We face a compound ecological crisis. Rather than merely reacting to effects, we must examine root causes. One root cause is the dominant value system which operates according to an implicitly drawn circle of moral concern. The call for conventional economic growth implies it should take precedence over environmental issues because it will result in the most good. But we must ask: for whom? We must widen the circle of moral concern to include three groups that have been left out: marginalized people who are living without monetary wealth, future generations, and all nonhuman life. Widening this circle can be done by drawing on the insights of three current movements: the environmental justice movement, the youth climate movement, and the rights of nature movement. This talk will examine each, show how they interconnect, and make the case for a discipline of earth ethics that has the power to change the current value system into one that takes them into account, thereby safeguarding the long-term health of the whole community of life.
Join the event in-person or virtually. Click here to register for the online Zoom event.