Earth Ethics Index
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Ethics and Spiritual Values and the Promotion of Environmentally Sustainable Development. Articles by James Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank, Ismail Serageldin, Vice President for Environmentally Sustainable Development, Maurice F. Strong, Secretary General of the 1992 United National Conference on Environment and Development, and John A. Hoyt, President of CRLE. Excerpted from presentations to the World Bank/CRLE cosponsored conference.
Ethical Economics and Sustainable Development, by Denis Goulet. Raising four practical/ethical questions that must be answered by efforts to provide sustainable development Right Livelihoods: Chipko Movement, by Sunderlal Bahaguna and Jeremy Seabrook. Regeneration of traditional cultures is of the first importance to those concerned with alternative patterns of development. Efforts to rebuild sustainable livelihoods in areas threatened by deforestation in the Indo-Gangetic plain. Conference Recommends World Bank Puts Values on its Agenda, by the World Bank's Environmentally Sustainable Development News. Summarizes recommendations emerging from the World Bank-CRLE conference. Winter's Fog, by David Mas Masumoto. Beauty, struggle and connection fill this personal reflection of life on the farm. Rites of Ancient Ripening, poetry by Meridel LeSueur. |
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Awakening Academia , by Mary E. Clark. Likening current academic thinking to dwarves going into their own mines each day, U.S. academia is suffering from "a surfeit of specialized 'knowledge' and a dearth of wisdom and vision." Wakening these academic "slumbering giants" to the connections among our ecological, social, scientific and economic disciplines is essential to facing current challenge.
The Universe and the University, by Thomas Berry. CRLE cofounder Thomas Berry proposes that all academic disciplines need to reshape their language and world view to reflect the new vision of an interconnected and interdependent creation. Georgics Book II, 475-486 poetry by Virgil (70-19 BC) translated by Jean Barrett and Jonathan Spiegel. Principles of Sustainability in Higher Education by Second Nature and the Secretariat of University Presidents for a Sustainable Future. Excerpts from the draft report of the Workshop on Principles of Sustainability in Higher Education. A gathering held February 1995 under the auspices of the President's Council on Sustainable Development. The Ecological Transformation of Christian Traditions by James Nash. All of our religious traditions have contributed in some significant degree to the three fundamental failures at the root of the ecological crisis. Ecologically reformed faith traditions must probe deeply into their doctrinal themes to identify and advocate ecologically relevant values. Ecological Design by David Orr. "Good design" has certain common characteristics in all areas of our lives. Institutions of higher education need to apply these principles to all aspects of their institutional life. A Paradigm Shift in Academic Knowledge, by Richard M. Clugston. Fundamental assumptions that have organized the modern project are undergoing a revolution in paradigms. One very concrete example may be found in the American Institute of Architects' (AIA) sweeping ethical statement known as the "Hanover Principles." This document has formed the foundation of the "Declaration of Interdependence for a Sustainable Future" adopted by the AIA and the World Congress of the International Union of Architects. A Way of Looking by Stephanie Kaza. The touching story of a relationship with a tree and the hole left in the heart and in the universe by its passing. |
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The Challenge of a World Environmental Ethic, by J. Baird Callicott. Achieving one world view and a consistent univocal environmental ethic will require harmonization of the plurality of reviving and renewed bioregional perspective and ethics grounded in traditional wisdom.
The Ethic of Sustainability, by Stanley R. Euston and William E. Gibson. Enlightened self-interest is not an adequate basis for sustaining ourselves and our planet into a new century. Fundamental Ethical Principles from the World Conservation Union. Revisioning Environmentalism, by Robert Gottlieb. Environmentalism has failed to elaborate the crucial social connections. Such linkages are crucial for confronting today's social and ecological trends. Gabriel and the Water Shortage, a poem by Sharon Olds. Learning to Meet the Environmental Challenge, by Richard M. Clugston. A CRLE Report on efforts to "green" postmodern colleges and universities by CRLE and the Project on Ecology, Justice, and Faith. The Boy Who Lived with the Bears, by Joel Monture. A Mohawk Lesson Story. |
1995 |
Money, Ecology, and Spirituality: Toward a Holistic Framework for Social Development, by Richard M. Clugston. A report on the World Summit for Social Development.
