Emily Rinaldi Wildlife & Fisheries Biology Spring 2013

1. The Syncretism of Utilizing the World, its Resources and Organisms:Conservation Biology vs. Interpretation of Religious Scripture Emily Rinaldi Wildlife & Fisheries Biology Spring 2013

2. “The cowman who cleans his range of wolves does not realize that he is taking over the wolf’s job of trimming the herd to fit the range. He has not learned to think like a mountain. Hence we have dustbowls, and rivers washing the future into the sea.” ~Aldo Leopold

3. “Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on earth… I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. And I will give you so many descendents that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted.” ~ Genesis 13: 15-16

4. Breakdown of Brief Genesis Quote • God’s plan • Humans have the power to rule over everything. • Result of this interpretation • Humans assume they can utilize Earth’s resources in complete favor of themselves.

5. Moral Syncretism • Consists of the attempt to reconcile contrasting or contradictory moral beliefs. • Often while blending the ethical practices of various schools of thought.

6. Fundmentalists

7. Fundamentalists (cont…) • Fundamentalism • Demand for a strict adherence to specific theological doctrines • Usually understood as a reaction against Modernist theology • Primarily to promote continuity and accuracy of a specific belief system • Includes a lot of political and economical values • See the scripture as giving the “okay” to use the planet to their advantage

8. Fundamentalists (cont…) • They illustrate the fear/ ignorance to accept nor initiate change • Throwing out evidence that goes against their plan/ what the book “states” • This cultural relativism is used to mask the effects of Western colonialism and imperialism • Not the end product of reasoning • A way for humans to feel they have status, possession, and importance

9. Conservationists

10. Conservationists (cont…) • Conservation biology is the interest in protecting the world’s resources, plants, and animals • Diversity • Habitat • Sustainability • Have seen the results of humans utilizing land and animals for their own benefit

11. An Exception • “If god is to blame, it’s for giving humans the freedom to make their own decisions. [however] the bible… teaches that humans are the ones responsible because they misused that freedom.” • Not all decisions humans make are harmful to the world’s community.

12. Extinction • In the last century, humans have been the main cause of vertebrate and invertebrate extinction. • Tend to run down habitat and species until there is almost no turning back. • Then humans have to work extremely hard to try to fix what they destroyed.

15. Conclusions • Humans are responsible for nature • Lack of environmental education being passed to the next generation • If readers read further in Genesis, they would find: • “The Lord God had sent no rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the soil… [after the creation of man]… The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.” ~ Genesis

17. “Your eyes will be opened… knowing both good and evil.” ~Genesis Questions?