Environmental Ethics and Activism

Activism for the protection of the environment is redundant without an ethical interpretation to support it. As it denotes a social movement, its philosophy generally supports the need for sustainable management of resources and its protection (or restoration) by political changes via policy and behavioural changes within the individual or community. Activism seeks to reach out to the general population, occurring from grassroots movements to environmental organisations that empowers people to make significant change and help mitigate issues. Given current global uncertainties in the economy, climate change and the ecological crisis it has become apparent that a methodology is needed to integrate theoretical ethics and activism more closely.

Activism must resonate with the public and provide a context for confronting challenges that any environmental ethic must overcome. Opportunities exist where multiple ethical approaches can be applied, they can also overlap, where the best 'fit' works. The desired approach is whatever manifests at varying levels, the individual, local and global, and the goal of treating issues is achieved through education, outreach and development in the community. Successful activism draws on its members of the organisation for their insights, experience and skills to facilitate a wider knowledge base.

Activities mitigating anthropocentric ecological destruction can gain from theoretical ethics, and philosophers have much to gain from interchangeable ideas amongst environmental activists, thus encouraging a platform for communication. Without this cohesion, Zimmerman (1990) believes that ‘social action without theory is blind, but theory without social action is empty.’ So, in many ways the underlying ethical values rooted in organisations can bridge the gap between theory and action and through action the constraints of ethical ideas can by analysed to refine theories or new theoretical ethics can be tested.

Reference: Zimmerman., M. (1990). Deep Ecology and Ecofeminism. In: Reweaving the World, eds. Irene Diamond and Gloria Feman Orenstien. Sierra Club Books: San Francisco, pp. 138-154.