Women's Vision of a Just Social Order, by Janet Hunt. Excerpts from a paper prepared for the Asian Regional Consultation on Sustainable Livelihoods. Report from Cairo, by the United States Department of State. Essentials from the State Department Report on the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development titles Bringing Cairo Home: Peace, Prosperity, and Democracy, Conference Discussion Guide. The Rites of Passage. A poem by Pattiann Rogers. Theological Perspectives on Population and Consumption, by Doug Hunt. An emerging global vision of sustainability grounded in the spirit of first peoples' wisdom calls us to new visions of liberation, equity, justice, and mutuality. Two Ways to Tiptoe, by Jean Berrett. Barry Lopez's Arctic Dreams provides a "guidebook to the immeasurable beauty and irrefutable worth of this planet" and contrasts sharply with the ultimate disconnection from our earthly roots and escape to the stars envisioned by author and astronomer Carl Sagan in his new book Pale Blue Dot. Principles of Sustainable Livelihoods. Principles, policy recommendations, and political, economic and socio-cultural priorities for sustainable livelihoods produced at The North American Regional Consultation on Sustainable Livelihoods. Case Studies On Sustainable Livelihoods, by Thomas J. Rogers. Six case studies illustrating creative response to crucial social and environmental problems presented at The North American Regional Consultation on Sustainable Livelihoods. |
1995 |
Eco-phobia, by David Sobel. Prematurely asking children to deal with problems beyond their control, argues Sobel, cuts them off from their unique sources of strength. Sobel proposes primary education that cultivates children's sense of connection to nature and their burgeoning imaginations.
Education for Earth Literacy, by Mary Evelyn Tucker. The author outlines important requirements for achieving an environmental ethic in higher education, including ending the separation of religion and science and of the sciences and the humanities, and encouraging and athropocosmic outlook. Campus Blueprint for a Sustainable Future. Several hundred faculty, student and staff delegates to the Campus Earth Summit at Yale University crafted this set of recommendations for colleges and universities worldwide to work toward an environmentally sustainable future. Greening Higher Education, by Rick Clugston. A discussion the emerging, deeply ecological paradigm on college campuses in four interconnected areas: the basic work of academic disciplines, the transformation of teaching and learning, a concern for campus administration and operations, and new forms of general education. In Search of Resonance, by Garth Baker-Fletcher. An essay on the author's experience of autochthonous knowledge, a form of knowledge that assumes that human beings have the ability to perceive the Earth's movements and vibrations. Some Nights, a poem by Michael Hettich.. |
1994 |
The Ethics of Genetic Engineering. The comments of Thomas Berry, Michael Fox, Dieter Hessel, Stephanie Kaza, and Robert Welborn, selected from a CRLE-sponsored symposium that explored the ethical ramifications of genetic engineering.
Sustainable Livelihoods: Redefining the Global Social Crisis, by David Korten. Korten proposes that solutions to the growing social crises need to be approached in terms of jobs: providing meaningful, productive activities that meet communities' real needs in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner. Saving Graces: Sojourns of a Backyard Biologist, by Roger Swain. An essay on memories provoked by horse-chestnuts. Red-tailed Hawks, a poem by W.D. Ehrhart. |
1994 |
Homeless in the Global Village, by Vandana Shiva. The author argues that traditional models of sustainable development measured by gross domestic products and per capita incomes inevitably uproot peoples from their ancestral lands and destroy the "economies" that sustained these lands. She argues for sustainable development that is instead based on enhancement of local cultures and on economies responsive to the ecology of local place.
The Crisis of Development, by Bruce Rich. Excerpted from the author's book Mortgaging the Earth, the author describes why conservation of ancient cultures is a "foundational act of freedom" for the present. [Or, how the most important elements of local knowledge are lost when attempts are made to generalize them to a global level.] A Pocketful of Stones, by David Sobel, and A Little Bird Named Wind, by Gemma Lockhart. A collection of childhood memories reprinted from Orion magazine. Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainable Development, by Richard M. Clugston. A summation of the "Speaking for the Earth" conference, with examples of initiatives in a range of indigenous communities that illustrate authentically sustainable development. Freda and the Ants, a poem by Myra Sklarew. |
1994 |
The Reenchantment of Art, By Suzi Gablik. Discusses the central role of the arts in creating the images and inspiration for an earth community.
