Environmental Ethical Issues
Environmental Ethics Issues 1
Environmental Ethical Issues
SOC120
Environmental Ethics Issues 2
Today, we live in the country in which we have lost much of our view of the universe. The view is often substantially diminished even for people who live in smaller towns and rural areas. The spectacular view of the night sky that our ancestors had on clear dark nights no longer exists. The great increase in the number of people living in urban areas has resulted in a rapid increase in urban sky glow due to poorly designed, inefficient outdoor lighting, brightening the heavens to such an extent that the only view most people have of the Milky Way is when they are well away from cities. This excess light in the sky has an adverse impact on the environment and seriously threatens to remove forever one of humanity 's natural wonders, our view of the universe. This sky glow that adversely affects the environment and compromises astronomical research is called light pollution. It is wasted light that does nothing to enhance nighttime safety, utility, or security. Such wasted light only serves to produce glare, clutter, light trespass, light pollution, and wastes energy, money, and natural resources in the process, all the while creating additional pollution at the source where the wasted energy is produced. I am concerned with the Fisk and Crawford power plants that are located around my neighborhood. These power plants are the two largest sources of particulate-forming air pollution in Chicago and contribute to the area exceeding federal health standards for particle pollution. Because they were built during the 1950s, they were grandfathered in and exempted from federal regulations outlined by the 1977 Federal Clean Air Act. So because of a loophole
Environmental Ethics Issues 3
they continue to illegally pollute and poison us legally, when it should have stopped over 30 years ago.
The Fisk and
Environmental Ethical Issues
SOC120
Environmental Ethics Issues 2
Today, we live in the country in which we have lost much of our view of the universe. The view is often substantially diminished even for people who live in smaller towns and rural areas. The spectacular view of the night sky that our ancestors had on clear dark nights no longer exists. The great increase in the number of people living in urban areas has resulted in a rapid increase in urban sky glow due to poorly designed, inefficient outdoor lighting, brightening the heavens to such an extent that the only view most people have of the Milky Way is when they are well away from cities. This excess light in the sky has an adverse impact on the environment and seriously threatens to remove forever one of humanity 's natural wonders, our view of the universe. This sky glow that adversely affects the environment and compromises astronomical research is called light pollution. It is wasted light that does nothing to enhance nighttime safety, utility, or security. Such wasted light only serves to produce glare, clutter, light trespass, light pollution, and wastes energy, money, and natural resources in the process, all the while creating additional pollution at the source where the wasted energy is produced. I am concerned with the Fisk and Crawford power plants that are located around my neighborhood. These power plants are the two largest sources of particulate-forming air pollution in Chicago and contribute to the area exceeding federal health standards for particle pollution. Because they were built during the 1950s, they were grandfathered in and exempted from federal regulations outlined by the 1977 Federal Clean Air Act. So because of a loophole
Environmental Ethics Issues 3
they continue to illegally pollute and poison us legally, when it should have stopped over 30 years ago.
The Fisk and
Cited: (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.njaa.org/light.html Breuer, D. (n.d.). Coal-Fired Power Plants in Chicago. Retrieved from Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization: http://www.pilsenperro.org/coalpower.htm Environmental Issue Articles. (n.d.). Retrieved from ScienceDaily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/earth_climate/environmental_issues/ Environmental Issues. (n.d.). Retrieved from Global Issues: http://www.globalissues.org/issue/168/environmental-issues