Environment and Governmental Policies :: Politics, Daoism

As humanity begins to use nature to fulfill their need for resources, they tend to create negative consequences to the environment that surrounds them. There are only a few governmental policies that ultimately lean towards a conservationist stand view, since this may be an economically unappealing concept, but there are some moral stances that promote the preservation of nature. In some cases, though, governments are able to support their ecological and economic issues together. It is stated that the â€Å"government has done nothing effective with its forests† and â€Å"the laws... provide neither for the protection of the timber from destruction nor for it’s use where it is most needed† (Doc. 5). This proposal supports the idea that the government’s policies do not advocate the safekeeping of our surroundings appropriately. The destruction of our environment is not decreasing because as our technology expands it becomes easier to â€Å"rule over [nature] without difficulty† (Doc. 4). Taking this into account, we must realize that â€Å"although development is vital...bio-diversity† is something that even humanity can’t live without (Doc. 8). Native American, Chief Seattle, responds to the government in 1852 saying that â€Å"to harm the earth† is something that is considered disrespectful to â€Å"its creator† (Doc. 6). From our own ethical conceptions, humanity is mostly in favor of the safeguarding of wildlife. Daoism, an early chinese concept, conforms to the conservation of nature in that they believe they shouldn’t â€Å"try to change the world by force† because it can cause â€Å"damage to [themselves]† (Doc. 1). From a Buddhist point of view, perpetuating the environment seems to be an important factor in their religion as they wish â€Å"all [creatures to] be blessed with peace always† (Doc. 2). In the Book of Genesis it states that we should â€Å"have dominion† over the creatures yet still â€Å"replenish the earth† (Doc. 3). As the environment is here for our uses, we still must keep it in a state that we can continue to use it. â€Å"Ethical criteria† of the earth may be defined that something is â€Å"right... when it preserve[s] the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community† (Doc. 7). In a point of view that is m erely based on morals, conservation of nature is a good and a necessary abstraction. On the other hand, the way we go about environmentalism is something that the human race has come to focus on and improve in the years past.