"Seeing" Poems, by Robert Bly. With examples from poets such as Rilke, the true sight of art separates itself from the narcissism of popular culture. The Dead Seal Near McClure's Beach, by Robert Bly. Poem excerpted from News of the Universe. Nature Into Art Into Nature, by David Rothenberg. The role of art changing the wilderness into a stage. The Arts and the Earth: From EgoCentrism to EcoCentrism, by Richard M. Clugston and Larry Molinaro. Discussion of nature as the foundation beneath art. |
1994 |
Eco-psychology, by Theodore Roszak. Examines an emerging psychology that frees the human psyche as a particular mode of reflection of earth processes, interconnected psychically with all life, and that diagnoses and treats with the earth as context. Excerpted from the author's book Voice of the Earth.
Psychotherapy and Aesthetic Justice, by James Hillman. Examines the role of the Earth in maintaining psychological health. Environmental Influences, by Winifred Gallagher. Mental fatigue in urban settings successfully overcome with the restorative environment of nature. Walking, by Linda Hogan. An essay concerning the language of the Earth. The Deep Ecology of Human Development, by Richard M. Clugston. Provides insight on the ecology of the human psyche in relation to personal sacrifice and the health of the biosphere. A Dark Time, by Mary Southard. A meditation on modern humankind's winter season of natural consciousness. |
1993 |
Nature's Laws and Human Ethics, by Rosemary Radford Ruether. A leading writer in the ecofeminist movement offers her version of basic ecological principles and their implications for the ordering of human society. Excerpted from Gaia and God: An Ecofeminist Theology of Earth Healing.
Worldviews, Ethics, and Environment, by G. Tyler Miller, Jr. A discussion of three human-centered levels of environmental awareness, contrasted to a Sustainable Earth, life centered view, in which we recognize ourselves as just one particular strand in a web of life. Democratic Foundations for a World Ethic for Living Sustainably, by Steven Rockefeller. A discussion of the role of religion and democratic values in the development of a world ethic for sustainable development. Your Nature, a poem by Suzanne Swanson. Ecological Wisdom, by Richard Clugston. A discussion of the dimensions of the new ecological paradigm, in which nature is not a source of raw materials to be manipulated for human gain, but a source of wisdom to provide guidance for human suffering. The Way of Silence, by Joan Halifax. A Buddhist teacher and cultural ecologist explores the purpose and meaning of silence. |
1993 |
The Constitution and the Land, by Donald Worster. An environmental historian comments on the Constitution's lack of attention to the land out of which this nation's wealth arose, and suggests an important constitutional revision.
Land of the Free, Home of the Brave: Iroquois Democracy, by Oren Lyons. The author, speaker for the Onondaga nation, discusses the history and structure of the Grand Council of the Iroquois Indians, and calls for the recognition of the influence of the council on the form of government created by the U.S. Constitution. Deep Ecotourism, by Richard Clugston. A discussion of the notion of "responsible" or "eco" tourism, including both its constructive and destructive aspects. Transforming Tourism, by Tom Bender. Based on a visit to the Daitokuji Zen Temple in Kyoto, Japan, the author offers specific suggestions on how tourism can transform spiritual values and enhance the sacredness of place. Local Geographies, by Barry Lopez. An essay exploring how the author's conception of "local geography," evolved from his childhood to the present. |
1993 |
Dancing with Nature: An Emerging Ethic for Sustainable Agriculture, by Fred Kirschenmann. The author, president of the Organic Food Producers Association of North America and Farm Verified Organic, describes the ethics and practice of sustainable agriculture on his family's biodynamic wheat and cattle farm.
The Owl's Call, by Elizabeth Lawrence. Cultural and scientific roots of the "wise old owl" metaphor, and its relationship to the present-day battle to save the spotted owl. Some Questions You Might Ask, a poem by Mary Oliver. Of Land and Habitat, by Evelyn Martin. A discussion of the principles of sustainable land use planning, including examples of how those principles have been applied in several U.S. cities. Developing a Workable Earth Ethic, by Richard Clugston. Reflections on an ethic of life and environment, and the possible implications of that ethic for our relations with animals and nature. Listening for the First Smelt Run, by Kathleen Stocking. An essay on revisiting spawning fish in the author's childhood town. An Ethical Examination of the Killing of Whales, by David Wills. A discussion of why whaling needs to be examined from an ethical as well as a scientific perspective, excerpted from testimony given to the International Whaling Commission hearing in 1992. |
1993 |
The Ecology of Commerce, by Paul Hawken. The founder of Smith & Hawken catalog company explores the ethics and practices of ecologically-sensitive commerce and industry.
