Self Interest and Environmental Justice
October 22, 2008
At a conference I attended recently, the speaker mentioned that she was confused by the current interest in environmental issues as justice issues. In her view caring for the environment, although a good thing, is merely enlightened self-interest. We care for the environment because we care about our own survival. Mess this place up, use up all our resources, and we have a problem. If we want to ensure a decent, comfortable existence, we take care of the world around us. It’s as simple as that.
I chuckled at the simplicity of her equation, but failed to see the reality behind her words. Just because something is obviously and unequivocally good for us doesn’t mean that most people will actually be moved to do it. Take healthy living as an example. Most people know that smoking is bad for them or that a diet of fried food, sugar, and red meat might not be the best thing for living a long life. But people still smoke and super-size it up in the drive-thru. Similarly, most people know that taking care of the earth is a good thing, but few of them even make time for baby step environmentalism like recycling. So enlightened self-interest isn’t exactly a motivating factor that works.
I think the recent popularity of seeing environmental issues as justice issues has developed because people need something outside of themselves to motivate them. Behaviorism and rewards can only work for so long before people get bored. If the carrot that is dangled before me is that my life will be improved (or safer) if I make the effort to care for creation, I can easily choose to opt out of that particular reward. If it’s all about me, then it’s only about me. But seeing environmental responsibility as a justice issue brings love into the equation.
If seeking justice involves loving God and loving others with every aspect of our lives, we then are pushed beyond ourselves into patterns of discipleship and worship. We can always choose to opt out of such things as well, but sacrificing our relationships with God and with others is a much harder step to take. So we need to understand that we love God by taking care of his creation and his children. We demonstrate that love by refusing to trash our oceans and preserving the food supply for communities around the world. We stop emitting toxic gases into the atmosphere that alter ecosystems in areas of the world where most people have never even driven a car. We push for the restriction of pesticide use for the sake of the farmer’s exposure to such poisons every day.
Caring for creation is just that – an act of compassion that is done for others. We aren’t buying into some trend just for the sake of saving our own butts, but because we care about the people God has commanded us to care for. In loving our neighbor, we are restoring our relationship with them. If that relationship so far has been based on destroying their ecosystem, then restoring that relationship means ending that destruction. Instead of being self-centered, it is about being other-centered in obedience to following and serving God.
In short, it is not about me.
Julie Clawson has spent the last few years helping plant an emerging church in the Chicago suburbs, but has recently re-established her roots in Austin, Tx. She is passionate about social justice, emerging Christianity, gender equality, and really good Tex-Mex food. Julie is currently working on a book about everyday justice issues. She blogs at julieclawson.com.
Comments
2 Responses to “Self Interest and Environmental Justice”
Got something to say?
I think the other reason that “enlightened self-interest” is often not enough to move people to act on environmental issues, is that it’s not easy to see the difference your contribution makes, especially for yourself. If I stop eating crappy food, and exercise a bit, I can see a noticeable change in my weight, giving me relatively quick gratification for my effort. That tangible result can be harder to see quickly in environmental action.
I couldn’t agree more that everyone needs to change their attitude about caring for creation. But, I’m afraid that there are people who feel that since God made these resources, we are supposed to use it by mining, polluting the air and water, and destroy forests and expanding housing and factories into good farm land and woods and forests, that all this and more is their God given right to do so. I feel that the only way to stop this is have fees put in place that making polluting a major economic deterement on the individuals and companies stop polluting the world, and using the money they are fined to put into place new and existing technologies that would reduce the these poluters think about cleaning up their acts. Thanks, Doug Lass