In one of those strange conversations on the golf course that I sometimes find myself, a Catholic friend and I were discussing how many of the seven deadly sins we have observed on various golf courses. While several were often observed, the main sin was against one of the ten commandments — taking the Lord’s name in vain.
But it made me think of how many of the seven deadly sins are encountered when we discuss environmental stewardship. I must admit that in my biased opinion, I see them mostly in the deniers and opponents of environmental regulations and policies.
To refresh the memories of my readers, the seven deadly, or cardinal, sins are generally listed as: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride. The most obvious is probably Greed. The profit motive is very strong in this country and often turns into Greed. Any regulations to protect the air, water and land, or the habitat of an endangered or threatened species, that might increase the costs of some business or reduce their profit are automatically opposed. Surely, under our system of economics profits are necessary or products are not produced, but when the top few percent of people own more than all the rest combined, Greed is the motive and the driving force of this disparity.
Wherever there is successful Greed, there follows Envy. There are few things that destroy our environment more quickly than crimes based on Envy of the haves by the have-nots. And when weapons of mass destruction are in the hands of the envious have-nots, then Wrath is in the center of the horrible images on our TV screens. Crime and environmental stewardship may not often share the same paragraph, but what kind of environment is it for human beings who are afraid to go out the door without a gun, when arson leaves ashes of our homes and jobs, and when so called white-collar crimes take from the poor what little savings they may have?
Sloth probably follows next. Is it too much work to recycle aluminum cans and plastic bottles which litter our roadsides, parks and public areas? Driving everywhere instead of walking or biking is often the easy way out. Isn’t it Sloth that keeps us from contacting our public officials urging them to do the right thing for the environment and social justice? (I was tempted to write “our environment,” but as so many have said, natural resources, air, water and land, open natural areas and crowded cities are not ours. We have just borrowed them from our children and future generations.)
Pride sits on the shoulders or consciences of both sides of the divide concerning the environment. Both are sure they are right and the other side just doesn’t understand. Global warming or climate change is an excellent example of this prideful disagreement. Is it a hoax, or are the data sufficient for any discussion? Is a coal miner’s job more or less important than a child’s asthma? Are oil company profits more or less important than an elderly couple dying of heat exhaustion?
One must always be careful not to mix up weather and climate, but this summer’s weather here in Southeast Wisconsin and around the world might finally convince some deniers. Is it the Environmental Protection Agency or the Environmental Polluters Agency? Does our Pride say it is all the fault of the government or are we ready to accept our own responsibilities?
As a scientist and a churchman, my friends know where I stand. And I am not alone.
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