Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

The ethics of environmental sustainability

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Participants in a national seminar on ‘Ethical Concerns in Environmental Sustainability’ organised by the Department of Philosophy, Government College for Women here recently, stressed the need for a multi-disciplinary approach in designing conservation projects.

Speakers at the seminar called for integrating scientific and technological knowledge with ethical values.

In his presentation, noted environmentalist Satheeshchandran Nair focussed on the relationship between traditional values and the environment. He called for a cultural revamp to meet the challenges of environmental sustainability. The seminar consisted of six sessions focussing on pre-modern traditions, socio-economic and scientific terms, health and hygiene systems and ethico-spiritual dimensions.

Presenting a paper on the topic, N. Gopalakrishnan said Indian traditions considered nature as part of human collectivity. Moral ecology, he said, was the sum total of belief systems, conventions and ways of life prompted by immediate awareness of the surrounding ecosystem.

Another participant, M. Ramakrishnan observed that ecological concerns were expressed and practised through superstitions and taboos in Indian tradition. U. Nandakumaran Nair of Annamalai University spoke on the problems relating to genetic-environment interactions and chemical pollutants affecting public health. V. Mohanan Nair stressed the role of ethical committees in research programmes. He called for integrating ethical principles like informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, accountability and transparency, and maximisation of public interest into contemporary research.

Speaking on the concept of “political ecology,’ K. Ramachandran Nair said that sustainable development was driven not solely by economic compulsions, but by socio-political and cultural aspects as well.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Seminar on ethno musicology
‘Selfless service vital’
‘Civil rights movements inspired by Gandhi’
The ethics of environmental sustainability
Community policing from tomorrow
Order flayed
Applications invited
Government not responding to audit: CAG report
‘Address issues in farm sector’
IMA’s anti-vector road show concludes
Rescued boys to be sent home
Pushing for progress via watersheds
War of words precedes Corporation budget
Protective steps on at Aruvikkara
Transformer gutted
Ganja seized
Thiruvananthapuram Today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu