Environmental degradation

Abstract

As the awareness of the environmental crisis has increased, numerous scholars, environmentalists and other vocal groups have stood to defend the environment. In the meantime, much of the onus of responsibility for the ecological crisis is placed by many upon the Judeo-Christian religion. This is evident from the writings of a well known figure as American Historian Lynn White. White's borne of contention is that modern science and technology rose and grew during the Middle Ages. Christianity with its doctrine of creation it inherited from Judaism, was spreading during the same period. That being the case, science and technology were tinctured with this Christian teachings of arrogance and dominion over nature. Therefore, Christianity bears the blame for the current ecological crisis. This study thus critically examines White's views on the Judeo-Christian religion. This is with a view to establish, whether or not the Judeo-Christian religion is responsible for the current ecological crisis. This constitutes the objective of the study. It was concluded that the Judeo-Christian religion is not the root cause of the current ecological crisis. This conclusion was contingent upon the understanding that, the current ecological crisis is a global problem and not restricted to areas dominated by Christianity. Next, the Judeo-Christian religion never created an atmosphere conducive for the development of science and technology among other reasons. It was established that, ignorance, greed, egoism and shortsightedness are the major causes of the current ecological crisis. All the aforementioned are social behaviors. So to curb the problem of environmental degradation, it was recommended that we need to change our behaviour towards the environment. It was hoped that, with the implementation of this recommendation, the rate at which the environment is being degraded will be brought to minimum.