Le Duc - The Multiple Contexts of the Environmental Crisis

Introduction

Environmental disasters in various forms and degrees can be said to have always been a part of the natural processes that take place on earth. However, the environmental crisis in its present form is distinctly a part of what has been called the Age of the Anthropocene, or the Age of Humans. In this unofficial epoch of geologic time, humans’ ability to become a force of nature and be able to influence and change the processes in the natural environment has resulted in an escalating global environmental crisis threatening to undermine human progress achieved thus far in economic and social development, and causing future generations to inherit and leaves the next generation with an earth stripped of its power and vigor. The issue has grown into a dilemma that cannot be confined to a single or even a few sectors of society or that can be adequately addressed simply by politicians or scientific experts. The global consensus is that an effective solution to ecological concerns requires an interdisciplinary, dialectical, and dialogical approach enlisting the collaborative minds a diverse contingent of individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions. Among the tasks to be done include applying scientific and technological know-how to social, economic and legal policies, all of which must be undergirded by political will, ethical awareness, and religious and personal commitment to act on behalf of the environment. This paper examines the multi-dimensional environmental challenges in the modern world. Some of the presentation will reflect the way that the environmental crisis is understood and portrayed by mainstream political, social, and religious institutions in their understanding of the crisis – especially in the various ways that the crisis impact human flourishing and social stability. I will not depart from this rather “anthropocentric” way of presenting the crisis here. However, I hope that as we delve deeper into environmental crisis to understand the various dimensions, we begin to see the problem in new light beyond the parameters of social, political and economic indicators.