Environmental Controversies

Ever since man became a numerous species he has affected his environment notably. They have affected the earth and its environment in many ways. Some of that have had negative impacts on the environment. The Earth’s natural ecosystems are absolutely seen as a complex web of interconnected elements. The planet's ecosystems are interconnected too. Each individual organism is conceived of as a teleological center of life, pursuing its own benefit in its own way without paying much attention to other species. Taylor in his article argues that all organisms are unified systems of specific goals and activities directed at self-preservation. He indicated in his article that man needs to know that affecting one species of the environmental web would affect the others. Earth is supposed to be shared by all kinds on it. The human abuses the environment. Human dominates the earth which allows all ecosystems to be influenced by human activities. Through the activities human does to fulfill his benefits for the earth's resources have developed global climate change and losses among biological diversity.

Lynn White gives example in his article for that abusage. The banks of the lower Nile have been a human artifact rather than the swampy African jungle which nature, apart from man, would have made it. The Aswan Dam, flooding 5000 square miles. The advent of the automobile eliminated huge flocks of sparrows that once fed on the horse manure littering every street. When the first cannons were fired, in the early 14th century, they affected ecology by sending workers scrambling to the forests and mountains for more potash, sulfur, iron ore, and charcoal, with some resulting erosion and deforestation.

But in Lynn White’s opinion, that no one to blame for that abuse of nature except for religion. Judeo-Christian scripture brings forth the idea that God has granted for human the domination over the natural world “ Nature has no reason for existence save to serve man.”. Advances in technology including agriculture and the rapid increase in human population result in continuous negative impact and modifications on the natural environment. Although many people follow different religions but all of these religions are affected by Christian ties. It is Christianity that insisted that it is God’s will that human exploit the nature for his benefits which led to that end.

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