LETTERS Environmental theology Dear Sir: ES&T should be congratulated for its timely focus on God. The editorial (November 1980, p. 1271) cleverly presented a short and interesting, objective, scientific,almost economic “on the one hand-on the other hand” type historic overview of “environmental theology.” If one is to theologize on this issue, dualistic objectivity (neutrality) is probably preferable to a battle (theomachy) between or among gods (technology, conventional economics, Jehova, science, Shiva, Darwin, the computer, etc.). Theocentricity is “surely” unacceptable and the temptation to blame Jesus or his father for desertification and various other ominous environmental trends must be resisted in the name of scientific objectivity and
responsibility. Federal governments, however, are often powerful enough to make their erroneous identification with God understandable, and their construction of our behavioral codes, irresponsibly desirable. One has come a long way indeed when creation of gods and acceptable morality becomes tempting and is found necessitated by environmental decay in the name of survival. True, late is often better than never, but there are reasons to caution against man-made morality and gods to satisfy demands arising from proliferating environmental obstacles to survival as progress continues. Against the relentless pressure of “the devil,” these efforts and gods tend to be inferior. Maybe ES& T would do its readers, the nation, and, in turn, the
world a great favor by feeding the readers’ hunger for survival with entropic wisdom. The laws of thermodynamics appear to be sufficiently pervasive, absolute, and relentless to save scientific man from himself by providing adequate incentive for his return to theocentricity. J. Rifkin’s recent publication with T. Howard might provide a useful guidance here. Please keep up the good work for the benefit of and as “A Guide for the Perplexed.”
R. Overby
Office of Environmental Affairs The World Bank Washington, D.C. 20433 These are the views of the author, not of the World Bank.
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128 Environmental Science & Technology
