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Sustainable Development Series:
Barriers to Achieving Sustainability
by Waterose
Please note the response to this paper by Carrie Lohrmann, which is reproduced below with her permission
It will be impossible to achieve sustainability unless the barriers are brought down. The barriers are old Christian value systems, motivation for maximum economic profit and the struggle to escape poverty with use of science and technology. These three barriers are inter-related and a change in fundamental value systems must occur in order for the other two barriers to come down.
The root of the problem is the old value system held by Christian beliefs that humankind is dominant over nature and "it is God’s will that man exploit nature for his proper ends" (Lynn, 1967). Furthermore, these old Christian values are the dominant axiom of the world today and underlie modern science and technology. The consequence of combining these exploitive values with modern science and technology is that humankind now can rape the planet of the resources provided by nature. Under this old value system, not only can humankind exploit these resources but it is God’s will. This old value system is a fundamental barrier to sustainability and must be replaced with a new ecophilosophy value system that cares for the natural world and honours the natural world as a holistic entity (Drengson, 1997).
The old Christian value system drives not only science and technology but also underlies the pursuit of economic profit. There are no limits placed on the amount of profit that an individual or an organisation wants to achieve in this world. The desire to obtain maximum profit in a short time is the barrier to sustainability. The natural earth provides the resources that are harvested for profit. The problem is that the rate of consumption of these natural resources is increasing due to more efficient technology and the natural systems of the earth cannot replace the resources consumed. In addition, this technology can have harmful effects on the environment. While it seems logical to develop new technology that is not harmful, this would reduce profit which is considered more valuable than preserving nature. It is necessary to place a higher value on sustainability than on profit to remove this barrier to achieving sustainability.
The pursuit of maximum profit in industrialised countries creates extreme poverty in third world countries. No country wants to be poor. The irony is that the only way the impoverished countries can rise above poverty is to adopt the science and technology of the industrialised countries. The problem with this is that ultimately non-sustainable economic development replaces sustainable development and damages the natural environment beyond the point of recovery (Anthony, 1997). This is the barrier to sustainability. It is magnified by the desire to increase productivity and enhance profits much higher than simply exceeding the poverty level.
This mentality is being spread world wide by the industrialised countries that have managed to pass on not only the technology and the desire for profits but the underlying Christian value system that humankind has the divine right to dominate nature. These three barriers must be brought down to achieve sustainability.
References:
Written for Royal Roads University ES301 Sustainability Lecture Series: From Theory to RealityAnthony, Earle. November 3, 1997. Lecture. "Perspectives on Sustainable Development." Royal Roads University. Victoria, BC.
Drengson, Alan R. 1997. "An Ecophilosophy Approach, the Deep Ecology Movement and Diverse Ecosophies." Trumpeter 14:3 Pp. 110-111.
White, Lynn Jr., 1967. "The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis." Science. Vol. 155: No. 3767. Pp. 1203-1207.
Commentary by Carrie Lohrmann, reproduced herein with her permission.
I completely agree that barriers to achieving sustainability are old Christian value systems, motivation for maximum economic profit and the struggle to escape poverty with use of science and technology. But please read on.
I believe holes in your summary are dangerous and can be unnecessarily offensive.
"This old [Christian] value system is a fundamental barrier to sustainability and must be replaced with a new ecophilosophy value system that cares for the natural world and honours the natural world as a holistic entity (Drengson, 1997)."
"The old Christian value system drives not only science and technology but also underlies the pursuit of economic profit."
A new value system can also be Christian in nature and this needs to be said - otherwise Christians get isolated and isolate themselves from the environmental/ecological movement. I know because I was raised in a conservative "environment doesn't matter," "capitalism is good" Christian church. I have since moved to a different Christian church that embraces theology that admits past interprative errors of dominance over nature and demands environmental responsibility, also does not see profit-driven capitalism as part of its identity and allows questioning of it. Implying that persons have to choose between Christianity and environmentalism unecessarily isolates Christians from and against the environment. One should not have to choose between them.
Reference: Jurgen Moltmann's "God in Creation." Jurgen Moltmann is one of the world's foremost theologians. He lives in Germany.
"This mentality is being spread world wide by the industrialised countries that have managed to pass on not only the technology and the desire for profits but the underlying Christian value system that humankind has the divine right to dominate nature. These three barriers must be brought down to achieve sustainability."
Here, you forget to say OLD Christian value system - very iomportant word. In the last sentence it sounds like you want to bring down Christianity. There are a lot of Christians in the world. Their theology has changed over the centuries and it can make this leap. Maybe you don't understand anything else about Christian history except for these negative impacts but there is a lot more to it than that. And, I believe it can develop a new theology while remaining Christian. Environmentalists who feel like they need to fight Christianity instead of reforming it are wasting time on an uphill battle and isolating people they could be educating.
As you can probably tell I am an environmentalist, anti-capitalist, somewhat anti-globalization Christian. We exist - so please be more careful to emphasize OLD Christian values and mention that new ones are developing instead of isolating more Christians from the environmental movement.
Thank You,
Carrie Lohrmann
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