Opinion
Ecological wisdom and science
by Tom Baugh
North Carolina Green Party

Ecological wisdom is a central pillar of everything it means to be Green. All else we do as a party circulates around this pillar. In the rough and tumble of realpolitik, of ballot access, national candidates, and stolen elections, we often forget our absolute reliance on ecological wisdom. In doing so we run the risk of 'sameness,' of becoming just like them, just like the 'Joneses' of the political party next door.

Ecological wisdom calls for us to realize that we are part and parcel of 'nature' and that we must live within this reality or we will not live at all. One would think that this would be self-evident. And yet, when I lecture to classes in biology and conduct workshops in biodiversity I frequently find myself having to remind students and participants that all life is possible only because we are a composite of a number of living things interacting with a living and nonliving environment. From the bacteria in our intestines to the air we breathe, we are members of systems that sustain us in our individual and our 'corporate' existence.

In terms of political parties, we Greens alone hold ecological wisdom to be central to life. Ecological wisdom may have roots in a number of historical and intuitive paradigms, but it is soundly supported by science and conversely denied by those who find science threatening to their belief systems. Common sense and intuitive thought tell us that if we are to maintain life in all its forms and manifestations we must be very careful in how we use the resources of Earth. Science proves this beyond any doubt. Although we are sometimes frustrated by the apparent slow plodding nature of the scientific process, it is this very care that science takes with the analysis of information that we must rely on.

We must be very careful, however, because science is often influenced by those who are in power. For example, the Bush Administration has demonstrated more opposition to science, especially the 'life sciences,' and is more inclined to use 'fuzzy science' to develop a failed national science policy, than any previous administration. Because of the potential for great wealth, even 'born again' presidential pretender George Bush was forced to include science in his 2004 State of the Union address.

The fact that the findings of science can be used to heal or destroy literally calls out to our party for the development of a science policy initiative. We must become involved in these issues or we will lose any relevance we might hope to have in shaping sustainable societies in which soil is replenished, economies are energy efficient, and in which we live in respect of the integrity of natural systems. Science is ubiquitous and, with technology, pervades the entirety of an increasing number of societies and cultures. We must be involved in its defense, its critique, its evolution, and its applications.

It is more than timely for the Green Party to develop science policy positions, to incorporate them into our political platforms, and to put them before the people. While we are conducting our seasonal rituals and celebrating the season this Earth Day 2006, let us remember that becoming firmly and deeply involved in the debate over science is not a matter of choice for the Green Party but a matter of necessity for the world and for the meaningful continuation of life on Earth.

Back to Spring 2006