Earth's Ecozoic Crisis

Not just faith-life, but the very “ecozoic” (ecological/zoological) basis of life on Earth is at risk of further radical collapses with the massive die-off of life, including human. The present political climate indicates a public awareness of wrong political direction and the need for change. Humankind in fact faces a global survival conundrum that demands much change in thinking and living.

The reality of this conundrum makes the case for understanding how faith consciousness and evolutionary consciousness relate critically to each other. Until now, not only do religions deny evolution, they deny the Earth-human crisis of ecozoic degradation. Male political supremacy and cultured male primacy in theological matters dominate culture and contribute to the radical exploitation of nature’s “sexual favors”, what can only be categorized as “religiously sanctioned prostitution”.

The assault on nature’s ecozoic system by human prolixity comes from two directions, from the widespread invasion, exploitation and pollution of global ecologies by human populations, and from “successes” in extending human life expectancy. The lengthening of life expectancy increases pressures on Earth resources, even as does reproductive prolixity. Whether humankind can succeed in softening its footprint and stop the desecration of ecozoic nature remains the question yet to be answered.

If present trends continue, that is, as to human excesses of exploitation and poisoning of web-life ecologies, the writing on the wall is clear, namely, that radical collapses of life and die-off of species, including humankind, will increase rather than decrease.

Hope-for-the-future demands a two-prong approach toward resolving this conundrum: first, reducing human consumption and pollution pressures, and, secondly, increasing human effort to restore and secure ecozoic balance and sustainability. The reduction of population pressures isn’t likely to happen unless and until human populations level off with what is naturally sustainable; what the sustainable capacity of ecozoic life is, depends on the condition of ecozoic life, whose degradation is becoming daily more desperate and problematic.

Churches cannot conscionably continue to deny evolution and their culpability in matters of public infidelity to Covenant. Faith is authentically understood only in context with ecozoic fidelity — “grace supposes nature”. The hard fact has to be faced: if humankind lacks the good sense and will to curb appetites and restrain population numbers, nature will do it! One way or the other, ready or not, it will happen — better to do in intentionally and non-violently than to challenge nature to do it her way.

Perhaps the tipping point is already reached so that greater natural violence will continue, and, that the best humans can do now is to mitigate the situation by changing their ways and restoring ecozoic balance in the environment as best they can.

The moral issue of the population conundrum has yet to be faced by people, by Church, by governments!