Environmentalism as Hope

The rapidly growing popularity of "green" thinking is a striking example of how philosophy can save the world.

For all the growth and prosperity Western thought has brought humanity, one weakness within that tradition is the idea (originating in religion, unsurprisingly) that mankind has an inherent privilege, an absolute dominion over the environment.  Christianity teaches us that God created the Earth and all of its plants and animals for the pleasure of man.  As flattering as that thought might be, it has proven to be a reckless long-term strategy in the face of unprecedented growth in human populations.  This dominion theory, as it shall be henceforth referred, has brought our species to the brink of disaster.  It has covered our cities in a choking smog, it has disrupted the fragile ecosystems we depend upon, it has punched a hole in our very atmosphere.

Thankfully natural selection has gifted homo sapiens with an unwavering desire to continue breathing, and people have started to think rationally about the position of mankind in his habitat, over which we have very quickly found ourselves in great control.  This new thought transcends national borders, social class, and politics.  The mainstream is in a transition from the dominion theory to a stewardship theory.  Under this view, mankind has a duty, or at least an incentive, to take the role of steward over the planet.  Humanity must protect its environment from itself; it must do this, or it will cease to exist.  And this is not a happy thought.

The stewardship theory is undoubtedly the superior philosophy, if humans are to continue to thrive.  The rapid development of industry has allowed the species the increase its numbers exponentially in a short time span of a few centuries.  These industries, for all the good they do, are also capable of pulling the carpet from underneath themselves.  The carpet is our food supply; it is the air we breathe.  What is underneath us (all around us, in fact) is a lifeless vacuum.  With this new perspective, human beings can potentially maintain and even expand its numbers while creating a new sustainable equilibrium with their environment, just as they had done for thousands of years and as their ancestors had done for aeons.

It is unlikely that this new line of reasoning is a passing thought, a trend for the urban chic that will be replaced within the decade.  The stewardship theory is not just in line with buying trends; it is in line with the survival imperative that keeps organisms alive.  The green movement does not value environmentalism in itself, as many old school environmentalists are prone to do.  It recognizes that sustainable living is necessary if we are to continue to flourish as a culture and as a species.  The newly popular philosophy of stewardship may save Western civilization.