Changes

[[David Gelernter]] wrote:

[[David Gelernter]] wrote:

*Passionate environmentalists reject the proposition that love of nature is ennobling because loving nature is good for human dignity and happiness. They flirt instead with a worldview in which human beings are a species on a par with every other, and nature is to be protected not because you damage other people’s happiness when you destroy it wantonly but because nature itself has rights to assert against man. The Smithsonian, for example, posted a label in its Museum of Natural History apologizing for a display in which “humans are treated as more important than other mammals."<ref>http://www.city-journal.org/html/6_4_the_immorality.html</ref>

*Passionate environmentalists reject the proposition that love of nature is ennobling because loving nature is good for human dignity and happiness. They flirt instead with a worldview in which human beings are a species on a par with every other, and nature is to be protected not because you damage other people's happiness when you destroy it wantonly but because nature itself has rights to assert against man. The [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]], for example, posted a label in its Museum of Natural History apologizing for a display in which “humans are treated as more important than other mammals."<ref>http://www.city-journal.org/html/6_4_the_immorality.html</ref>

==Forest fires and "saving" trees==

==Forest fires and "saving" trees==

In June 2007 residents of Lake Tahoe California were furious at environmentalists and the grip they hold on government regulators who refused to allow the clearing of dead trees.  1,300 homes sustained damage, and the newly homeless victims blamed the special interest environmentalists for their woes.  

In June 2007 residents of Lake Tahoe California were furious at environmentalists and the grip they hold on government regulators who refused to allow the clearing of dead trees.  1,300 homes sustained damage, and the newly homeless victims blamed the special interest environmentalists for their woes.  

The amount of fuel in the Tahoe Basin reached critical levels after years of discord among environmentalists and government agencies over how to thin forests and reduce the fire threat. And it has led to predictions of a devastating wildfire because the basin is one of the areas with the most fire starts in the Sierra Nevada.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-clearance26jun26,0,2914697.story?coll=la-home-center Crowd aims fury at regional panel], Land use agency is criticized for failing to allow adequate clearing of combustible materials. By Eric Bailey and J. Michael Kennedy, ''Los Angelas Times'', June 26, 2007.</ref>

The amount of fuel in the Tahoe Basin reached critical levels after years of discord among environmentalists and government agencies over how to thin forests and reduce the fire threat. And it has led to predictions of a devastating wildfire because the basin is one of the areas with the most fire starts in the Sierra Nevada.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-clearance26jun26,0,2914697.story?coll=la-home-center Crowd aims fury at regional panel], Land use agency is criticized for failing to allow adequate clearing of combustible materials. By Eric Bailey and J. Michael Kennedy, ''Los Angelas Times'', June 26, 2007.</ref>

==Vegans and animal rights==

==Vegans and animal rights==

Eden, the fall of man, the loss of grace, the coming doomsday---these are deeply held mythic structures. They are profoundly conservative religious beliefs. These are not facts that can be argued. These are issues of faith. Facts aren't necessary, because the tenets of environmentalism are all about belief. It's about whether you are going to be a sinner, or saved. Whether you are going to be one of the people on the side of salvation, or on the side of doom. Whether you are going to be one of us, or one of them.<ref>[[Michael Crichton]], [http://www.crichton-official.com/speeches/speeches_quote05.html Environmentalism as Religion]," Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, CA, September 15, 2003.</ref>}}

Eden, the fall of man, the loss of grace, the coming doomsday---these are deeply held mythic structures. They are profoundly conservative religious beliefs. These are not facts that can be argued. These are issues of faith. Facts aren't necessary, because the tenets of environmentalism are all about belief. It's about whether you are going to be a sinner, or saved. Whether you are going to be one of the people on the side of salvation, or on the side of doom. Whether you are going to be one of us, or one of them.<ref>[[Michael Crichton]], [http://www.crichton-official.com/speeches/speeches_quote05.html Environmentalism as Religion]," Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, CA, September 15, 2003.</ref>}}

Former U.S. Vice President [[Al Gore]] sees a "spiritual crisis" in [[global warming]].<ref>[http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA050607.01B.gore.35aecd4.html Gore sees 'spiritual crisis' in warming], Anton Caputo, ''San Antonio Express News'', 05/05/2007.</ref> He also believes that [[goddess]] worship is a better and more legitimate spiritual belief than [[Christianity]] and that the life of human beings is comparable to that of trees.<ref>http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45581</ref> British biologist James Lovelock <ref>*James Lovelock, [http://books.guardian.co.uk/extracts/story/0,,1738945,00.html ''Revenge of Gaia''],  Publisher: Allen Lane,  02/02/2006. ISBN13: 9780713999143</ref> first publicly explained the Gaia theory - that the earth as a whole is a living, conscious organism.<ref>[http://www.tcrnews2.com/gennewage.html Eco-spirituality, eco-feminism, global spirituality, ecological theology, creation spirituality, the new cosmology]</ref>  Rep. Helen Chenoweth (R-Idaho) has described this phenomenon as "environmental religion" and says that it has "profound constitutional implications" because of the First Amendment prohibition on government establishment of religion.<ref>Cliff Kincaid, [http://www.usasurvival.org/cultofgaia.html ''Al Gore, the United Nations, and the Cult of Gaia''], (1999).</ref>

