Ten Commandments of the Environment

Presented by Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, at a congress on the theme "Ethics and the Environment" at the European University of Rome in 2005. These ten principles of environmental ethics are drawn from the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. The Bishop was clear that these principles are not to be interpreted as replacing the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses.

Here is an abbreviated version:

1) The human being, created in God's image, is placed above all other earthly creatures of, which must be used and cared for in a responsible way.

2) Nature must not be reduced to an utilitarian object of manipulation, nor absolutized or placed above human dignity.

3) Ecological responsibility involves the entire planet in a common duty to respect a collective good, for present and future generations.

4) In dealing with environmental problems, ethics and human dignity should come before technology.

5) Nature is not a sacred or divine reality, removed from human intervention. Thus, human intervention that modifies some characteristics of living things is not wrong, as long as it respects their place in the ecosystem.

6) The politics of development must be coordinated with the politics of ecology, and every environmental cost in development projects must be weighed carefully.

7) Ending global poverty is related to the environmental question, remembering that the goods of the earth must be shared equitably.

8) The right to a safe and clean environment needs to be protected through international cooperation and accords.

9) Environmental protection requires a change in lifestyles that reflect moderation and self-control, on a personal and social level. That means moving away from the logic of consumerism.

10) Environmental issues also require a spiritual response and a greater awareness that the created world is a gift of God.