The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis: A Summary

Paper by Lynn White, Jr.;Science, March 10 1967, Volume 155, Number 3767Presentation by Sean Surkan, UofA, ALES 204

The Problem

Humanity has hugely impacted its environment: Often negatively

Usually dramatically

The Causes

Western science has dominated the world through historic expansion of Western nations.

The Causes

Western science came from a worldview that advocated mastery over nature as being ordained by God.

The Solution?

St. Francis advocated a view that was closer to Eastern philosophy: Other elements of nature are of equal worth to mankind.

Not a widely accepted view.

In Conclusion

Without a fundamental change in worldview, humanity’s path of destruction will continue. Can we make it?

?

Image References (In order of appearance)

1. http://www.983flyfm.com/theflyfm/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/landfill.jpg

2. http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/oil_spill_on_fire.jpg3. http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/13/50/05/banau

e-rice-terraces.jpg4. http://www.fatih.edu.tr/~mguida/worldmap.gif5. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2944930455_025c6e77f8.jpg6. http://resources.mhs.vic.edu.au/macbeth/images/chain-of-being01.

gif7. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Zem495lD6yw/TAkK0m4tbmI/AAAAAAAA

AAM/-4GmK8oKvlA/s1600/Sr+Francis+of+assis.jpg8. http://www.canadatop.com/uploads/NYC,%20New%20York%20City,

%20Manhattan_1725.jpg9. http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2009/02/17/

mad3_52Wzg_17621.jpg