I must disagree with people who believe the earth is ours to strip and despoil. Though I agree that too many conservationists ignore human need while setting agendas for sand fleas and termites, sensible conservation is in our own best interests.
We do not own the earth. We cannot take anything in it with us when we die. We were taken from dust and will return to dust. We can’t strip and despoil the earth without harming ourselves and our children. We are caretakers, stewards, of the earth while we are alive, and are responsible for preserving and enhancing it. We enter this world naked and owning nothing and will leave it the same way.
Despite the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, many Republicans keep stridently demanding still more offshore oil drilling. Apparently, they’ve learned nothing. But I think the reality and the lesson are clear enough to the rest of us. Though I reject eco-terrorism, sensible conservation is in our own best interests.
This article appears in Nov 11-18, 2010.