word -1,200–In Module/Week 5, you must write a 1,000
ethical argument essay from the thesis/outline that you
submitted in Module/Week 4. Your assignment is to
develop an ethical essay following the Rogerian Model of
essay have The research sources for this argument.
Any additional been provided for you in our course.
sources that you may choose to use must be credible
4 at least You must include academic sources.
into (6 total) quotations, 1 summary, and 1 paraphrase
to support cesat least 3 credible sour your essay from
your thesis statement and provide opposing arguments
acknowledging common ground as emphasized in
Rogerian argument. Be sure to document your sources
correctly according to your documentation style (Current
clude biblical support, APA, MLA, or Turabian). You may in
.but it does not count in the required citations
ENGL 101
Page 1 of 2
ETHICAL (ROGERIAN) ARGUMENT INSTRUCTIONS AND CHECKLIST
Essay 2
Assignment
In Module/Week 5, you must write a 1,000–1,200-word ethical argument essay from the
thesis/outline that you submitted in Module/Week 4. Your assignment is to develop an ethical
essay following the Rogerian Model of argument. The research sources for this essay have
been provided for you in our course. Any additional sources that you may choose to use must
be credible academic sources. You must include at least 4 quotations, 1 summary, and 1
paraphrase (6 total) into your essay from at least 3 credible sources to support your thesis
statement and provide opposing arguments acknowledging common ground as emphasized in
Rogerian argument. Be sure to document your sources correctly according to your
documentation style (Current APA, MLA, or Turabian). You may include biblical support, but it
does not count in the required citations.
Ethical Essay Prompt
Topic: Human Responsibility for the Environment
Prompt: Write an ethical essay using the Rogerian Model of argument in which you address the
question, “How far should humans go to protect the environment?”
Helpful Hints
Chapter 4 in last week’s textbook readings includes a general outline for the Rogerian
Model of Argument.
Chapter 14 in last week’s textbook readings includes sample student outlines and student
essays for an ethical (Rogerian) essay written in each of the documentation styles (APA,
MLA, and Turabian).
Review the Proofreading Checklist (below) to understand the content that you must
include in your essay assignment this week.
Review the Essay 2 Grading Rubric in the course before submitting your essay
assignment.
Proofreading Checklist
Read through your paper and check the appropriate boxes on the chart below. If any area of your
paper needs revision, make sure you correct it before submitting your essay.
Reading & Study Application
Successful
Needs
Revision
1. Introduction: Establishes the ethical principle and states the
essay’s thesis
2. Background: Gives an overview of the situation and provides
ENGL 101
Page 2 of 2
necessary information about the topic
3. Ethical analysis: Explains the ethical principle and analyzes
the particular situation on the basis of this principle
4. Evidence in support of the thesis: integrates a total of at least 6
quotes, summaries, and/or paraphrases from at least 3 credible
sources
5. Finds common ground as required by Rogerian model of
argument
6. Refutation of opposing arguments: Addresses objections and
refutes them in a clear and respectful way
7. Conclusion: Restates the ethical principle as well as the thesis
(not in the exact words); includes a strong concluding statement
8. Contains pathos (emotional) appeals, (values/belief) appeals,
and/or logos (factual) appeals- as appropriate
9. Title reflects issue and ethics
10. Uses only third person pronouns (all first and second person
pronouns have been removed)
11. If using current APA format, contains properly formatted,
title, abstract, and references page
If using current MLA format, contains a properly formatted
Works Cited page
If using current Turabian format, contains a properly formatted
title page and bibliography page
12. Double spaced; 12-point Times New Roman font
13. Uses signal phrases and appropriate transitions
14. References/Works Cited/ Bibliography page includes all
sources cited within the body of the essay
15. Checked spelling, grammar/mechanics
Submitting the Assignment
When you are satisfied with the quality of your essay, submit in the course via the SafeAssign
link for grading. Do not forget to write your degree program and whether you are using current
MLA, APA, or Turabian in the “Submission Title” field when submitting your essay.
IMPORTANT: Fully cite all quotations, summaries, and paraphrases used within your essay, or
those excerpts will be regarded as plagiarism and will result in a “0” on your essay and possible
course failure.
