Thinking into the Future

The article “Canadian rivers in trouble, study warns” (De Souza, 2009) discusses the state of 10 Canadian rivers. The study says that if something isn’t done soon, rivers in Canada will be perilously close to disappearing. The main idea in this news article is that economic and infrastructure developments are the biggest factors in the disappearance of rivers. This blog will explore why the issue of losing rivers should be addressed now, and why it shouldn’t be left for our children to sort out.
An idea brought out in the book Environmental Principles and Policies: an interdisciplinary introduction, is that of ‘The Equity Principle’ (Beder, 2006). A division of that is Intergenerational Equity. This is
“the need for a just distribution of rewards and burdens between generations,
and fair and impartial treatment of future generations” (Beder, 2006).
In other words, we are responsible for leaving a healthy and habitable environment for the generations to come. Since the people of the future can’t stand up for themselves right now, a few guidelines have been put down.
The first of these guidelines is Justice. In this case, it is only fair that we give the future what we were given. While growing up and living in Canada, we were allowed to use these rivers. Even if the uses weren’t always the most economically or environmentally friends, they were there. As a result it would go against most humans’ morals to deny these amazing resources to the coming generations.
The second guideline is Responsibility. As organisms who have a concept of the relationship between actions and consequences, we must take responsibility for our actions. This is where the Precautionary Principle steps in. If we don’t know what the result of something is going to be, (especially if there’s a chance that it might be a negative effect,) then we shouldn’t do it. We’ve already passed the early stages of that type of consideration. But we can now say that continued action in the same direction will definitely have a negative effect on the surrounding ecosystems (and as a result negatively effect life on Earth). Although these negative effects probably won’t be seen fully in our lifetime, they should be appreciated in our lifetime. We should take responsibility for our actions, because we have “the capacity to bring about these consequences” and “have the choice to do otherwise” (Beder, 2006).
The third guideline (and final one being addressed in this blog) is Avoiding Harm. We may not have the duty to make the life of future generations better than the lives we currently lead, but we must at least see that destroying their chances at survival is wrong. In all likelihood, they will need the same things to survive that we need now: nutritional food, clean water, habitable environment, shelter, etc… If we were to allow these rivers to run dry during our lifetime, then the bodies of water that the feed (and are fed by) would be greatly and almost certainly irreversibly altered. Without drinking water, future generations won’t be able to survive. Thus, protecting today’s rivers and other water supplies is a small act that can play a major role in ensuring future life on Earth.
In conclusion, today’s generation has a duty to maintain the current water levels in Canadian rivers, and other water sources around the globe. Avoiding harm to future generations is the just and responsible thing to do.


References

Beder, Sharon. Environmental Principles and Policies An Interdisciplinary Introduction. Minneapolis: Earthscan Publications Ltd., 2006. Print.

De Souza, Mike. "Canadian rivers in trouble, study warns." Vancouver Sun - Canadian breaking news, sports, business, entertainment, B.C. 15 Oct. 2009. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. .