Anthropocentrism vs. Ecocentrism

Almost all arguments for the environment fall under two categories - anthropocentric or ecocentric. Anthropocentrism is founded on the idea that environmental protection is important because it is in the best interest of people to live in a clean environment with protected wilderness. Ecocentrism argues that wilderness and nature have an inherent right to exist, whether they are of value to people or not.

The Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda is an excellent example of anthropocentrism in action. Almost all of its main areas of interest; such as the landscape, public access, waterfront revitalization, water quality for swimming, and celebrating progress and parternships are promoted for the enjoyment and economic benefit of people. This document promotes the protection of nature because it is in the best interest of people; the main reason to protect the fish, streams and tributaries, and plant and animal life on the Hudson is that people will benefit from this protection. For example, the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda begins its section on plants and animals with the sentence, "When wildlife habitats are healthy, people are too." The stated goal of protecting shoreline habitats is "to assure that the life cycles of key species are supported for human enjoyment and to sustain a healthy ecosystem."

It is often hard for environmentalists to convince the public that any given environmental issue is worth their attention, worth investing public goods to address. This difficulty arises in showing how environmental protection is good for society. While arguments that trees have an intrinsic right to protection may appeal to a certain crowd, it is a tough sell to say that it is better to invest public money to save these trees when there are children who don't have enough food to eat and infrastructure to invest in. Environmental arguments hold up when people realize that it is in their own best interest to keep our home clean. Health and recreation are two popular and well-supported reasons for environmental protection, and will often hold up when the ecocentric argument will not.