Agenda 21 is Blueprint for the Planet, by Bill Clinton. A discussion of the correlation between environmental health and economic health. Implementing the Business Charter for Sustainable Development, by Richard Clugston. Examples of how businesses are implementing the sixteen principles of the International Chamber of Commerce's charter, launched at the May 1992 ICC meeting in Rio. Developing Greed in a Contented Land, by Helena Norber-Hodge. An essay on the impact of Western development and capitalism on Ladakhi culture. The Shape of Night, by Chet Raymo. A reflection on the astronomy of night, excerpted from the author's book, The Soul of Night. Composting, a poem by Philip Dane Levin. |
1992 |
Population, Poverty, and Planet Earth, by Donella Meadows. The net primary productivity as a direct reflection of human overpopulation.
Deep Ecology and the Population Factor, by Arne Naess. The concept of carrying capacity and the need to include the importance of diversity and quality of life. Population Growth and the Status of Women, by Jonathan Adams. Women's role in population control. An End to Birth, by Gary Snyder. Viewing nature as organismic ecosystems in the face of the immediate threats of overpopulation and species extinction. CRLE Report: The Road from Rio, by Ashley Henry and Richard Clugston. The results of and follow-up to the Earth Summit. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. A text of the newest international statement of ethics followed by reader's comments. Anthropocentrism: The Original Sin, by J. Baird Callicott. A biblical interpretation of the beginning of anthropocentrism and the urge of Genesis to return to innocence and become immersed in nature. |
1992 |
Green Grace, by Jay McDaniel. Ecological spirituality as a binding force in the community is the key to a sustainable future.
Developing Sustainable Communities, by Richard Clugston. Ideas about what it means to live sustainably. EcoCommunities: The Re-Inventing of America, by John Cobb, Jr. Recognizing the social costs of growth and challenging this ideology must begin with EcoCommunities. On Ecoregional Boundaries, by David McCloskey. A proposal to redraw the political lines on the map and instead use authentic boundaries that are ecologically and culturally grounded. The Ecology of Magic, by David Abram. The author's personal account of his experiences in studying magic in Indonesia. To the Insects, by W. S. Merwin. Poetry. In a Chinese Landscape/The Whole Way, by Thomas Shane. Poetry. |
1992 |
What is Education For? by David Orr. A discussion about the myths that drive modern education and a presentation of a set of principles that might replace them in order to develop a stronger earth ethic.
Higher Education's Ecological Mission, by Richard Clugston. A list of critical steps that can be taken to refocus the academic mission towards a commitment to the earth. Environmental Ethics and the Land Professions, by Evelyn Martin. A description of the Land Ethics Program and its mission to teach environmental ethics in the land professions. The Rainbow Bridge, by Brooke Medicine Eagle. A teacher of Native American spirituality recounts her first vision quest. Earth Stewardship, by Eugene Odum. The parasite-host relationship of humans and the earth, and how ecological studies can s clues in maintaining a sustainable relationship. FONT> |
1992 |
The Primordial Imperative, by Thomas Berry. An international consensus on ethical guidelines to address global environmental and social justice issues must be grounded in truly universal principles.
Earth Ethics Report: A Turning Point, by Richard Clugston. An explanation of the elements of an earth ethic and sustainability in a time of great change. A Common Destiny. A call for action by representatives of indigenous groups to celebrate the Quincentennial by joining together to stop the destruction of the earth. The Voice from the Whirlwind, by Stephen Mitchell. A commentary and translation from "The Book of Job." What Happened During the Ice Storm, by Jim Heynen. A short story. |
1991 |
Economism or Planetism, by John B. Cobb, Jr. Discussion of the inherent tension between contemporary economic theory and the welfare of the planet.
The Joint Appeal in Religion and Science. A statement made by leaders of major American religious denominations in response to a request for the religious community to address the planetary environmental crisis. Putting Technology in its Natural Place, by Henry Mitchell. The need for renewed ties between people and nature in the age of technology. When a South Dakota Night Shuddered and Shone, by Linda Hasselstrom. A personal essay about watching the northern lights. The Earth Charter. A draft of the Charter for the 1992 UNCED written by the U.S. Citizen's Network Working Group on Ethics. |
1991 |
Re-Inhabiting the Earth: Genesis Farm, by Miriam Therese MacGillis. The connections between spirituality and global ecological issues.
