Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
26.9.2
Ecological Integrity and Respect
for the Diversity of Life
The broad context for a sustaining and fl ourishing future from the Earth Charter is
preserving ecological health and integrity. Without such a basis for healthy ecosys-
tems there can be no long-term basis for the continuity of human life. It is expressed
succinctly in the Preamble as follows: “The resilience of the community of life and
the well-being of humanity depend upon preserving a healthy biosphere with all its
ecological systems, a rich variety of plants and animals, fertile soils, pure waters,
and clear air (Earth Charter).”
The response of the religious communities to this call for biological protection is
the principle of
respect
for the rich diversity of life and the ecosystems that support
life. Without such respect environmental exploitation will continue and we may irre-
versibly damage the ability of ecosystems to renew themselves. This is further spelled
out in the Charter as protecting and restoring Earth's ecosystems, preventing harm
through the precautionary principle, adopting effective patterns of production, con-
sumption and reproduction, and advancing the study of ecological sustainability.
26.9.3
Social and Economic Justice,
Restraint and Redistribution
The next section of the Charter highlights social and economic justice that are also
key concerns of the world's religions. The religious virtues of
restraint
in use of
resources, as well as
redistribution
of wealth through charitable means, comple-
ment the Charter's principles. All of the world's religions encourage moderation in
personal behavior as well as in the accumulation or use of material goods. In addi-
tion, the world's religions express a strong concern for the suffering of the poor and
for inequality between the wealthy and those in need. Charitable giving is valued as
a fundamental religious act.
The Charter calls for eradicating poverty, equitable development, gender fair-
ness, and non-discrimination regarding minorities and indigenous people. Thus jus-
tice is seen as balance of ecological, economic, and social factors. The term that
many of the religions are using to describe this is “eco-justice” where biological and
human health is seen as indispensable to one another. Indeed, preserving ecological
integrity and protecting social and economic justice will require an integrated
understanding of human-Earth relations.
In addition to restraint and redistribution, a broadened sense of ecological virtue
is required. Women who do so much unpaid work to sustain their families, espe-
cially in developing countries, need to be valued and respected. The same applies
for minorities and for indigenous peoples who have preserved valuable environmen-
tal knowledge in many parts of the world. While the religions still have a ways to go
in recognizing the dignity and value of women and the communities of indigenous
peoples, some progress is being made in this regard.
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