Ecological Justice

It has become common for those individuals involved in the protection of human and environmental rights to advocate for the need to preserve the ecological rights to be enjoyed by future generations. This has been done mainly because of the influence of scholars in environmental law whose studies concerning the use of resources in the current age and the need to preserve some of it for future generations have been used in the arguments made by supporters of environmental justice. While this has been the case, physical influences such as changes to the climate that are irreversible, the reduction of vital resources as well the fast growth in the population of many states all over the world, have also come to be considered when dealing with ecological justice. There has developed the realization that if nothing is done by the current generation to conserve the environment, then there is the possibility that future generations will not enjoy the same environment as that which was inherited by preceding generations.

There has to be the realization that despite the failings of previous generations, the current generation is bound to ensure that the planet will be able to provide sustenance for today's children and those of the future. If a claim is made for the future generations, then it will be possible to take away from the current world order, which has certainly been responsible for much of the earth’s environmental damage, the power to continue doing what it is currently doing so that there might be a break from the environmental degradation that has been witnessed for the last two centuries. While it is a fact that not everybody is moved to action because of the ecological plight of others, especially those in future generation, it is still the duty of the current generation to ensure that there is proper consciousness concerning the environment. It is a fact that if the current generation does not meet this obligation to the future ones, then there is the possibility that future generations will look back upon it with resentment because of the failed responsibility. It is in the interest of the current generation to ensure that the sustainability of the planet and as well as the survival of the human race, is highly dependent on the achievement of the ecological justice that has to be attained for future generations. If no account is kept in the current era for the protection of the ecological interests of future generations, there is little assurance that the ecology will be maintained for future generations to enjoy, therefore resulting in crisis.

There are some who have argued that there is no need for attention to be given to future generations because their protection has already been considered in the laws that protect current generations. They would further argue that the creation of laws aimed at protecting the environment are based on the protection of future generations hence there is no need to take an active part in ecological justice. Since most of the rules concerning modernity state that individuals should live in the present and forget about the future, many individuals have come not to take any action to ensure that the environment is protected and maintained. In fact, it can be said that most individuals believe that the best way to live is to live in the present and forget about the future because it will take care of itself. Although it is necessary to protect the rights of the current generation before that of the future, the rights of this generation should not be allowed to overshadow the main priority of environmental protection which is its preservation for the future. It has therefore become necessary to ensure that there is a balance between the ecological interests of the current generations as well as those of the future so that there is no conflict of interest in the long run. If inter-generational justice is to be attained, it will be necessary to convince the current generation to ensure that the ecological aspect of the planet in the current state is protected so that future generations may be able to enjoy an even greater piece of it than the current one. The current generation has to be able to learn that the conservation of the global ecology is essential if there is to be ecological justice for future generations. The rights of future generations have to be preserved in the same way as those of the current ones are protected so that there is no break in the way in which the world functions. This is mainly because of the fact that it is extremely difficult to determine where the ecological rights of the current and future generations begin or end and therefore, it has become essential for them to be treated on an equal basis.

It is a fact that whatever the arguments made for or against ecological justice, nature has its own limitations and these have to be put into consideration whenever this subject is discussed. Therefore, where ethical arguments fail to convince the current generations, then it is a must that pragmatic arguments have to prevail otherwise, all will be lost. If ecological justice is not implemented by the current generations, then it is most likely that the future generations will end up suffering in a disproportionate way from climate change, a fact which will be detrimental for the continued survival of not only the human species, but also of other species as well. The adverse effects of climate change for future generations will possibly take place if there is the continued disregard for the environment, thus resulting in the increase in the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It is however, the current practice of those institutions tasked with the continued finding of solutions for climate change to account for the interests of the generations that will live in the future than those that live in the present and this is a good indicator that all is not lost in the fight for ecological justice. Because of such considerations, it is possible that future generations will be able to be protected from the worst of climate change through the actions of current policymakers. Thus, there is a high possibility that ecological justice might indeed be achieved if not only the smaller effects of climate change are dealt with but also those that are harsher, therefore saving the world from a catastrophe.

It is suggested that it is because of the disregard for the ecological justice of future generations that there have developed those activities that have contributed an immense deal in the development of such ecological hazards as global warming. Such acts, which include the accumulation of nuclear waste, the loss of biodiversity in certain parts of the world as well as the reduction of the ozone layer, are perhaps the worst episodes in human history because they are ignorant of the need to protect future generation from the effects of global warming as a result of ecological damage. It is a fact that over the past fifty years, the alteration of the natural ecosystems of the world has been accelerated at such a rate that most of these ecological systems are no longer recognizable from only a few decades ago. The degradation of the natural environment has created a situation where it has become difficult for some ecosystems to renew themselves, and this has become detrimental for the achievement of ecological justice. It is estimated that more than half of the ecosystems that have been put under research have shown signs of being either degraded or being used in an unsustainable way, and this is not good news for those who are fighting for ecological justice because it means that they have an uphill task in order to achieve their goals of ecological sustainability. The fact that a significant part of the world’s ecosystems have been degraded has been sighted as a manifestation of the absolute disregard for future generations through the failure to recognize the limits to growth.

Alongside the current ecological crisis, there has also developed the dilemma of distributive justice, where it has been argued that there is the need for the world’s resources to be shared equally between its populations. It has been stated that without access to the resources that nature provides, it would be extremely difficult for the human race to survive and this is because of the fact that it is these resources which are the source of the sustenance of human development. It is a fact that human beings have to have access to the basic needs such as food shelter and clothing to ensure their survival but this is currently not the case because most of the human population lives in abject poverty, earning less than a dollar a day. This finding is truly appalling considering that it shows that the majority of the world’s population has no access to the natural resources which are essential for their development, as well as to sustain the future generations. The irresponsible use of the available natural resources by the rich has created a situation where there is the increase in the degradation of the natural environment, making life harder for the poor who often rely on these resources for their own survival. It has been found that many poor people, who have been pushed into poverty by the prevailing environmental circumstances, end up further degrading the environment to such an extent that it is difficult to achieve ecological justice for future generations. The fact that the poor end up degrading their local environments makes it difficult for there to be any alleviation to their hardships, which deprives them of the potential for developing themselves economically. Such a situation has come to be aptly named the pollution of poverty, since it involves the destruction of the environment by the poor, further worsening their economic situation. 

It can be said that those groups that quest for ecological justice have failed to achieve their objectives because of the internal disagreements between them. These disagreements stem from the fact that the various groups within the movement have differing views of how to approach the various ecological problems that they have to deal with. It can further be stated that these disagreements are based on the mutual suspicion between the rival groups within the movement concerning each other’s methods in dealing with the ecological issue. This has led to the complete failure of the environmentalist movement to stop the increasing greenhouse gas emissions into the environment, and this has in turn led to the increase in global warming. The main reason for this failure is that the members of the environmentalist movement join it not because of being convinced that they are joining it to save the environment, but because it is the current trend in the global scene. Another reason why the quest for ecological justice is failing in its endeavor to clean up the environment is that many environmentalist groups focus more on the technical policy solutions involved in the process than on actually taking the action needed. Many environmentalist organizations have come to separate the environment from environmentalism, creating a situation where more attention is given to the latter than to the former. 

In conclusion, it can be said that there has come to be a realization that the environmental cause cannot succeed without the direct involvement of the governments of countries which are responsible for most of the greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere. Governments have come to see the need to be actively involved in the creation of international agreements for the sole reason of dealing with environmental problems that affect the global environment, in effect helping the achievement of ecological justice. These governments have come to the realization of the need of having rules and regulations that are able to promote cooperation and prevent conflicts so that there can be sustainability in the environment. The achievement of ecological justice should be considered the priority in all matters concerning the environment because this is the only way through which the ecology of the planet can be sustained for the sake of future generations.