Moving Environmental Bioethics into the 21st Century: Green Bioethics and the Common Good

Thesis advisor: James Keenan === Environmental conservation is a pressing issue for modern humans. Health care systems and the consumption of medical goods should therefore be assessed in light of environmental sustainability. While the primary focus of environmental bioethics has been hospitals and...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Richie, Cristina
Format: Others
Language:English
Published: Boston College 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:106939
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Summary:Thesis advisor: James Keenan === Environmental conservation is a pressing issue for modern humans. Health care systems and the consumption of medical goods should therefore be assessed in light of environmental sustainability. While the primary focus of environmental bioethics has been hospitals and health care facilities, ethicists must also address the offerings of the medical industry going forward. My dissertation proposes four principles to assess the environmental sustainability of current and future medical developments, techniques, and procedures. The four principles of green bioethics are: 1. General allocation of resources should precede special interest access: distributive justice 2. Current human needs over current human wants: environmental conservation 3. Simplicity before complexity: reducing dependence on medical intervention 4. The common good should drive health care instead of financial profit: ethical economics. The four principles of green bioethics will move environmental bioethics into the 21st century in a responsible and sustainable manner. === Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. === Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. === Discipline: Theology.