soil-conservation-people-religion-and-land.pdf - South West NRM

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The writer has elsewhere (Roberts, 1986) highlighted the manner in which our own religious base has stressed the Man/God and Man/Man relationships and neglected the Man/Nature (Creation) link to the detriment of our permanence on earth. It was thus heartening when in 1983 the National Soil Conservation Programme was launched, with one of its prime objectives that Australians adopt a land ethic. This reflected the writer's call in an invited lecture (Roberts, 1984) to the Australian National University entitled "Land Ethics - a necessary addition to Australian values". This concept draws on much of the sentiment of Routley (1975), Passmore (1974), Birch (1988) and Elliot (1978) who have written so eloquently on Man/Land relations in Australia. However, as Judith Wright points out we must fight not only for Nature but against our 's traditional values. Ethical and moral values suffer a real disadvantage in a world obsessed wit m P (1985) points out, comp only use "hard data" and ignores Hume's dictum that no ethical value can be derived from a factual premise, or in his words ''No ought from an is". It is after all, value judgements not objects, which make for quality of life in its true sense. Religion as a Contributor to Man/Land Relations The "exploitation moralityit of many cultures stems from an inborn confidence that Man is set in dominion over the earth and that the purpose of all the milk and honey produced by Nature is for his benefit. The boundaries of religion and philosophy are not clear to me, but I take comfort from Godfrey-Smith of the Australian National University who says 'When you find you. are not at all clear what you are talking about, or how you should continue - or even start - the chances 'are you have entered the realms of philos~phy~~ (Webb, 1985). Religion usually implies a spirituality and the presence of a deity of some kind, but emotion can of itself evoke a conviction of, and fervour for, Nature's intrinsic value. As Judith right says, "There is no stronger force than emotion ... For it is feeling that establishes values, and if we are ever to move from economic values to a reassertion of ecological values, our feelings and sympathies must be engaged first. It doesn't seem necessary for Nature to have been "createdt1 by a supernatural being for appreciation and respect for other living things to become a basic value of any society. Charles Birch and the American theologian Jay McDonald have made a radical proposal on our respect for the life of non-humans, which they believe vq... should refer to the integrity of the intrinsic value of each
and every individual creature and the integrity of the relations of each creature to its environment. In other words, we are to respect the life of kangaroos and whales, the relations they have with the environment that will preserve their intrinsic value, and also their instrumental value to other creatures. It is to respect all life in terms of its value to itself and to God, and its value to humans and other creature^^^ (Birch, 1986) . The writer has elsewhere humanitarian motivations premises on which various land ethic. noted that religious, ecological and (Cook, 1970) are all equally sound sectors of the society could adopt a Although St Francis of Assisi has been proposed as the patron saint of ecology (White, 1967), religious orders have no monopoly on land care. Thus Len Webb has re-defined the term "moralvw as "respect for all things livingmt. Respect for Nature often has no theological basis, and reverence for ecosystems often stems from wonder at purely biological phenomena. The ecology/theology nexus has been given special attention by Caldwell (1975) who gives the following overview: "In the theological or religious approach there are a number of different emphases. Lynn White (1967) suggests that we use St Francis as a model of respect for all life. Ecological ethics must not be based merely on the man-centred view that we endanger ourselves when we endanger the ecosphere but also on recognizing our obligation toward all life (Clarence, 1970). This theme of a reverence for life was also developed earlier by Albert Schweitzer, by the eminent theologian Paul Tillich (1955), and more recently by Paul Santmire (1970). Francis Schaef fer (1970) , however, disagrees strongly and sees our obligation to be toward God and man and not toward all life. Rene Dubos (1972) , Harold Schilling (1972) , and theologian Gabriel. Fackre (1971) suggest that our guide not be the passive conservation ethic of St Francis but the stewardship ethic of St Benedict, in which we use, guide, cultivate, and cooperate with nature in a wise, creative, and respectful manner ., - - Theologians such as Harvey Cox (1965) and Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1953) have attacked the false dichotomy that separates the "secular1f from the twsacredw. Instead of waiting for life after death, the ~hristian has the responsibility to express his concern for others by responsible involvement in the world. Again concern for our fellow man by involvement in the world requires that we protect and maintain the integrity of the ecosphere, which sustains all mankind.
