The Ethics of Everyday Decisions - Watering the Lawn

This is the continuation of a series encouraging an examination of everyday decisions from a moral standpoint. How do our everyday actions help or harm ourselves and others? Think about it. For those interested, there is a Scriptural insight relating to the everyday decision, from a Christian standpoint. I welcome responses from those who might be able to offer similar insights from the Koran or other sacred writings. Over the next few months, watch for postings on health decisions, work decisions, environmental decisions, relationship decisions, and...who knows what else?

This blog series is for the purpose of raising up the moral issues involved in everyday decision making. So what about living in a townhome development or in a municipality whose laws require lawns to be watered and cared for? Even in such a prescribed situation, there are ethical decisions to be made.

What are some of the conflicting values among which decisions have to be made?

1. Respect for the law
2. Protecting the scarce resource of water
3. Being fair to immediate neighbors
4. Being fair to neighbors living up or downstream in the watershed
5. Protecting shrinking city green spaces
6. Use of our own leisure time

While these are clearly not all the issues, you can see the dilemmas that present themselves. Ethics is about making informed choices based on the values you and others hold dear. As in this case, there are almost always conflicting values. Which is more important, the beauty of a city lot or the water supply of a municipality downstream? Which is right, obeying the law or protecting a natural resource? What are the tradeoffs? Can one use less water by mulching around the plants in the lawn, or changing the slope of the yard? How does that affect resources such as income which may be scarce enough to barely afford food? Does one simply accept a law, or get involved with the legislative process to change it to more closely align with one's values?

Neither the questions nor the answers are easy, but not asking and not trying to answer is simply unacceptable. Wrestle with these questions. Raise the issues in neighborhood meetings and e-mail or write your legislators.

The ethics of everyday decisions are just that - everyday decisions. Respond to this post with how you have made your decision.

Scriptural Insight: "I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees...Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun...Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." - Ecclesiastes 2:5,6,11; 12:13-14