There are several factors which make us aware of the “crisis” in the relationship between man and the environment. A variety of issues affect the entire world. Globalisation continues making local problems into international ones.

Very few societies if any remain unaffected by major environmental problems. The world population is increasing and we are using energy in phenomenal proportions. There is air pollution, global warming, hazardous waste, smog, overpopulation and rain forest destruction. The increasing production of material wealth leads to exploitation of our resources sometimes with insufficient thought as to what will happen later. 

The Church indicates that these environmental problems have resulted because human beings have not respected that the earth was created by God and he has ultimate dominion over it. We are his instruments.

Our activities on earth are to fulfill his purpose for us and must be guided by the moral tenets set by God. The doctrine of the Catholic Church advises us that “the underlying cause of these problems can be seen in man's pretension of exercising unconditional dominion over things, heedless of any moral considerations which, on the contrary, must distinguish all human activity.”

The impact of technology has been so great, that it has made great changes to our approach to doing many things in modern times; the way we communicate is one excellent example. These successes have given us the confidence in our abilities to make alterations to the natural environment to suit our purposes.

However, the changes have been so profound, and many times have had an impact on the environment, whether it be radioactive waves, or less forest cover.  This movement sometimes has resulted in us sometimes pushing the environment to the limit, and our action being deemed “ill-considered”. 

“The tendency towards an ‘ill-considered’ exploitation of the resources of creation is the result of a long historical and cultural process. The modern era has witnessed man's growing capacity for transformative intervention.

The aspect of the conquest and exploitation of resources has become predominant and invasive, and today it has even reached the point of threatening the environment's hospitable aspect: the environment as ‘resource' risks threatening the environment as ‘home'.

Because of the powerful means of transformation offered by technological civilisation, it sometimes seems that the balance between man and the environment has reached a critical point.”

We have on many occasions acted as if we can do as we please with the earth’s natural resources, often without sufficient consideration for the replacement of the resources that we have used and the possible negative effects on the ecosystem.

Many times we are more concerned about our wants and comforts and not sufficiently about how the possible imbalances we are creating will affect future generations’ ability to sustain themselves. 

“Nature appears as an instrument in the hands of man, a reality that he must constantly manipulate, especially by means of technology. A reductionistic conception quickly spread, starting from the presupposition — which was seen to be erroneous — that an infinite quantity of energy and resources are available, that it is possible to renew them quickly, and that the negative effects of the exploitation of the natural order can be easily absorbed.

This reductionistic conception views the natural world in mechanistic terms and sees development in terms of consumerism. Primacy is given to doing and having rather than to being, and this causes serious forms of human alienation.”

“Such attitudes do not arise from scientific and technological research but from scientism and technocratic ideologies that tend to condition such research. The advances of science and technology do not eliminate the need for transcendence and are not of themselves the cause of the exasperated secularisation that leads to nihilism.

With the progress of science and technology, questions as to their meaning increase and give rise to an ever greater need to respect the transcendent dimension of the human person and creation itself.”

What we are being called to accept is that at the heart of ensuring that we preserve our environment and fulfill God’s purpose for us is an understanding that we are more than physical beings. We are spiritual beings with moral obligations and we have a purpose here. We do not just exist for the sake of existing.

Hence we have to move away from materialism and secularisation. We must not reject moral and spiritual values which will preserve the world and ourselves. If we forget these values we will eventually destroy the world and ourselves.  

Next week we look at the other end of the spectrum, idealising the environment above human needs. 

Persons interested in purchasing the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, can contact the Justice Desk, Archbishop’s House – 622-6680. Also on sale at the Justice Desk are the Take a Bite Social Justice Programme on DVD and the Responses to 101 Questions on Catholic Social Teaching.