for the Categorization of the Protected Areas under the
November 17, 1993 National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS)
DENR Memorandum Circular No. 17, Guidelines on the conduct of Protected Area Suitability Assessment (PASA).
May 13, 1993
DENR Memorandum Circular No. 22, Guidelines on the preparation and submission of maps of areas covered by the
Series of 1992 National Integrated Protected Areas System
Thank You !!!