Human civilisation, over centuries, has formed an anthropocentric perspective, where intrinsic value is only attributed to the human population, disregarding the innate value of any other factor.
Whether it is burning wood, interrupting the ecosystem’s food chain, or mining, these are all acts that exemplify our interference with cycles of nature; what makes it fair or proper for us to perform or even condone these acts? Do corporations or the government really have the right to restructure land and cut down trees for urbanisation? These actions are ethically wrong, infringing upon the natural rights of other beings sharing our planet.
The vast field of environmental ethics has recently commenced dominating and steering public perception. More and more people have started to hold companies responsible for their carbon footprints, pollutant emissions, and overall environmental impact. As we move towards a more environmentally conscientious society, the general public positively views green production processes with no harm to the environment.
Furthermore, animal testing and its implications have started worrying people increasingly. The use of animals as scapegoats for conducting trials is not only ethically wrong but also often unreliable. Since human beings and animals reactions to chemicals or products can be very different, people more commonly agree that animals do not prove to demonstrate the most reliable results.
The lack of testing brings about a new debate in the business and science world. How can a firm attest its products without data to support its claim, especially if animal and human testing are not ethically acceptable? Consent plays a significant role since we cannot remove the testing phase from any part of the production process. The Covid-19 vaccine, for example, is impossible to have been circulated without having reliable and robust testing. The consequences of uninformed usage or a faulty vaccine would be far graver than the virus itself since it would harm even those not affected by the virus. Evidence helps fortify a point made by a company, and brutal honesty is (in most cases) highly appreciated by the public. Companies in today’s world need to gear themselves towards greener energy sources, renewable energy, and more efficient production processes to ensure they maintain ethical standards to garner public opinion in their favour.
