Slovenčina
Environment a jeho etické aspekty
E-book
Tatiana Kimáková a kol.
Ethics, as the science of the proper realization of human potential in various areas of life, also extends into the environment. For understanding the ethical aspects in this field, a thorough knowledge of the individual components of the environment, as well as their impact not only on humans but on all living nature, is very important. Therefore, questions concerning the influence of the environment are increasingly at the forefront of interest from an ethical perspective, also in connection with existing legal norms.
The modern process of civilization is characterized by rapid development of science and technology. However, this development, while raising the standard of living on one hand, also brings negative side effects on the other. The result is the disruption of ecological, biological, and natural life conditions, especially in the areas of industrial centers. The development of individual branches of industry leads to the production of liquid, gaseous, and solid wastes, the emergence of harmful risk factors threatening various components of living nature, including humans. There may be increased bioaccumulation of hazardous chemical elements in organisms, which, through their effects, represent a potential risk also in terms of carcinogenesis and mutagenesis.
For this reason, an important role of society is to create conditions to prevent the release of emissions and to reduce their concentration to the lowest possible, socially and biologically acceptable level. The assessment of the biological effects of harmful substances is based on experimental and epidemiological studies. Knowledge of concentration and duration of exposure is crucial for applying dose-effect relationships and for determining the highest permissible concentrations of pollutants. The health of the population, as a universal value and a primary human right, represents a fundamental economic resource not only for the individual, but also for society as a whole.
