Environmental-laws-and-principles.docx

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS i.

Environmental laws and priniples a. Conservation !riniples and t"eories i. T"e carrying capacity o# a $iolo%ial speies in an environment is t"e ma&im'm pop'lation si(e o# t"e speies t"at t"e environment an s'stain inde)nitel*+ %iven t"e #ood+ "a$itat+ water+ and ot"er neessities availa$le in t"e environment. ii. T"e biophilia"*pot"esis

s'%%ests

t"at

t"ere

is

an

instintive $ond $etween "'man $ein%s and ot"er livin% s*stems. Edward O. Wilson introd'ed and pop'lari(ed t"e "*pot"esis

in

"is

$oo,+ Biophilia-/012.

3e

de)nes biophilia as 4t"e 'r%e to a5liate wit" ot"er #orms o# li#e4.

iii. Hard-Look Doctrine is a priniple o# Administrative law t"at sa*s a o'rt s"o'ld are#'ll* review an administrative6 a%en*

deision

to

ens're

t"at

t"e a%enies

"ave

%en'inel* en%a%ed in reasoned deision ma,in%. A o'rt is re7'ired to intervene i# it 8$eomes aware+ espeiall* #rom a om$ination o# dan%er si%nals+ t"at t"e a%en* "as not reall* ta,en a 9"ard loo,: at t"e salient pro$lems.; T"e Administrative !roed're At instr'ts #ederal o'rts to invalidate

a%en*

deisions

t"at

are

8ar$itrar*;

or

8apriio's.; Close s ar%'ment and sol'tion to t"e pro$lem o# T"e Tra%ed* o# t"e Commons is t"ere#ore a pertinent dis'ssion to t"e ivil en%ineer. T"e approa" ta,en $* "im+ as s"own in "is writin%+ is one t"at $oldl* navi%ates all aven'es wit" no overw"elmin% $ias. T"ro'%"o't m* dis'ssion+ I will present t"e onept o# t"e Tra%ed* o# t"e Commons #rom 3ardin>s artile. I will anal*(e "is onl'sions in relation to "ow "is ar%'ment ties into t"e role o# ivil en%ineerin% t"ro'%" iss'es relatin% to moralit* and t"e onept o# s'staina$le development. A onept'al inspiration %enerated $* 3ardin>s moral assessment will $e evident in potentiall* s"apin% t"e et"is o# a ivil en%ineer #o'sed on meetin% t"e developmental needs o# soiet* wit"o't ompromisin% t"e needs o# #'t're %enerations. T"e inspiration #or 3ardin>s t"esis derived #rom anot"er artile $* Wienser and or, in Science onernin% t"e #'t're o# n'lear war. In t"eir artile+ Wienser and or, are#'ll* proposed t"e dilemma o# a n'lear a%e t"at "as no apparent te"nial sol'tion. T"is impliitl* s'%%ested t"at i# a @*Tan*a!imentel

!a%e

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS pla'si$le sol'tion were to e&ist+ t"e e&planation m'st lie in anot"er realm o# "'man $e"avior+ a non6te"nial realm. To 7'ote 3ardin 4It is #air to sa* t"at most people w"o an%'is" over t"e pop'lation pro$lem are tr*in% to )nd a wa* to avoid t"e evils o# overpop'lation wit"o't relin7'is"in% an* o# t"e privile%es t"e* now en