Submit this assignment by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of Module/Week 5.
ESSAY 2 ETHICAL ESSAY GRADING RUBRIC
Criteria
Levels of Achievement
Content 70%
Advanced
Proficient
Developing
Not present
Development:
Introduction
13 to 15 points
Introduction compellingly
forecasts the topic and thesis.
Thesis has a strong argument
claim that addresses the topic
in connection to an ethical
principle.
9 to 12 points
Introduction needs to provide
a stronger gateway into the
topic and thesis. Thesis could
be stronger for an ethical
argument. The claim does not
clearly relate to an ethical
principle.
4 to 8 points
Introduction attempts but does
not provide a clear gateway into
the topic and thesis. Thesis
statement is present but it does
not make a claim that is relative
to an ethical principle.
0 to 3 points
Introduction does not
provide a gateway into
the topic and thesis.
Thesis statement is not
included.
Development:
Body
66 to 75 points
Major points are stated
clearly and well supported.
Integrates a total of at least 6
quotes, summaries, and/or
paraphrases from at least 3
credible sources. Supportive
information is strong and
addresses writing focus.
Content is persuasive and
comprehensive. Content and
purpose of the writing are
clear. Audience is clear and
appropriate for the topic.
Presents evidence of
common ground and
opposing arguments.
36 to 65 points
Major points are addressed,
but clarity of support is
limited. Integrates a total of at
least 4 quotes, summaries,
and/or paraphrases from at
least 2 sources. Supportive
information needs
strengthening or does not
address writing focus. Content
is somewhat persuasive or
comprehensive. Content is
inconsistent (lack of clear
purpose and/or clarity. May or
may not present evidence of
common ground and opposing
arguments.
6 to 35 points
Major points are unclear and/or
insufficiently supported.
Integrates a total of at least 2
quotes, summaries, and/or
paraphrases from outside
source(s). Supportive
information is missing. Content
is missing essentials. Content
has unsatisfactory purpose,
focus, and clarity. May or may
not present evidence of
common ground and opposing
arguments.
0 to 5 points
Major points missing. All
required outside source
information is missing.
Content is missing
essentials and does not
develop the argument.
Content has
unsatisfactory purpose,
focus, and clarity. Does
not present evidence of
opposing arguments.
Development:
Conclusion
13 to 15 points
Conclusion is a logical end
to the writing that includes a
restatement of the primary
claim and reinforces the
argument as a whole.
9 to 12 points
Conclusion is a logical end to
the writing that includes a
restatement of the primary
claim but does not reinforce
the argument completely.
4 to 8 points
Conclusion is trite or barely
serves its purpose of restating
the primary claim and
reinforcing the argument as a
whole.
0 to 3 points
Conclusion, if present,
fails to serve its purpose
of restating the primary
claim and reinforcing the
argument as a whole.
Structure 30%
Advanced
Proficient
Developing
Not present
Organization
and Structure
14 to 15 points
Writing is well-structured,
clear, and easy to follow.
Each paragraph is unified
and has a clear central idea.
Transitional wording is
present throughout the
writing.
11 to 13 points
Adequately organized with
some areas difficult to follow.
Most paragraphs have unity.
Better transitions are needed
to provide fluency of ideas.
6 to 10 points
Organization and structure
frequently detract from the
writer’s message. Most
paragraphs lack unity.
Transitions are missing.
0 to 5 points
Organization and
structure detract from the
writer’s message.
Paragraphs are not
unified. Transitions are
missing.
Grammar
and Diction
14 to 15 points
The writing reflects
grammatical, punctuation,
and spelling standards.
Language is accurate,
appropriate, and effective.
Writing’s tone is appropriate
and highly effective.
11 to 13 points
The writing contains some
grammatical, punctuation,
and/or spelling errors.
Language is occasionally
unclear, awkward, or
inappropriate. The writing’s
tone is generally appropriate
and moderately effective.
6 to 10 points
The writing contains many
grammatical, punctuation,
and/or spelling errors.
Language is occasionally
unclear, awkward, or
inappropriate. The writing’s
tone is generally appropriate
and moderately effective.
