Identifying and understanding the
values that drive decision-making
Justice and the Earth
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Traditional conception of value:
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the ability to satisfy human needs
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land is valuable for what it can produce - grazing, crops, medicine, food,
shelter
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Need to simplify to be able to comprehend:
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simplification aids extrapolation to new circumstances
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we are exposed to error when we use assumptions
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We develop images based on these values and needs:
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land for development, exploitation
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land for recreation, beauty
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images focus attention on limited range of values
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Is Wes Jackson's Land Institute/Buffalo Commons a distraction?
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what is the productivity of annual crops vs. perennials?
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how do consumers access a dispersed resource?
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We "know" that systems will not self-sustain as we want if we step aside:
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beauty will be degraded
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productivity and utility will drop
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We turn to "tools" to fix problems:
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e.g., genetic engineering of crops etc.
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e.g., paving and culverts to speed drainage
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The example of Darwin:
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a comprehensive theory explaining observed interactions
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is there an equivalent theory for ecosystem health/sustainability?
A "glittering grail?"
Modified: 15 November 1999, Brian Orland
