Investigating the Environmental Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico Essay

Investigating the Environmental Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico - Essay Example This has seriously impacted the human values of not causing harm to others. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the complexity and link between sustainability issues including natural laws and human values; and determine the ways in which human systems and ecosystems are linked. and the ethics of not causing harm (George 242). Moral law is a free will approach which gives people the freedom to decide the way in which they should act. â€Å"Moral law theory is morally absolute, not relativistic, connecting human nature and ethical life† (Houser et al 22). Ethical laws are natural, that is they apply to all human beings, irrespective of individual customs and beliefs. Significantly, natural laws are non-consequential, and the consequences of an act are not brought into the ethical analysis. In this respect, it is evident that the oil spill causing extensive destruction is the consequence of installing the particular oil rig, and this outcome is not included in the ethical analysis of the situation. According to natural law, human life has absolute value, hence a single life cannot be sacrificed to save several lives. Thus, it is in contrast with the utilitarian view of cost and benefit, and of achieving the greatest good for the greatest number of people (Houser et al 22). Additionally, natural law requires that moral judgments should take into account the intentions of the persons performing the act. In the oil rig disaster, it is not possible to make any moral judgment of right or wrong based on the intentions of the British Petroleum Company, since the occurrence of such a magnitude, which has caused extensive financial losses for the company was not deliberately intended to happen by them. However, the element of carelessness towards ensuring thorough safety in all aspects appears to have played a part in the catastrophe. The ongoing leakage from the oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, 48 miles