World Religion The Earth Charter And Sustainability Essay

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In her article, “World Religions, the Earth Charter, and Sustainability,” Mary Evelyn Tucker argues that there is a need to redefine sustainable development to include the efforts of poverty alleviation with environmental protection. Current definitions of success are synonymous with economic growth, despite its detrimental effects on the environment. As the developing world struggles to keep up with the industrialization of developed countries, the environmental crisis has worsened. The concept of progress should be improved to include not only financial success, but also environmental health and social well-being. The perceived success of a country looks at economic factors alone and does not take into account the balance of other aspects of society, such as the happiness of the very people that inhabit the country. Human well being requires many more factors other than economic profit, humans require spiritual well being and happiness. In order for a society to be balanced, progress must include economic profit, environmental health, social well being, spiritual well being, physical well being, and happiness working in unison towards the same goal. The role of religion in the effort to broaden the idea of sustainable development is manifested in the integration of the principles of the Earth Charter with the virtues for human-Earth flourishing of the world’s religions.

Within the religious realm, there has been a drastic increase of its involvement within the field of ecology. In regards to academia, some universities are offering programs that join the studies of religion and ecology, encouraging the participation of religious values in a previously predominantly science and policy oriented subject. Furthermore, religio...

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...loited and damaged even further. The religious response to social economic and justice is concerned with moderation in personal behaviour as well as the accumulation and use of resources. Furthermore, religious virtues encourage alleviation of the suffering of impoverished people through charitable donations and the elimination of social inequality. Finally, in regards to democracy, nonviolence, and peace, religions specify that democracy must contain a fundamental sense of responsibility to a flourishing planetary future as well as encourage the renewal of inner and outer peace, both human and nonhuman. (Tucker,125-127) In conclusion, the union of the Earth Charter and religious values has the capacity to impact “long-term policies, programs, and practices for a planetary that is not only ethically sustainable, but also sustaining for human energies” (Tucker, 127).