Environmental Husbandry

A new way to care for the environment

Most of the environmental movement grows out of a belief in biological evolution. Since evolution teaches that there is no fundamental difference between humans and animals, that means that animal or environmental welfare often takes priority over human welfare. This is seen when communities are left to starve because they are not allowed to hunt traditional animals for food, or when first world nations deny cheap, available energy to third world nations out of a concern for climate change. This means that locals starve or die in hospitals because the power has to be turned off for 12 hours a day due to unpredictable “clean” energy.

Although lots of grief has been given to Christians over the past 150 years or so for the Biblical notion that God gave man dominion over the creatures and the environment, this responsibility actually gives humans foresight to be good stewards for future generations. Who cares for the land better than a farmer who wants his great-great grandchildren to farm the same land? Managing the environment in a way that puts human needs first ends up benefiting all of the environment. In fact, most of the destruction of the environment that resulted in regulations of the early 1900s and 1970s in the United States was due to the loss of Christian principles in the United States, rather than an outflow of it. Also here. And here.

There used to be a term which described the relationship of farmers to the care of their crops and animals on a particular piece of land; this was called “husbandry.” Although husbandry often applied to the care of animals and plants, it can also be applied to the principle of conservation, rather than preservation. A conservationist wants to steward resources so they will be available for future generations (conserve resources), while a preservationist wants to keep the environment the same (preserve resources). This is a fundamental difference in worldview on man’s relationship to the environment.

This planet is a household, and God originally put the grownups in charge. The environmental movement would prefer to be a deadbeat Dad who doesn’t want to engage while the kids trash the house. Rather than lead to the natural utopia of an environmentalist’s dreams, this causes further environmental destruction. As the saying goes, “All you have to do in order to grow weeds in your garden is nothing.” A proper understanding of the environment will manage nature in a way that puts human needs first.