To Keep or Destroy

This topic submitted by Tekk, Lisa et. al on 2/19/03. Additions were last made on Wednesday, February 19, 2003. Section: Burt

I agree with what Hays has already written. For me, the major issue is one of definition---how do you measure (value) "value." This is an aesthetic and philosophical issue as well as an economic one, although there may be links that can be made between the two. (For example, a "happy and "healthy" work force is usually a more productive workforce. It is also commonplace for local chambers of commerce and their ilk to promote the oportunities and advantages of a non-economic nature of their locales in encouraging businesses to come into their regions, just as it is for businesses to do the same in recruiting their employees(although this, too, has environmental consequence, which you would need to consider if you were to make the link between economic and seemingly non-economic "value."

In any case, you will need to be aware of the need to define "value in philosophical and aesthetic terms. You seem to be aware of this need. But I do want to caution you on it. Begin with Loren C. Owings ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES 1860- 1972 and Catherine C. Le Maistre et. al., SEARCH FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS: aN INITIAL IBLIOGRAPHY. Check also, Roderick Nasg, tHE RIGHTS OF NATURE. He has a food annotated bibliography. You may even want to go back to the Greeks and Plato, TIMEAUS I believe) who deals with issues of natural beauty.

Go for it! Good Luck.

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