EO Wilson: Reaction ~Holly Atkinson

E.O. Wilson’s book, The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth, is a necessary call to action for the environmental conflicts we face as a society, for people of faith and non-believers alike. He begins with a letter to a Baptist pastor, pointing out that, despite their differences, they can agree on a common respect for the Earth—God’s creation. This common ground between people at opposite ends of the spectrum suggests that anyone in between with a shred of common sense should feel the same way. The place that we call home provides life to us, and is obviously invaluable to our survival, and needs to be treated with respect. The Earth is resilient, yes, but there is a limit to the abuse she can sustain, a limit that we are quickly approaching.  

            Wilson then goes on to talk about species extinction, an alarming manifestation of our lack of environmental stewardship. Although genetic engineering technologies may advance to the point where we can preserve genes and later clone them, Wilson warns that this artificial strategy can never be implemented on a scale that would replace the biodiversity at the rate it is disappearing. The only way to reverse these effects is to preserve habitat now. This is an important point to make to those technological optimists who believe that technology can reverse the damage we have done to the natural environment. There is no practical way to emulate the complexity of natural ecosystems, a fact that needs to be understood by today’s society.

            Wilson says that we need to encourage enthusiasm for nature, and I could not agree more. Spending time in wilderness begets a spiritual connection to the Earth that is missed in urban life. I was lucky enough to grow up in the mountains and spent a lot of time outdoors as a child, which is why my passion for protecting the environment runs so deep. Wilson talks about ways to encourage students and children to love the Earth.   I agree that early exposure to nature is the first step to convincing people that the world needs saving, and that you can take steps to save it! Overall, I loved this book and found it very inspirational as I pursue my career in ecosystem restoration. Many of Wilson’s points echo views that I hold personally, and Wilson does a great job of presenting information in a way that is understandable and convincing to people of all religious and scientific persuasions.