Exemptionalism vs environmentalism: the crucial debate on the value of ecosystem health

摘要

The concept of exemptionalism holds that human society is exempt from the biophysical laws that control other species because of human ingenuity, technology, creativity and economic systems. Some economists believe that resource depletion is irrelevant because alternative resources will be developed if there is enough demand backed by money. A related statement is that any problem created by technology can be resolved by technology. Within these frames of reference, ecosystem health is of minor, arguably no, importance to the exemptionalist.