ABSTRACT
Many environmentalists are surely right to be suspicious of the apparent presupposition on the part of some advocates of sustainable development that levels of material well-being can go on developing forever on a finite planet. Brennan sees a clear connection between the tradition of the Great White Hunter and Aldo Leopold, who has exerted a strong influence on Rolston’s thinking, as well as on numerous other environmental ethicists, especially in the United States and Australasia. There is no doubt that Hardin’s arguments have been extremely influential in certain sections of the environmental preservation movement. His assumptions appear again and again in numerous environmentalists’ writings. Moreover, uncontrolled population growth will have severe environmental effects. Many environmentalists argue that increased inorganic fertilizer and pesticide use can have disastrous environmental consequences, and poorly thought out irrigation schemes can lead to salinization of the soil. As the World Commission on Environment and Development notes, “Poverty is a major cause and effect of environmental problems.
