The purpose of this integrative essay is to identify the linkage between environmental science and ethics, two discrete scholarly and academic fields that move from theory to practice, thereby shaping human attitudes and behaviors. It will be argued herein that environmental science and ethics are primarily linked because of the necessity of employing ethical constructs in all scientific pursuits and because ethical mandates and value systems invariably impact upon the ways in which man interacts with the world (Brennan, 1998). The specific topic to be explored is how ethics and environmental science combine to foster environmental protectionism, or activities that respect the needs of various environmental sciences (e.g., geology as a locus for oil exploration) to generate data and "products" while employing ethical values that foster environmental responsibility.
Environmental science is defined as a broad, science-based study of the physical, biological, and chemical processes shaping the environment and the effects of human activity on these physical processes. Its purpose is to provide an understanding of key environmental processes and their relationship with human activities. Subsumed within environmental science are aspects of geology, biology, chemistry, and ecology and the human activities of business, industry, and population growth (Environmental science, 2004). Environmental science approaches the topic of this essay by providing a specific focus for the exploration of ethics in human activities. It should be noted that "environmental science" is a related set of academic disciplines and that the movement known as "environmentalism" is a social as well as ecological movement that is designed to foster environment responsibility. Environmental sciences, per se, do not necessarily lead to environmental activism.
Ethics, as understood by philosophers, including Schick and Vaughn (1999), refers to a set o...