Operational Principles for Sustainable Development, by Herman E. Daly. Guidelines for the criteria of sustainable use of renewable and non-renewable resources. Early Buddhist Views on Nature, by Chatsumarn Kabilsingh. Early sources of a nature ethic. To Mourn Their Passing, by Frederick Quinn. Essay on "A Roll Call of Species in Danger of Extinction" held at the National Cathedral. Ancient Wisdom: Plato's Living Cosmos, by Sara Ebenreck. Roots of the "Gaia" hypothesis in Plato's view of the universe as a living entity. |
1991 |
Healing Community: Restoring Creation, by Nancy C. Alexander. Support for local communities as a central value in an agenda for a sustainable future, and North vs. South in the 1992 UNCED.
How Much is `Enough'? by Alan Durning. Worldwatch Institute Senior Researcher calls for a simpler lifestyle, living by the criteria of sufficiency rather than that of "the hunger for more." The Wilderness Within, by Chris Madson. Essay on the spirit of man in relation to the wilderness. The World Charter for Nature. A reprint of central portions of the 1982 Charter. Parliament of the World's Religions, by Gerald O. Barney. A summary of the forthcoming 1993 conference. |
1991 |
A Pact with the Planet, by Stephen Jay Gould. The "golden rule" as a basis for an environmental ethic.
An Experience of Biosphere, by Tony Hiss. Using our imagination to understand our place in the universe. The Real Work, by Gary Snyder. Following the wrong track of values in our industrial-technological civilization. A Jewish Earth Ethic, by Ellen Bernstein. The basis of an environmental ethic in the Jewish tradition. Redefining "Progress," by Jose Lutzenberger. A critique of Western ideas of progress and development in an address to the International Meeting of Parliamentarians. Ethics in Action, by Patricia Cummings. The creation of the International Green Circle and declaring the Four Corners a sacred place. |
1990 |
Sustainable Development for the Earth Community, Discussion of the meaning and implications of sustainability.
Forum: Sustainable Development - A Sound Ethical Guideline? Eight organizational leaders, writers and thinkers voice their opinions. The Ecological Imperative, by Mikhail Gorbachev. Remarks on new ecological policies and ethic from address to the January 1990 Global Forum on Human Survival. Cosmic Homelessness: Some Environmental Implications, by John Haught. The human fundamental feeling of cosmic exile as the root of our environmental problems. |
1990 |
The Social Responsibility of Land Ownership, by Leonard Weber. Individual vs. community in land management decisions.
The Sun is Among Us, by Martha Heyneman. Creative essay. A New Set Of Values, by Lester Brown, Christopher Flavin, and Sandra Postel. New values needed for the transition to a sustainable world. Consciousness is the Hope of the World, by Vaclav Havel. A call for a change in human consciousness. |
1990 |
The End of Nature, by Bill McKibben. Human dominance over nature and our adaptations to the world we are changing.
Toward a Sustainable World, by William D. Ruckelshaus. Changes needed in values, policies, and institutions. Peace with God...With All Creation, by Pope John Paul II. Religious leadership for a new, socially just ecological ethic. The Dance of Herons, by Barry Holstun Lopez. Fiction, the bond between humankind and Earth. |
1990 |
The Shadow Our Future Throws, an interview with Ivan Illich by the editors of New Perspectives Quarterly about sustainable development and industrial growth.
Changing Our Minds, by Paul Erlich. The need for evolution in human's awareness of and relationship to the environment. The Road and the Wheel, by Wendell Berry. Two opposing views of man's relationship to nature and the environment. George Bush on Environmental Ethics. In his speech at the Sixth International Waterfowl Symposium, Bush outlines five principles of his administration's environmental ethic. |
1989 |
Thinking About Values, by Neil Sampson, Barbara Dean, Bryan Norton, and Mollie Beattie. Four editorial advisors speak out on the reasons why discussion about the values that affect our environment is so important.
Planetary Progress, by Thomas Berry. Progress with minimal regard for well-being of the life systems of the planet and the role that religious traditions play. Economics, Environment, and Community, by Herman Daly. Questioning the prevailing economic theories and envisioning an economics that is more supportive of a whole earth community. Protecting the Global Commons, by Gro Harlem Brundtland. Excerpts from the Norwegian Prime Minister's May 2 address at the Smithsonian Institution Symposium on Global Change. Thinking Like a Mountain,>, by Aldo Leopold. Essay on a personal experience in hunting. |
