Global warming, the continuing rise in Earth's average temperature, and climate change, the broader shifts in weather patterns over extended periods, pose a severe threat to life on Earth. The ethical dilemma lies in balancing human development with environmental sustainability, demanding a shift from greed-driven progress to responsible stewardship.

How Human Greed led to Climate Crisis

• Overexploitation of Resources: Forests cleared for industry, mining, and agriculture; fossil fuels extracted excessively to feed energy demands.

  Example: Amazon Rain-forests ( lungs of earth) is cleared for Palm Cultivation.

• Consumerism and Unsustainable Lifestyles: Modern society equates progress with consumption—more cars, gadgets, fast fashion—all of which increase carbon footprints.

• Profit over Planet: Corporations prioritize short-term gains over long-term sustainability, often ignoring environmental safeguards.

  Example: The 1989 ExxonMobil oil spill caused severe damage to pristine environment of Valdez (Alaska).

• Weak Environmental Ethics: In policymaking, environmental concerns are often sidelined as “secondary” to economic growth.

  Example: Too many exemptions have diluted scope of EIA in India.

• Global Inequity: Developed nations, having already polluted extensively, export waste and unsustainable practices to developing countries.

  Example: the US emitting roughly 14.21 tons per person compared to India's 1.89 tons per person highlights continued disparity.

Putting End to this greed driven Crisis & to restore balance between society and environment

• Ethical Environmental Consciousness: Promote values like moderation, sacrifice, and contentment by reinforcing Gandhian dictum of Earth provides enough for everyone’s need, not greed.

• Sustainable Development with Moral Accountability: Redefining progress measures like GDP to incorporate environmental well-being, equity and health.

  • Example: Mandatory EIA for high impact mega projects like reservoirs.

• Modification of Lifestyle to be in consonance with environment through low-carbon lifestyles: minimalism, sustainable diets, reduced consumption.

  • Example: India's push for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).

• Adopting environmetally ethical personal choices like choosing public transport, reducing waste, resource conservation at individual level.

• Corporate Environmental Responsibility: Making environmental ethics a pillar of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and penalize practices like greenwashing.

  • Example: The IPL Green Dot Ball initiative, a joint effort by the BCCI and Tata Group, aims to plant trees for every dot ball bowled during the IPL and WPL seasons.

• Strengthening Environmental Justice: Climate policies should be inclusive, participatory, and sensitive to social diversity. Such measures should incorporate needs of vulnerbale communities like tribals, farmers and coastal communities.

• International Cooperation: It would be morally right for developed countries to accept historical responsibility, lead decarbonization, and support the Global South with technology and finance.

  • Example: Expediting allocation of $300 bn/yr to developing countries by developed as per Baku Financial Agreement (CoP29).

• Environmental Education & Moral Sensitization: Instill environmental ethics in school curricula. Promote awareness campaigns that link environment to human values and spiritual responsibility.

  • Example: Campaigns of Greta Thunberg.

• Role of Public Servants & Citizens: Good governance should include protecting natural resources as common goods and Citizens should act as guardians of ecological integrity.

  • Example: Chipko Movement.

To protect life and restore balance between society and the environment, we must undergo a moral transformation. This requires not just policy shifts, but a change in human values. Only when development becomes ethical, and progress becomes sustainable, can we truly secure the future of all life on Earth.