Humanist perspective: Environmental issues

Humanist perspectives There are no supernatural forces to help us. Human beings alone are responsible for solving our environmental problems. Evidence shows us how heavily our welfare is dependent on the environment and the continued existence of many other species. Contact with animals and the natural world can also contribute to human happiness. Science and technology may have contributed to the damage the environment has suffered, but they will also be necessary to find solutions to our environmental challenges. Empathy is important when deciding how to act towards others. We should extend this empathy to future generations and to other sentient animals. This is the one and only life and world we have. We should therefore make the most of it. But we must also support others to make the most of it too, and that includes future generations. Birth control can play an important role in reducing the demands human beings place on the environment.

Questions for discussion Does it matter if a species dies out? Why? Is it right to build a dam that will supply water to thousands of people, but will destroy the habitat of many plants and animals? Would it matter if human beings died out? Why? Which would be worse: if humans died out and other life forms survived, or if other life forms died out but humans survived? Is the natural world only valuable due to its use to human beings? How much would you be prepared to give up to prevent further damage to the environment? Should we be more concerned for the needs of people alive today or in the future? Do humanists give good reasons to take care of the environment? Do humanists believe human beings are more important than the rest of the natural world? Do religious or non-religious people have more reason to look after the world? How are you deciding your answers to these questions? What principles and arguments influence your answers? How is the humanist view on this issue similar or different to that of other worldviews you have come across?

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