The Danger and Wonder of Environmentalism
Oct 15th, 2007 by Micah Tillman | Start the Discussion |
You may have noticed that today is Blog Action Day. It’s a kind of nifty idea. Everyone blogs about the environment.
I have a few things to say about the environment too.
First, for some people, “environmentalism” becomes a value system I call “environism”: the belief that the environment is the most valuable thing in the universe.
Second, if the environment is the most valuable thing in the universe, and we can destroy or save it, then we become the co-most-valuable thing in the universe (in the same way that a singer with the best voice in the singing world becomes the most valuable singer because she has/controls the most valuable voice).
Third, this allows some people to feel important while criticizing anthropocentrists.
Fourth, environmentalism can be a great thing, so long as there is something more important in the universe than either ourselves or the environment. We need direction, and can’t get it either from ourselves or from something it’s possible for us to control (i.e., the environment).
Fifth, the “no impact” movement in environmentalism is a will to nothingness. It assumes that there is a difference between humans and other animals while denying that humans are any more important (which, when combined with environism, is self-contradictory). The point should be to make a positive impact.
Finally, if you study the structure of the Genesis Creation Story,you find that “having dominion” means guiding, bringing form to, and helping to grow (intellectually), modeled on God’s activity in the same Story.
