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Fruitful Dominion:
A New Environmental Ethic
By David Rothbard and Craig Rucker
Then God blessed them, and God said to them,
"Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion
over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every
living thing that moves on the earth."
Genesis 1:28 (NKJV)
When it comes to
mankind's relationship to nature, the idea of "dominion," as expressed
in the opening chapter of the Book of Genesis, is for some people, one
of the most objectionable concepts imaginable. For them, human
dominion can never mean anything more than a license to wantonly
pollute and pillage the earth.
That is why professor Lynn White, in his famous article in
Science Magazine in 1967, largely blamed "orthodox Christian
arrogance toward nature" for our present "ecological crisis."
That is why Woodstock-era activist Tom Hayden, in his 1996 book,
The Lost Gospel of the Earth, maintained that the
anthropocentric values of the traditional Judeo-Christian model must
be rejected, and replaced with a rediscovery of pagan animism that
properly values and extols the needs of nature on an equal footing
with those of people.
And, that is why practically the entire contemporary environmental
movement, from "conservation biologists" to promoters of "sustainable
development," believe that the best thing people can do for nature is
to leave it alone, and therefore the fewer people on earth needing
food, clothing, houses, energy and water, the better.
Now to be fair, this perspective is somewhat understandable, given
that in past centuries, the idea of subduing the earth and having
dominion over it, meant hand-to-hand combat in a struggle to eke out a
bare existence, and survive against the plagues, pests, and
back-breaking labor of a harsh and unforgiving natural world. The
serfs of Europe, the tribesmen of Brazil, and the pioneers of America
simply didn't have the need, or the luxury, to worry about how their
"footprint" might be affecting the biosystem around them.
Back then, "dominion" meant just about everything that its
modern-day critics think that it means now.
But today, at a time when we can probe cells down to their specific
DNA, feed six billion people on land that used to feed only 400
million, fly 435 tons of steel across the sky in the form of a 747,
and instantaneously Google search more than 4 billion web pages
in the blink of an eye, at least half the people on earth are no
longer struggling for survival. And those that are, need not repeat
the clear-cutting, strip-mining, soot-bellowing practices of former
days, due to the great technological advances abounding around us.
So the question, at the start of the 21st Century, is
this: What principle should now guide our environmental ethic? Can
human dominion over nature ever lead to anything other than hostility,
degradation, and unsustainability? Do we need to embrace a more
earth-centric view if we are to preserve anything of the beauty and
health of the planet? In sum, does Genesis, chapter one, still have
anything to say to us in the year 2004?
Well the answer is yes, but not as it is often understood. If by
"dominion," what is meant is something more akin to "domineer" - that
is, to tyrannize, or rule over something in a harsh and arrogant way -
then, the time for that has passed.
If by dominion, however, we understand it more along the lines of
caring and compassionate direction - of a more mature leadership that
no longer needs to battle it out, hammer and tong, against the forces
of nature, but can work in a cooperative way for the benefit of people
and nature alike - then that is a completely different story.
Indeed, as the global community agonizes to find consensus around a
guiding principle that can provide and care for growing numbers of
people, while at the same time, preserving and enriching the natural
world around us, it is precisely what could be termed "fruitful
dominion" that is most needed at this time.
Yes, the Judeo-Christian ethic starts with the premise of dominion.
But, the first command given in Genesis 1:28 is a command to "Be
fruitful." And while in its context, this refers to physical
reproduction, there is a fuller sense of fruitfulness that likely
captures the entire essence of what this kind of dominion is all
about.
Productivity. Prosperity. Prolificacy. Not just for people, but
for all of the earth. These are just a few of the beneficent ideals
wrapped up in the notion of fruitfulness. They will only be achieved,
however, if we recognize and embrace the lofty position and
responsibility of each and every person on the planet.
This was quite well expressed in the Cornwall Declaration on
Environmental Stewardship, an ethical statement of belief put
forth by an interfaith council of clergy and theologians, not long
ago.
In recognizing that "moral necessity of ecological stewardship has
become increasingly clear," Cornwall seeks to clear up three common
misunderstandings that can impede a sound environmental ethic.
First, the document notes that "many people mistakenly view humans
as principally consumers and polluters, rather than producers and
stewards." This is important, because a right understanding allows
"growing affluence, technological innovation, and the application of
human and material capital" to improve the condition of all living
things.
Second, Cornwall addresses the misconception that "nature
knows best," or that "the earth, untouched by human hands is the
ideal." Here, the writers point out that humanity alone is capable of
developing resources and strategies that can "unlock the
potential... for all the earth's inhabitants," and therefore, embrace
beneficial human management of the earth.
Finally, Cornwall declares that while "some environmental
concerns are well founded and serious, others are without foundation,
or greatly exaggerated." This is of particular concern in developing
nations, where basic issues like "inadequate sanitation, widespread
use of primitive biomass fuels like wood and dung, and primitive
agricultural, industrial, and commercial practices" go largely
unaddressed, while more distant and theoretical issues receive the
lion's share of funding and attention.
This third issue is particularly troublesome, not only because
efforts to combat exaggerated risks can exacerbate problems of poverty
among those who can afford it the least, but also, because it
dangerously delays improvements in the environmental impact of
developing nations, which are forced to slog away at nature, much like
our ancestors did centuries ago.
In the end, an earth-centric perspective on environment and
development will benefit neither people, nor nature. However, a
principle of "fruitful dominion" will yield a great harvest for all
living things.
David Rothbard and Craig Rucker serve
respectively as President and Executive Director of the Committee For
A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), a Washington-based public-interest
organization that focuses on issues of environment and development.
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