0 to 5 points
The writing contains
many grammatical,
punctuation, and/or
spelling errors. Language
use is largely inaccurate
or inappropriate. The
writing’s tone is
ineffective and/or
inappropriate.
Format:
MLA/APA/Turabian
and Paper
Requirements
14 to 15 points
Writing correctly follows
formatting guidelines. The
paper is 1,000–1,200 words.
At least 6 citations are
included. Parenthetical and
bibliographical source
citations are used correctly
and appropriately.
11 to 13 points
Writing follows most
formatting guidelines, but
some flaws are detected. The
paper is 1,000–1,200 words.
Parenthetical and
bibliographical source
citations are incorrectly
formatted or used.
6 to 10 points
Parenthetical and
bibliographical source citations
are included but have major
errors in documentation style
usage. The paper may or may
not meet the minimum word
requirement.
0 to 5 points
Writing lacks many
elements of correct
formatting. Parenthetical
and bibliographical
source citations and/or
references are not
provided. The paper may
or may not meet the
minimum word
requirement.
Human Responsibility for the Environment Essay Thesis/Outline
Part 1
Included below is the minimum that you must include in your thesis/outline; however, taking the
time to construct a complete and thorough outline will help you save time when you write your
actual essay.
(Minimum) Outline Requirements
Successful
Needs
Revision
Thesis Statement
We recognize that, as humans, our activities affect the surroundings.
Along with the intensifying awareness of how human activities leave
long-lasting impacts on our natural environment, we should become
conscious of the necessity to minimize the world's environmental
footprint. We can be more conscious by being resource-efficient,
reducing the generation of industrial wastes, farm chemicals, toxic
emissions, and encouraging afforestation.
Evidence:
1. The environment that surrounds us is a vital part of humanoid
survival. Therefore, human beings and corporate
organizations should strive to create a sustainable
environment by minimizing the surroundings' destruction and
pollution.
2
2. Research by Cheema and Javed indicated that "Most
organizations have adapted human resource practices that
encourage a green environment with a consideration of
minimal environmental pollution and destruction of the
environment." The escalating demand for CSR or Corporate
Social Responsibility results in applying management tools,
and green human resource management approaches. If
humans and corporations utilize these tools and approaches
appropriately, a green environment will be attained and
sustained.
3. Human beings should encourage proper disposal of waste and
utilize the recycling technique to create a conducive
environment free from non-biodegradable pollutants.
4. A study conducted by Bhatt et al. (2018) showed that
"millions of tons of solid wastes are produced as a result of
various household, agricultural, and industrial activities
around the globe every year, which if not managed and
disposed of properly, can create serious health and
environmental issues." According to their study, enormous
quantities of natural gas, oil, and coal are combusted daily to
generate electricity to run industrial, workplace, and domestic
appliances. The unmanaged or excessive utilization of fossil
fuel contributes massively to environmental contribution and
3
exerts pressure on the existing limited resources. These
researchers advocate for alternative and renewable sources of
energy and also seek to establish an amicable solution that
can be applied to manage wastes. They suggest applying
waste-to-energy technology to get rid of wastes and get clean,
renewable energy from liquid and solid waste materials,
leading to the creation of a conducive environment.
According to these authors, "waste-to-energy technologies
physically convert waste matter into more useful forms like
bioethanol, biobutanol, and syngas. Converting waste matter
through various processes such as combustion, pyrolysis,
gasification, or biological treatments." Additionally, the non-
biodegradable wastes such as plastics, metals, batteries,
rubbers, glass, and medical wastes should be recycled to
create a clean and conducive environment for the survival of
human beings and other living organisms.
5. Humans should strive to reduce the rate of deforestation as
well as minimize the use of farm chemicals.
We describe deforestation as the permanent removal of vegetation
cover to create space for other agricultural or grazing activities.
These are numerous adverse effects that arise as a result of
deforestation. For instance, deforestation leads to the accumulation of
excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leading to global warming.
4
Additionally, when forests become cleared for farming purposes, the
level of farm chemicals used will increase. The farm chemicals lead
to the destruction of the
environment since they kill both soil and aquatic living organisms.
People should be motivated to plant trees or perform afforestation
since trees "can provide food, medicine, and fuel" (Runyan &
D'Odorico, 2016). Besides, conserving forests creates a balance in the
ecosystem by regulating the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide
present in the atmosphere.
