ABSTRACT
An illustration of compensatory ethical action was a decision by a relatively small electrical utility—Applied Energy Services of Arlington, Virginia—to help finance the planting of fifty million trees in Guatemala. This investment is apparently an attempt to compensate for the utility’s annual carbon dioxide emissions by planting future carbon dioxide absorbers. To Aldo Leopold’s credit his land ethic concept has become a centerpiece vision for ecologists, preser vationists, and outdoors people alike. Creativity plus a little ecological understanding is all that’s needed to spin out a variety of compensatory strategies. Recognition of the broader community carries with it a commitment of peaceful coexistence with, and protection of, all these diverse natural entities. If voluntary contributions are not forthcoming, perhaps a “paving” tax would be in order to subsidize the protection or reclamation of environmentally sensitive areas.
