Public Responsibility To Ensure Environmental Health Essay

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Public Responsibility to Ensure Environmental Health
What aspects of the environment can the public control to protect themselves?

The public has a certain responsibility to protect their environment in order to avoid a possible decline in public health. When the environment surrounding the place an individual resides is unhealthy or polluted, there is a risk of sickness or disease. I will explore the causes and repercussions of certain environmental disasters such as Love Canal, and understand what steps the public took to resolve the issue and what else could have been done to remedy the predicament faster. The public has certain responsibilities to guarantee the safety and protection of future generations by caring for their environment …show more content…

This topic is significant and is in need of attention since a decline in environmental health will impact all life on earth, whether it is rising sea levels, pollution, or global warming. From a consequentialist or utilitarian perspective, there is a focus on the consequences of ignoring the environment and the repercussions on public health; the public must ensure safety of citizens because it benefits the greatest amount of people. From a deontological perspective, public health organizations focus perspectives on the principle of prevention and a duty to the public.
A direct example of how the mistreatment of the environment has an effect on the health of the public is seen in the incident at Love Canal. “Love Canal was a rectangular 16-acre, 10-ft-deep chemical waste landfill situated in a residential neighborhood in the city of Niagara Falls… …show more content…

I investigated what the ethical responsibilities of the public are to ensure the health of their environment. I sought out a local environmental organization in Lancaster County to understand the steps the public can take to improve environmental health, and the ethical implications that will arise if not addressed. Unfortunately there were no public meeting that I could attend at this time of the year so I went online to the Lancaster County Watershed website and found valuable information. I also found the phone number of the Education Coordinator, Sallie Gregory for any questions I may have about the health of our local environment. I found out that a watershed is an area of land that drains to a body of water, for example, a pond, stream, river, lake, or ocean and that pretty much everyone lives in a watershed. The Lancaster County Conservation District focuses on the stewardship of land, water, and other natural resources. The Conservation District oversees and partakes in programs to promote the sensible use of natural resources. According to the Education Coordinator, the programs they offer are for students and residents of Lancaster County and the goal of the programs is to address the Pennsylvania Department of Education Environment and Ecology Standards. Most of their programs focus on soil and water conservation issues. The Water Quality Volunteer Coalition (WQVC) is a group of

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