Opposing Argument
It is impossible to stop deforestation due to the rapidly increasing
population. People clear forests to find settlements and cultivate
to get food. Without adequate food, people are not able to survive.
Although deforestation is considered hazardous to the
environment, people must do it to enhance sustainability.
5
References
Bhatt, A. K., Bhatia, R. K., Thakur, S., Rana, N., Sharma, V., & Rathour, R. K. (2018). Fuel
from waste: a review of the scientific solution for waste management and environmental
conservation. In Prospects of Alternative Transportation Fuels (pp. 205-233). Springer,
Singapore.
Cheema, S., & Javed, F. (2017). The effects of corporate social responsibility toward green
human resource management: The mediating role of a sustainable environment. Cogent
Business & Management, 4(1), 1310012.
Runyan, C., & D'Odorico, P. (2016). Global deforestation. Cambridge University Press.
Human Responsibility for the Environment Essay Thesis/Outline
Part 1
Included below is the minimum that you must include in your thesis/outline; however, taking the
time to construct a complete and thorough outline will help you save time when you write your
actual essay.
(Minimum) Outline Requirements
Successful
Needs
Revision
Thesis Statement
We recognize that, as humans, our activities affect the surroundings.
Along with the intensifying awareness of how human activities leave
long-lasting impacts on our natural environment, we should become
conscious of the necessity to minimize the world's environmental
footprint. We can be more conscious by being resource-efficient,
reducing the generation of industrial wastes, farm chemicals, toxic
emissions, and encouraging afforestation.
Evidence:
1. The environment that surrounds us is a vital part of humanoid
survival. Therefore, human beings and corporate
organizations should strive to create a sustainable
environment by minimizing the surroundings' destruction and
pollution.
2
2. Research by Cheema and Javed indicated that "Most
organizations have adapted human resource practices that
encourage a green environment with a consideration of
minimal environmental pollution and destruction of the
environment." The escalating demand for CSR or Corporate
Social Responsibility results in applying management tools,
and green human resource management approaches. If
humans and corporations utilize these tools and approaches
appropriately, a green environment will be attained and
sustained.
3. Human beings should encourage proper disposal of waste and
utilize the recycling technique to create a conducive
environment free from non-biodegradable pollutants.
4. A study conducted by Bhatt et al. (2018) showed that
"millions of tons of solid wastes are produced as a result of
various household, agricultural, and industrial activities
around the globe every year, which if not managed and
disposed of properly, can create serious health and
environmental issues." According to their study, enormous
quantities of natural gas, oil, and coal are combusted daily to
generate electricity to run industrial, workplace, and domestic
appliances. The unmanaged or excessive utilization of fossil
fuel contributes massively to environmental contribution and
3
exerts pressure on the existing limited resources. These
researchers advocate for alternative and renewable sources of
energy and also seek to establish an amicable solution that
can be applied to manage wastes. They suggest applying
waste-to-energy technology to get rid of wastes and get clean,
renewable energy from liquid and solid waste materials,
leading to the creation of a conducive environment.
According to these authors, "waste-to-energy technologies
physically convert waste matter into more useful forms like
bioethanol, biobutanol, and syngas. Converting waste matter
through various processes such as combustion, pyrolysis,
gasification, or biological treatments." Additionally, the non-
biodegradable wastes such as plastics, metals, batteries,
rubbers, glass, and medical wastes should be recycled to
create a clean and conducive environment for the survival of
human beings and other living organisms.
5. Humans should strive to reduce the rate of deforestation as
well as minimize the use of farm chemicals.
We describe deforestation as the permanent removal of vegetation
cover to create space for other agricultural or grazing activities.
These are numerous adverse effects that arise as a result of
deforestation. For instance, deforestation leads to the accumulation of
excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leading to global warming.
4
Additionally, when forests become cleared for farming purposes, the
level of farm chemicals used will increase. The farm chemicals lead
to the destruction of the
environment since they kill both soil and aquatic living organisms.
