Ali Emmott

Intro Ethics
Environmental Ethics Paper

Marine pollution and Ocean Dumping

As we all know that the earth is roughly 70% filled with water, from oceans
and seas, which form an essential part of our existence. This factor of
indispensability not only has helped us immensely but also has inclined to us
exploiting the resources without thinking twice. Surfacing many ethical issues is
ocean dumping which also is one of the main causes of pollution of the oceans.
(Sharda, 2011) As a result of human activities polluting the oceanic environment
is marine pollution or marine debris is typically defined as any artificial object
discarded, disposed of, or abandoned that enters the coastal or marine
environment. (NOAA, 2013) Although human beings hold the greatest intrinsic
value according to biocentric ethics, a theory that view all life as possessing
intrinsic value we forget to respect that of other living things.
In addition to the commonly known pollutants of oil spills, crude oil,
industrial waste dumping, garbage disposal, and agricultural runoff; is the large
scale and heartless disposal of human wastes and sewage contents into oceans
has become inconceivable. (Singh, 2010) Each of these marine pollutants has
several different harmful effects to the oceanic environment and the prosperity of
the living organisms within the ocean habitat. Respectively all of the above
pollutants are causes from or caused by human activities. Set aside from all of
the laws, regulations and treaties that protect oceans against pollution, there are
still harming being done.

Ali Emmott
Intro Ethics
Environmental Ethics Paper
The theory of morality nonconsequentialist can be applied to the human
behavior when it comes to ocean dumping, often the person performing the
action is not concerned about the consequences of the act. These individuals act
according to their intuition or instinct and feel what makes an action right or
wrong are the intrinsic character of the value. Ocean dumping entails of
depositing all of the waste materials from factories and industries, tankers and
ships and the sewerage waste materials into the oceans and seas. One of the
most common oceanic dumping is the dumping of plastic which leads to adverse
effects. Its unfortunate that ocean dumping is still an environmental issue today
because the oceanic waters intrinsic value is worthy to human life on our planet.
Todays biggest ethical issue with marine pollution and ocean dumping is
the lack of environmental responsibility we has humans have for the well being of
our planet. Believe it or not once ocean dumping was considered as a necessity.
However todays times it has become an impediment to our environment. Seeing
as we use and misuse the oceanic resources, it has become our responsibility to
take care and preserve it in every way we can. But unfortunately most people
today are not concerned or to caught up in the advances of the twenty-first
century to care now a day. Therefore we can apply the nonconsequentialist
theory approach once again to our generation today. Its sad to say that today
when people are sitting on the beach they will just bury their trash in the sand
which will eventually end up in the water. With all of the advances in technology
today our generation doesnt realize the value the oceanic habitat has to our

Ali Emmott
Intro Ethics
Environmental Ethics Paper
future. Society today has lost the morals and ethics of past generations, which
has surfaced many concerns and issues today. (Sharda, 2011)
*Platonic dualism in a natural belief says that we naturally regard humans
as more important. Dualism distinguishes the mind and body separate from each
other. Dualism theory says that there are radically different kinds of things
between the mental and physical. (Robinson, 2012)

Ali Emmott
Intro Ethics
Environmental Ethics Paper

Works Cited
NOAA. (2013). Marine Debris. From NOAA- National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration :
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/whatis/welcome.html
OECD. (n.d.). Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development. From OECD Glossary of Statistical Terms:
http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=1882
Robinson, H. (2012). Dualism . (E. N. Zalta, Editor) Retrieved 2013 from
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/cgibin/encyclopedia/archinfo.cgi?entry=dualism
Sharda. (2011 27-July). Causes and Effects of Ocean Dumping.
Retrieved 2013 from Marine Innsight :
http://www.marineinsight.com/marine/environment/causes-and-effectsof-ocean-dumping/
Singh, N. (2010 23-September). Causes and Effects of Marine
Pollution . Retrieved 2013 from Marine Insight:
http://www.marineinsight.com/marine/environment/effects-of-marinepollution/