"ECO-JUSTICE"

A Tribute To The Life Of Bill Gibson

I just received the sad news of Rev. Bill Gibson's passing. Through his profound writing,
correspondence, and those treasured times when we joined in leisurely conversations,
he became my friend and esteemed mentor. I can think of no better way I can pay him
tribute at this time than to make available, to anyone who might want to read it, the
following collection of excerpts from his book ECO-JUSTICE--THE UNFINISHED JOURNEY,
which I assembled some time ago to help people truly grasp the broad meaning of
"Eco-justice". Only the concluding simple example of eco-justice is my addition. Bill
was involved in early activity that gave definition to the eco-justice concept, and he
continued to be a defining writer, speaker, and advocate for its increasing
implementation throughout his life. I shall miss him. --Jack Twombly, SCE
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• "Eco-justice" means the well-being of all human kind on a thriving earth.
As a goal, it retains and reinforces all of the church's longstanding
commitment to justice in the social order, and it adds a major new insight
of our time: that justice to human beings is inseparable from right
relationships with and within the natural order. Eco-justice includes
social and economic justice and, by combining it with ecological
awareness and appreciation, profoundly affects the way it is to be
achieved. Eco-justice means justice to all of God's creation. "

• "Eco-justice does not mean merely another aspect of justice, so that now
we have to speak of social justice and eco-justice. The term eco-justice
retains the ancient claim upon human moral agents to build and nurture
responsible, equitable, compassionate relationships among humans in the
social order. And it incorporates the realization that has come like a
revelation to our own time, that human societies cannot flourish unless
natural systems flourish too. It affirms, moreover, that the non-human
realm is not merely instrumental to human well-being but intrinsically
value-laden in its own right . . . As for the intrinsic value not only of human
but of non-human beings, this is rooted, I find, in the biblical, Christian
understanding of God as Creator, the source, lover, ruler, sustainer, and
ultimate redeemer of all creatures, all that is."

• "The course is rocky, with enormous obstacles. They include not only the
short-sighted self-interest of the powerful but also the deep, pervasive
assumptions of our culture about progress and growth, the good life, and
the relationship of humankind with nature."
• "In the biblical story the God of justice, engaged in the work of deliverance
and liberation from bondage and oppression, is also the God of creation,
 who cares for all the creatures and engages in the work of protecting and
restoring the earth as well as the poor. This God entrusts the human
creatures with the privilege and the responsibility of participating in the
care of creation, beginning with the respectful use of creation for his or
her sufficient sustenance. The role of man and woman is that of trustee for
the Creator, the owner, who far from handing over to humans for
heedless exploitation, still reminds them, '. . . the world and all that is in it
is mine.'" (Psalm 50:12)

• "Far beyond any period in history, the present situation confronts

humankind with the earth as co-victim with the poor. Trusteeship has
been bungled and betrayed; modern civilization has entailed a violent
profligacy in the squandering of nature's riches. Sustainability becomes
the norm requiring our diligent protection and restoration of the natural
order, that it may be in good and fit condition for all God's creatures
throughout the generations still to come."

• "Eco-justice is the hoped-for, intended reality of a global society that

more nearly embodies enduring values that always give definition, I
believe, to human existence. But those values now become norms
formulated to give impetus and guidance to the transformation of present
reality. Living by the norms for our time we shall seek a sustainable
sufficiency for all. And that is eco-justice."
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A somewhat humble example of eco-justice
--Adapted from a Colorado Daily News Report, March 18, 2004
Three dairy farmers in Austria decided to combine forces and heat their
buildings with milk. The farmers were spending money to cool the milk that
came from the cows, and money to heat the farm offices, dairy and stable.
So they piped the quite-warm milk from the cows into a complex heat-exchange
system. "It's a way of storing the thermal energy before we use it to heat the
buildings--including the office, bathroom and corridors," says one of the
farmers. "In the summer, it means we have a constant supply of hot water."
The farmers estimate that they save about $350/month in heating costs, not
to mention fuel, pollution, and CO2 emissions reductions. So much for the
ecology justice gain. Then if they split the $350/month with their customers in
the form of lower prices, the business, the customers and the ecology all will
have won. That's a step forward for eco-justice.