People should be motivated to plant trees or perform afforestation
since trees "can provide food, medicine, and fuel" (Runyan &
D'Odorico, 2016). Besides, conserving forests creates a balance in the
ecosystem by regulating the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide
present in the atmosphere.
Opposing Argument
It is impossible to stop deforestation due to the rapidly increasing
population. People clear forests to find settlements and cultivate
to get food. Without adequate food, people are not able to survive.
Although deforestation is considered hazardous to the
environment, people must do it to enhance sustainability.
5
References
Bhatt, A. K., Bhatia, R. K., Thakur, S., Rana, N., Sharma, V., & Rathour, R. K. (2018). Fuel
from waste: a review of the scientific solution for waste management and environmental
conservation. In Prospects of Alternative Transportation Fuels (pp. 205-233). Springer,
Singapore.
Cheema, S., & Javed, F. (2017). The effects of corporate social responsibility toward green
human resource management: The mediating role of a sustainable environment. Cogent
Business & Management, 4(1), 1310012.
Runyan, C., & D'Odorico, P. (2016). Global deforestation. Cambridge University Press.
1
Human Responsibility for the Environment
Name
Institution
Course
Instructor
Date
2
Introduction
For several millennia, the human race has been manipulating the natural resources
on Earth for their narcissistic benefits, with utter disdain for all other living beings.
Countries have literally built their economies on the lives of other living organisms. It is
high time that people realized that they do not hold so much leverage on natural
resources. Rather their lives depend on the resources thus failure to use them sparingly
and to avoid their pollution would slowly but surely reap devastating effects. The
conflicting ideas in this topic are whether natural resources are meant for humans alone
or how should they share the assets with other living organisms.
To justify the negligence, a few people often misquote the Bible’s message that
“Man has got authority over all other creation.” They do not realize that the verse
emphasizes man’s responsibility for the environment and not the opposite (Connell &
Bartholomew, 2019). This paper outlines the idea of environmental ethics, which
involves the ethical and legal connection between human beings and the natural
environment. However, it does not advocate for the limitation in which human beings
utilize natural resources. Instead, it implies that humans are not only the most intellectual
member of the biological community of several other living beings but also they must
value and uphold the moral significance of all the other beings in the ways outlined.
As simple as these values might sound initially, they are relatively complex, and
the majority of people end up lacking them in their practices, mostly because there are
few complexities to these ideas that they do not logically comprehend. This laid the
foundation for an ideology termed eco-philosophy, which is a collection of theories that
emphasize ecological balance. According to Naess (2015), an Eco-philosophy includes
3
all standards, laws, assumptions, objective statements, and observations about the state of
affairs in our environment.
The most significant things to look at are the principles that explain our moral
obligation to the environment by addressing what obligations do people have concerning
the ecosystem, why the responsibility is bestowed on them, how to execute the
obligation, and to whom do they owe the responsibility (Cochrane, 2006).To address
these queries, we ought to determine the normative status of various living beings in our
world. There are a variety of ideological beliefs in this regard. One philosophical
ideology that was traditionally very common was that of Anthropocentrism, which
essentially entails “human-centeredness” (Kawall, 2017). We recognize that only human
beings are intelligent enough to rationally focus on ethical problems, there-by concluding
that the explanation for the negligence of the environment is human-centeredness.
However, what motivates this level of selfishness is not immediately clear.
The first step towards the implementation of human responsibility is treating all
that the eco-system entails with respect. Assuming that all living beings have an equal
moral position in the world would imply that for instance, the aesthetic value of a flower
garden to man is no longer essential and that the survival of the weed that grows in the
garden is important as well. The person’s legal duty to protect the weed would be similar
to when a person values the habitat for the wild animal instead of only worrying about his
settlement land.
With the above ideological grounds in mind, one stands to reason that there are
several advantages to the economy in terms of technological growth, urbanization, and
industrialization, but it also eventually disrupts our eco-system. We create technology
4
and science to make our lives easier, but we do not believe it will destroy all that
surrounds us in the near future. Environmentally human behavior has many detrimental
impacts on the environment. The consequences of pollutants and emissions are
catastrophic in equal measure. It is very necessary to investigate the different forms of
pollution and the various measures of avoiding them.
