Water

This group decided to focus their water presentation on the ocean.  They informed the class that only 2.7% of the world's water is freshwater, the rest is saltwater.  The ocean is very connected to human activity.  For instance if the ice caps were to melt due to global warming, the ocean would rise and could cover land masses such as part of Florida.  Another event that could occur in the ocean is a change in the pH.  This could have a hugely detrimental result on the species that live in the ocean.  They need a consistent environment to live in otherwise they can't survive.  For example, shelled species need the pH to be a certain level in order to extract carbonate from the water to make their shells.  The rise in pH can be the result of carbon sinks, which sequester carbon from the atmosphere.

Over fishing can also be a problem.  Large companies are after short term profits and are not worried about  using sustainable methods that would result in profits for years to come.  Since they do not fish in a sustainable way, the fish populations have dwindled in many areas.  If they were to limit their catches a little to allow the populations to recover, they could actually be more profitable in the long run.  The Sustainable Fisheries Act was passed in 1996 to protect the fish and to promote conservation.  Over fishing can be related to Animal rights.  Singer would probably suggest avoiding any fish that was not sustainably harvested if you have to eat fish at all.  Fish have a right to live a good and undisturbed life.  It all depends on what your definition of what an animal is though, some would not consider fish to have animal rights.  Another approach is utilitarianism which would suggest sustainable methods because many people enjoy eating fish, so if fish are not sustainably harvested and some species go extinct, then no one would be able to enjoy them.

The group also talked about hypoxic dead zones.  This is the result of eutrophication which is when there is excess plant growth and the plants use up a large proportion of the oxygen in the water.  Organisms in the water cannot use oxygen and they die as a result.  Additionally this process can warm up the water, preventing nutrients from mixing, which would normally occur if there was both cool and warm water.  This relates to the land ethic in that this problem is due to human pollution, mostly from farming.  By disrupting the eco-system, humans are not "thinking like a mountain".

Shelter

My group decided on the topic of shelter.  I really liked researching this topic because if I decide to build a house someday rather than moving into an existing house, I would want to build it in the greenest way possible.  LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, "provides independent, third party verification that a building, home or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health" (http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1988).  LEED awards four levels of certification: certified, silver, gold, and platinum depending on how sustainable the building is.  They focus on 9 different important aspects such as the use of sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, locations and linkages, awareness and education, innovation and design, and regional priority. 

Now that I have learned more about LEED certification I know the ethical reasons behind choosing a LEED certified house.  The main ethical theory I associate with is sustainable development.  I am a strong believer in this theory because I feel that our generation owes it to future generations to practice sustainable methods.  This is why I think LEED is so important.  If everyone who could afford to build a new house made it a LEED certified house, there would be a huge improvement in energy efficiency and a reduction of construction waste.  It would even be healthier to live in because of the air quality standards.  Additionally, the LEED houses don't even cost all that much more than a regular house, especially when you figure in the money saved from lower energy bills.  It would be a really good investment for not only the future of the house owner, but also for the generations to come.

Another ethical theory that has a lot to do with LEED certification is the land ethic.  Aldo Leopold suggests that we all "think like a mountain".  In other words it is best not to disturb the ecosystem because only nature has the best plan for the organisms that live in an ecosystem.  LEED encourages people to avoid any disturbance to the ecosystem by making sure to avoid run off that can cause erosion, decreasing pollution, and by using local plants for landscaping.  Overall there are many ethical implications for LEED.