Toward eco-justice for all - Environmental Harm: An Eco-justice Perspective - page 139

and individuals be respected and that their rights be protected in
relation to environmental access and goods. It is 'anthropocentric' in
that it is human focused. However, unlike dominant anthropocentric
ideologies which basically justify present socio-economic arrangements,
environmental justice revolves around matters of human health and
wellbeing, and concepts of social justice. An animal welfare stance is
also anthropocentric in that it allows for instrumental use of animals
for humans albeit under strict conditions.
The ecological justice approach mirrors the concerns of biocentricism
to the extent that the main concern is with eco-system health and
matters of biodiversity. Humans are nonetheless central to the tasks of
conservation and preservation in that wilderness areas and ocean eco-
systems not only 'deserve' to be protected through concerted human
intervention, but in doing so some human population groups and
individuals may have to have their particular interests subordinated
to that of the greater good of the eco-system in question. Species
justice based upon an animal rights orientation likewise privileges the
interests of animals insofar as each species is seen to have substantial
worth or status simply by virtue of it being a living creature. There is
less of a place here for anthropocentrism, although the advocates and
protectors are, of course, humans. From the point of interests, welfare
needs and rights, animals are seen to be equally worthy of respect and
freedom from suffering.
An ecocentric philosophy is critical of those perspectives that see
all species as equal while simultaneously advocating policies and
practices that diminish the wellbeing of humans, or that give priority
to one aspect of the nonhuman (that is, environments, animals) over
others (including humans). In some respects the justice considerations
that flow from an ecocentric perspective are close to those of 'total
liberation' advocates, who wish to merge 'animal, earth, and human
liberation in a total liberation struggle against global capitalism and
domination of all kinds' (Best, quoted in Pellow, 2013: 337; see also Best
and Nocella II, 2006). A key aspect of this approach is not to reduce
matters to single-issue politics, but to highlight the importance of
pursuing social, ecological and species justice in tandem. This type of
thinking is also reflected in the moves toward 'critical environmental
justice studies' (Pellow and Brulle, 2005), and is of central importance
to the present work.
Obvious conflicts and tensions follow from specific conceptions of
justice. For example, within the animal rights framework, it is animals
that matter, but how, specifically? A radical animal rights perspective
privileges the intrinsic rights of animals to live regardless of conditions