Water contamination is one of the biggest issues. A range of domestic to
industrial refuse is being dumped directly into the water points and water catchment
areas. According to Velpandian, Halder, Nath, and Batta (2018), the global rate of daily
water pollution is approximately two million tons of sewage and industrial wastes
discharged into water sources. Water is also contaminated by inorganic fertilizers and
pesticides that are commonly used in Agriculture. Ironically, these chemicals are
responsible for the death of biotic organisms that promote crop development (Ouina,
Panoff, & Gonnety, 2017) and the subsequent cause of major lifestyle diseases such as
cancer. This is a clear representation of “self-centeredness” that leads to more harm than
good, yet it only takes human responsibility through measures such as the use of organic
farming techniques to avoid pollution. It is the government’s legal responsibility to not
only set pollution policies but also implement them to guide on the many alternatives to
waste management but most developing countries just do not have sufficient resources to
implement such up-to-date methods such as detoxification of pollutants before
discharging.
Air pollution is another environmental concern due to human negligence. The air
we breathe has been polluted by the unregulated emission of toxic vehicle and industrial
fumes. Burning hydrocarbon biomass emits toxic gases such as carbon monoxide. The
5
subject of hydrocarbon fuels is rather controversial because they have caused as much
environmental pollution as they have positively impacted the world’s economy.
Following its discovery on 27th August 1859, its use has increased rapidly to dominate all
the sectors, both manufacturing and service industries (Francisco, 2004). So beneficial
are its returns that the government policies are hesitant to limit its use despite there being
alternative sources of energy for the same roles.
For instance, it is important to appreciate the effort invested in the invention of
huge electric motors to replace the traditional vehicle internal combustion engines. It is
also worth noting that there has been a rapid preference for electric motors over
combustion engines in recent times. However, scholars such as Aldy, Kotchen, Evans,
and Palmer (2020) have analyzed that the use of hydrocarbon fuels will be with us for
quite some time. After all, its weekly global revenue of about $1.7 trillion is enough to
implement measures meant to curb all the other forms of pollution and still save some
more revenue for other purposes.
Conclusion
The phenomenal growth of technological development has had a detrimental
effect on the ecological condition of the eco-system. Operations in factories,
manufacturing plants, and the mining of natural resources contribute to severe
environmental issues, which call for drastic steps to be taken to rehabilitate and conserve
the environment. The impact of human destruction should not be overlooked. We should
relentlessly commit ourselves to the protection of the natural environment and to not let
“self-centeredness” claim the better part of our lives. As per philosophical
Anthropocentrism and common sense, the human civilization should be confident
6
technological progress will never disrupt the ecological equilibrium of the planet.
However, extremely beneficial pollutants such as hydrocarbon fuels could be utilized for
the benefit of economies but under controlled applications.
7
References
Aldy, J. E., Kotchen, M., Evans, M. F., Fowile, M., Levinson, A., & Palmer, K.
(2020).Co-Benefits and Regulatory Impact Analysis: Theory and Evidence from
Federal Air Quality Regulations (No. w27603). National Bureau of Economic
Research
Cochrane, A. (2006). Environmental ethics.Internet encyclopedia of philosophy
Connel, J., & Bartholomew, A. (2019).Healing All Creation: Genesis, the Gospel of
Mark, and The Story of the Universe.Rowman& Littlefield
Francisco, P. (2004). Oil Politics a modern History of Petroleum, IB Tauris
Kawall, J. (2017). A history of environmental ethics (p. 20). Oxford University Press
Naess, A. (2015). Ecology: The shallow and the deep. Cahn, MA & O’Brien, R. Thinking
About the Environment: Readings on Politics, Property and the Physical World.
Ouina, T. S., Panoff, J. M., Kouss&emon, M., &Gonnety, T. J. (2017). Effect of
pesticides and micro-organisms on earthworm Eiseniafetida (Savigny, 1826),
African Journal of Agricultural Research, 12(9), 706-715
Velpandian, T., Halder, N., Nath, M., Das, U., Moksha, L., Gowtham, L., &Batta, S. P.
(2018). Un0segregated waste disposal: an alarming threat of antimicrobials in
surface and groundwater sources in Delhi. Environmental Science and Pollution
Research, 25(29), 29518-29528.
