Biocentric individualism

Biocentric Individualism is a system of environmental ethics proposed by noted environmental ethicist Dr. Gary Varner. It is, in part, a revision of the mental state theory of individual welfare, asserting that there is a hierarchy of things of moral importance:

Ground project: Things that answer the question "Why is life worth living?" and consume a significant portion of an individual's life.
Non-biological interests: Interests that aren't as important as ground projects, but more important than mere biological needs.
Biological needs: The lowest classification of needs that are still worthy of moral consideration.