Page 4: SOUL CObJSERVATION PEOPLE, RELIGION
Page 8 and 9: with " Generous sod", Dennis displa
Page 10 and 11: Stewardship - What Is It? Stewartls
Page 12 and 13: the earth's resources. However, it
Page 14 and 15: Certainly the earth and thus man, w
Page 16 and 17: That each Church set up a commissio
Page 18 and 19: LET THE RED VAN SPEAK In 1854 "the
Page 20 and 21: WHAT SHOULD WE TEACH What must the
Page 22 and 23: established a dualism of man and na
Page 24 and 25: R IBLIOGRAPHY Anonymous. 1985. Stat
Page 30: PREFACE : This paper has been writt
Page 33 and 34: vital supplies. The once-heroic pio
Page 35 and 36: to land use decision-making which t
Page 37 and 38: a approach for Australia. The dange
Page 39 and 40: As Ashby points out past experience
Page 41 and 42: exclusive right to use the land, ne
Page 43 and 44: matter. They certainly don't do tha
Page 45: a constraint on our freedom of acti
Page 49 and 50: Christians was noted. Both display
Page 51 and 52: Nature's Harmonies'. As David Lowen
Page 53 and 54: key phrases in Genesis are: "Have d
Page 55 and 56: Can Values and ~thics be Taught? Pl
Page 57 and 58: "The university's job may not be th
Page 59 and 60: coming generations. The list below
Page 61 and 62: National goals should change as pro
Page 63 and 64: indicators can continue to progress
Page 65 and 66: the problems of the present. It sho
Page 67 and 68: Cook, E. 1970. Environmental Ethics
Page 69: Santmire, H. P. 1970. Brother Earth
Page 73 and 74: --- - - - - - I. ORGANISATION AND I
Page 75 and 76: 7' - - F a - - present parties, hav
Page 77 and 78: 5. Res~onsibilitv of Faculties of A
Page 79 and 80: A -- 15. Role of Urban-Based conser
Page 81: FEDERAL STATE LOCAL EDUCATION l N C
Page 87 and 88: - - --< -- - I. ORGANISATION AND IN
Page 89 and 90: present parties, have failed to con
Page 91 and 92: Responsibilitv of Faculties of Agri
Page 93 and 94: 15. Role of Urban-Based Conservatio
Page 95: FEDERAL STATE LOCAL EXTENSION LANDH
Page 102 and 103:
government. In this way the long-st
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on a permanent basis. 8. -Role -- -
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%==. 10. Wider Use of Group Methods
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N0113V UOJ S31V3S3Lnlll QNV S13A31
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11. In Queensland, about 40% of nat
Page 118 and 119:
Earth Garden, May 1 986 speak or th
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combines very small holdings with s
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The stages of cultural and ecologic
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The role of trees in controlling so
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proportions,. - _ 6. We must bring-
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an Land Degrad By Brian Roberts The
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principles ror de~elopment In \uch
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Exposed clay subsoil following seve
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evide~~c-to indicate that this situ
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the field and the proportion of exi
Page 146 and 147:
A.I.A.S. Symp. 20/10/89 EFFECTIVE G
Page 148 and 149:
These figures exclude the contribut
Page 150 and 151:
these four requirements are met, th
Page 152 and 153:
the association of the group with a
Page 154 and 155:
A rational analysis should be made
Page 156:
REFERENCES Anonymous. (1978). Basis
Page 159 and 160:
APPENDIX 2 ELEMENTS OF A SHIRE LAND
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' I a -I how T'S NEW IN LAND C CTS
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and tresspassers, rather than as cr
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The Present Position . - - - ~r&e&t
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on Objectives - - -- - - ----=:I .
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APPENDIX 2 * 1. clear goals which a
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.A- 7. Planninq -- - -,sip - proble
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Brian Roberts, DDIAE 1989 Farm plan
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farm plan or major changes in physi
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Cover Story LAND STE ARDSH udes Tow
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individual's rights. No individual
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B R Roberts Darling Downs Institute
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attention at an early date. Advisor
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TABLE 1 1 LE AGRICULTURE 1. LAND CA
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th~should be ol t1[;11 c.onc-crn to
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which could form the cornerstone of
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CLEARING: WHO SHOULD DECIDE? Brian
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. Who has the knowledge and informa
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Range Monitoring Workshop Nat. S.C.
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Because most of the pastoral zone i
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FIGURE 1 iabifity ratings for Austr
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environment as distinct from the ef
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will be referred to later. It is de
Page 224 and 225:
~ield workers are agreed that the i
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consumed in good and poor seasons r
Page 228 and 229:
sufficiently to meet the criteria a
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Roberts, B. (1986). Proc. Sec. Int.
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The second reality is that in some
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choices of cultivation practices ar
Page 241 and 242:
For those roads that are parallel t
Page 243:
Role of Trees in the Property Plan
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