Calvin B. DeWitt & David Kline

Calvin B. DeWittProfessor

Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies

University of Wisconsin-Madison

3/26/2009Calvin B. DeWitt - The FITCHBURG-WAUBESA ARTESIAN SYSTEM 6

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

Human activity is putting such strain on the natural functions of Earththat the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain future generationscan no longer be taken for granted.

---Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Board, 2005

Human activity is putting such strain on the natural functions of Earththat the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain future generationscan no longer be taken for granted.

...protection of these assets can no longer be seen as an optional extra, to be considered once more pressing concerns such as wealth creation or national security have been dealt with.

---Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Board, 2005

3/26/2009Calvin B. DeWitt - The FITCHBURG-WAUBESA ARTESIAN SYSTEM 16

Key to sustaining

Healthy Ecosystems is

Returning Ecosystem Services with Services of Our Own

“CON – SERVICE”

…and for continuing conversation at Plants & Soils ‘08

DIAGNOSIS

Praxis in the 21st Century

The Situation: Placement (conceptually) of the Human

Economy outside of the Economy of Creation

Globalization of the Human Economy Disruption of the Economy of Creation Globalization of the Degradation of Creation Disciplinary and Practical Fragmentation Secularization (Separation of Science from

Values)

The Science-Ethics-Praxis TriadThe Science-Ethics-Praxis Triad

Science

Ethics

Praxis

The Science-Ethics-Praxis TriadThe Science-Ethics-Praxis Triad Science How does the world work?

Ethics What ought to be?

Praxis

Then what must we do?

William Blake:

An Urgent Call to Action

Each particular problem could be enumerated, but here it is enough to say that we are gradually destroying the sustaining community of life on which all living things on Earth depend.

We agree that our home, the Earth, which comes to us as that inexpressibly beautiful and mysterious gift that sustains our very lives, is seriously imperiled by human behavior...

The costs of this destruction are already manifesting themselves around the world in profound and painful ways. The cost to humanity is already significant and may soon become incalculable. Being irreversible, many of these changes would affect all generations to come.

An Urgent Call to Action

We believe that the protection of life on Earth is a profound moral imperative.

It addresses without discrimination the interests of all humanity as well as the value of the non-human world.

It requires a new moral awakening to a compelling demand, clearly articulated in Scripture and supported by science, that we must steward the natural world in order to preserve for ourselves and future generations a beautiful, rich, and healthful environment.

For many of us, this is a religious obligation, rooted in our sense of gratitude for Creation and reverence for its Creator.

An Urgent Call to Action

We declare that every sector of our nation’s leadership—religious, scientific, business, political, and educational—must act now to work toward the fundamental change in values, lifestyles, and public policies required to address these worsening problems before it is too late.

There is no excuse for further delays.

Business as usual cannot continue yet one more day.

We pledge to work together at every level to lead our nation toward a responsible care for creation, and we call with one voice to our scientific and evangelical colleagues, and to all others, to join us in these efforts.

Setting the Conditions for

Societal & Biospheric

Health

Praxis in the 21st Century

The Need for: Placement of the Human Economy inside of Creation’s Economy

From “Fossil Fuels” to “Fossil Carbon”

Re-Ligation of Science,Ethics, & Praxis Need for Recovery from Secularization

Recovery from Disciplinary Fragmentation Need for Integrative Texbooks, Courses & Curricula

Recovery from Practical Fragmentation Personal, Institutional & Business Biospheric Worldview

Recovery of Integrity of Creation and “Creation” The Overarching Goal of Con-Service, everywhere

The Science-Ethics-Praxis TriadThe Science-Ethics-Praxis Triad Science How does the world work?

Ethics What ought to be?

Praxis

Then what must we do?

Con-Service We must return creation’s service to us with service of our own.

‘avad

An Overarching Ethical Principle

Stewardship is: Living in harmony with the Biosphere Giving back to the Biosphere for what it gives to you

Worldview is

a comprehensive & cohesive understanding of the world

as an entire system of things natural and moral

that gives shape and direction to human place and action in the world

—adapted from Schelling, Orr, Goheen and Bartholomew

Biosphere & Creation