An Introduction to Integral Ecology
Our path forward to resolve our environmental crises
Pope Francis has proposed the term integral ecology in Laudato Si’ to refer to the path toward solving our environmental woes. Before we explore that path, we need to understand how Laudato Si’ views our ecological issues.
I will be very brief about the issues because most people already know them, and I want to spend more time on solutions. Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, a climate researcher at Texas Tech, says that polls show 70% of the US population is concerned about climate change – and 86% of young people. This cuts across cultural and ideological lines. Most people know there is a problem.
Laudato Si’ presents these broad ecological challenges:
Climate change from human-caused global heating
Pollution of air, water, and soil
Water quality and access to water
Loss of biodiversity
Declining quality of human life
Inequality between rich and poor
The last two deserve some explanation. Declining quality of human life refers to several related global trends, such as the toxic and unnatural environment we have created in our large urban areas. Catholic thought considers access to natural spaces a requirement for human flourishing, and this is missing for large portions of Earth’s population. Social inequality refers to the fact that the majority of the Earth’s population is poor, yet they suffer the most from environmental damage. Lack of resources such as land ownership, energy, and employment make environmental challenges worse for the poor. Rich nations have a moral obligation to address environmental threats such as pollution and over-consumption for the sake of poorer nations.
The key concept behind integral ecology is the word “integral.” The crises we face are integrated or inter-related. Laudato Si’ states, “we are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental.” (139) This means that our path to solutions must address both environmental and social aspects at the same time. Humanity has caused these problems through our decisions, and we must act as good stewards of God’s creation in resolving them. This is a simple yet powerful idea that underlies everything the Pope has written on this topic. This is not an idea that Pope Francis invented – it is fully grounded in sacred Scripture and in Catholic social doctrine. He is simply applying this body of wisdom to the challenges we face in our times.
In our current culture many of these topics are seen through a political lens. You may find some of these ideas challenging to the way you see the world – that’s OK. The foundations of Catholic social doctrine are thousands of years old, and some of the concepts do not fit easily into our post-modern world view. They take some getting used to. To some, the fact that this approach is “outdated” disqualifies it from consideration. To others, ideas like prioritizing the needs of the poor seem “socialist”. I encourage you to withhold judgment and consider these ideas with a fresh perspective.
Integral ecology proposes a framework to guide us on our way to solutions. This framework includes many ideas that we will explore in future articles: humanity’s place in the natural world, the importance of indigenous cultures, personal action, and national responsibilities. I hope you will join us and subscribe!