Q. Global warming and climate change are the outcomes of human greed in the name of development, indicating the direction in which extinction of organisms including human beings is heading towards loss of life on Earth. How do you put an end to this to protect life and bring equilibrium between the society and the environment?

Model Answer:

The climate crisis reflects the triumph of anthropocentric greed over ecological need, violating intergenerational equity and pushing Earth towards an irreversible mass extinction.

Ethical Pathways to Restore Socio-Environmental Equilibrium

• Embracing Eco-centrism: Shift from viewing nature merely as an exploitable human resource to respecting its intrinsic value (Deep Ecology paradigm).
• Gandhian Trusteeship: Adopt the ethos of being stewards, not absolute owners, of natural resources, guided by “need, not greed.”
• Earth Jurisprudence: Grant legal personhood to ecological entities to prevent unchecked corporate exploitation and ensure natural justice (e.g., Legal rights for rivers).
• Mindful Consumption: Implement systemic behavioral nudging to replace materialism with sustainable, low-carbon living (Mission LiFE – Lifestyle for Environment).
• Corporate Environmental Ethics: Enforce strict deontological duties on industries to internalize ecological costs and prioritize sustainability (Polluter Pays Principle, Green Accounting).
• Virtue Ethics in Conservation: Mainstream indigenous environmental consciousness into modern development policies (Bishnoi community’s ecological sacrifices).

Ultimately, securing life on Earth demands an ethical renaissance—transitioning from a paradigm of reckless capitalist exploitation to one of compassionate, eco-centric harmony.