Page 31 - Annales EH 1998-2018

Of course, all of this talk about our “homes” is not really about the buildings in which
we live. Rather, the actual topic is the larger environment — the ecological land-
scape of the planet we all call our home, whatever our nationality or religion. Our
destiny as living beings is connected with the destiny of our planetary environment. If
we are to create a future where all humans have their basic needs taken care of —
indeed, if we are to have a future at all — then we must also take care of the basic
needs of our planet.

So, what’s the problem — why is there conflict between humanism and environmen-
talism? The problem is that, because humanism is a philosophy concerned with hu-
man needs and human interests, it is possible for a human to overlook how meeting
immediate needs and interests negatively impact the local environment and the
planet generally. As Michael Werner writes:

“Humanism maintains that all our values including environmental ones come
from human needs and concerns and this warns us that we are always biased
toward self-interest.”

A number of the essays address this paradox, attempting to find some balance be-
tween immediate human self-interest and long-range needs for the species as an
abstract whole.

It’s not an easy balance to maintain, but the authors display real sensitivity to the
potential for bias in their arguments. As a result, instead of trying to provide the
reader with hard-and-fast answers, they offer insights and possible perspectives
which will allow readers to form their own conclusions.

The humanist movement can have a great deal to offer when it comes to environ-
mental concerns. Generally committed to reason and science, it may provide an
alternative to some of the overreactions and hysteria which sometimes typifies both
sides in ecological debates. What characterizes humanism is not simply the concern
for human problems, but the commitment to finding human (which includes techno-
logical) solutions to those problems.

Humanists are thus in a position to make a positive contribution to solving the prob-
lems of ecological degradation — but that won’t happen unless and until they do
enough to educate themselves. It isn’t just a matter of education about environ-
mental problems, though. It also requires more education about why environmental
problems really matter. Our environment is our home and we need a home worth
living in. What are we doing to ensure that it will remain that way?

(Basis of this essay follow the last work of Marc CARL, notably "Speeches on Humanist
Ecology")