Former U.S. Vice President [[Al Gore]] sees a "spiritual crisis" in [[global warming]].<ref>[http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA050607.01B.gore.35aecd4.html Gore sees 'spiritual crisis' in warming], Anton Caputo, ''San Antonio Express News'', 05/05/2007.</ref> He also believes that [[goddess]] worship is a better and more legitimate spiritual belief than [[Christianity]] and that the life of human beings is comparable to that of trees.<ref>http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45581</ref> British biologist James Lovelock <ref>*James Lovelock, [http://books.guardian.co.uk/extracts/story/0,,1738945,00.html ''Revenge of Gaia''],  Publisher: Allen Lane,  02/02/2006. ISBN13: 9780713999143</ref> first publicly explained the [[Gaia]] theory - that the earth as a whole is a living, conscious organism.<ref>[http://www.tcrnews2.com/gennewage.html Eco-spirituality, eco-feminism, global spirituality, ecological theology, creation spirituality, the new cosmology]</ref>  Rep. Helen Chenoweth (R-Idaho) has described this phenomenon as "environmental religion" and says that it has "profound constitutional implications" because of the First Amendment prohibition on government establishment of religion.<ref>Cliff Kincaid, [http://www.usasurvival.org/cultofgaia.html ''Al Gore, the United Nations, and the Cult of Gaia''], (1999).</ref>

[[Reid Bryson|Dr. Reid Bryson]], founding chairman of the department of meteorology at the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]] and of the Institute for Environmental Studies, now known as the [[Gaylord Nelson]] Institute for Environmental Studies and is known as the father of scientific climatology says of global warming:  

[[Reid Bryson|Dr. Reid Bryson]], founding chairman of the department of meteorology at the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]] and of the Institute for Environmental Studies, now known as the [[Gaylord Nelson]] Institute for Environmental Studies and is known as the father of scientific climatology says of global warming:  

[[Creation Ministries International]] points out:

[[Creation Ministries International]] points out:

{{Cquote|The reality is that nations and cultures with a Christian background have, on the whole, the best track records when it comes to issues like pollution, etc. Following the collapse of communism, the appalling environmental track record of these socialist ‘model states’, run on [[Atheism|atheistic]] assumptions, went on world display.<ref>[http://creation.com/earth-day-is-christianity-to-blame-for-environment-problems Earth Day: Is Christianity to blame for environment problems]</ref>}}  

{{Cquote|The reality is that nations and cultures with a Christian background have, on the whole, the best track records when it comes to issues like pollution, etc. Following the collapse of communism, the appalling environmental track record of these socialist ‘model states’, run on [[Atheism|atheistic]] assumptions, went on world display.<ref>[https://creation.com/earth-day-is-christianity-to-blame-for-environment-problems Earth Day: Is Christianity to blame for environment problems]</ref>}}  

However, other Christians interpret this as [[stewardship]], the belief that human beings are "caretakers" of the Earth.

However, other Christians interpret this as [[stewardship]], the belief that human beings are "caretakers" of the Earth.

== Deep Ecology ==

== Deep Ecology ==

Deep ecology is an environmental movement that rejects [[modern]] culture and seeks to include non-human life in the moral circle.  They find the cause of the current ecological crisis in the modern attitude towards the environment.  The theory can be defined as the following principles;

Deep ecology is an environmental movement that rejects [[modern]] culture and seeks to include non-human life in the moral circle.  They find the cause of the current ecological crisis in the modern attitude towards the environment.  The theory can be defined as the following principles;

1. The well-being and flourishing of human and non-human life on Earth have value in themselves. These values are independent of the usefulness of the non-human world for human purposes.  

# The well-being and flourishing of human and non-human life on Earth have value in themselves. These values are independent of the usefulness of the non-human world for human purposes.  

2. Richness and diversity of life forms contribute to the realization of these values and are also values in themselves.  

# Richness and diversity of life forms contribute to the realization of these values and are also values in themselves.  

3. Humans have no right to reduce this richness and diversity except to satisfy vital needs.  

# Humans have no right to reduce this richness and diversity except to satisfy vital needs.  

4. The flourishing of human life and cultures is compatible with a substantial decrease of the human population. The flourishing of non-human life requires such a decrease.  

# The flourishing of human life and cultures is compatible with a substantial decrease of the human population. The flourishing of non-human life requires such a decrease.  

5. Present human interference with the non-human world is excessive, and the situation is rapidly worsening.  

# Present human interference with the non-human world is excessive, and the situation is rapidly worsening.  

6. Policies must therefore be changed. The changes in policies affect basic economic, technological, and ideological structures. The resulting state of affairs will be deeply different from the present.  

# Policies must therefore be changed. The changes in policies affect basic economic, technological, and ideological structures. The resulting state of affairs will be deeply different from the present.  

7. The ideological change is mainly that of appreciating quality (dwelling in situations of inherent worth) rather than adhering to an increasingly higher standard of living. There will be a profound awareness of the difference between big and great.  

# The ideological change is mainly that of appreciating quality (dwelling in situations of inherent worth) rather than adhering to an increasingly higher standard of living. There will be a profound awareness of the difference between big and great.  

8. Those who subscribe to the foregoing points have an obligation directly or indirectly to participate in the attempt to implement the necessary changes.

# Those who subscribe to the foregoing points have an obligation directly or indirectly to participate in the attempt to implement the necessary changes.

Issues that arise from the practise of this theory is where one life form needs another life form as food.  Such an example may include humans needing to eat a cow, how would a deep ecologist jusitify this?

Issues that arise from the practice of this theory is where one life form needs another life form as food.  Such an example may include humans needing to eat a cow, how would a deep ecologist justify this?

== The Concept of Sustainability ==

== The Concept of Sustainability ==

==References==

==References==

{{Reflist}}

{{Reflist}}

For deep ecology see Environmental Ethics; A Guide. Hammerman and Gass 1993

For deep ecology see Environmental Ethics; A Guide. Hammerman and Gass 1993

[[Category:Political Terms]]

[[Category:Political Terms]]

[[Category:Environmentalism]]

[[Category:Environmentalism]]