An ethics of biodiversity : Christianity, ecology, and the variety of life / Kevin J. O'Brien.

Life on earth is wildly diverse, but the future of that diversity is now in question. Through environmentally destructive farming practices, ever-expanding energy use, and the development and homogenization of land, human beings are responsible for unprecedented reductions in the variety of life for...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: O'Brien, Kevin J. (Kevin James), 1977-
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Washington, D.C. : Georgetown University Press, ©2010.
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Online Access:Click for online access
Description
Summary:Life on earth is wildly diverse, but the future of that diversity is now in question. Through environmentally destructive farming practices, ever-expanding energy use, and the development and homogenization of land, human beings are responsible for unprecedented reductions in the variety of life forms around us. Estimates suggest that species extinctions caused by humans occur at up to 1,000 times the natural rate, and that one of every twenty species on the planet could be eradicated by 2060. An Ethics of Biodiversity argues that these facts should inspire careful reflection and action in Christian churches, which must learn from earth's vast diversity in order to help conserve the natural and social diversity of our planet. Bringing scientific data into conversation with theological tradition, the book shows that biodiversity is a point of intersection between faith and ethics, social justice and environmentalism, science and politics, global problems and local solutions. An Ethics of Biodiversity offers a set of tools for students, environmentalists, and people of faith to think critically about how human beings can live with and as part of the variety of life in God's creation.
Physical Description:1 online resource (xi, 221 pages)
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references (pages 203-213) and index.
ISBN:9781589016644
1589016645
1589016459
9781589016453
Source of Description, Etc. Note:Print version record.