From the Redwood Forest
By Joan Dunning
photos by Doug Thron
Chelsea Green, $24.95
Camping 200 feet up in the limbs of ancient redwoods, trespassing,
suing, sitting in, lobbying, praying, and defying pepper-spraying police, defenders of
Headwaters Forest have done it all in a 12-year battle to save this Northern California
ecosystem. To tell the story of these people and the trees, Joan Dunning spent months
roaming the woods and towns with photographer Doug Thron. She talked to dozens of
activists, loggers, farmers, lawyers, and naturalists, whose personal accounts she blends
with descriptions of the forest habitat, from its canopy "veiled in lichens"
down to the dark floor, where "mycorrhizal fungi reach their root-extending filaments
out of sight beneath the soil."
These descriptions are often tinged with an elegiac sense of what has been lost and
outrage at the greed that would exterminate species we hardly know. We don't even
understand the habits of the famous spotted owl, says Dunning, let alone the myriad other
biological mysteries in these groves.
Providing a useful rebuke to those who claim enviros care only for nature, Dunning
chronicles the human cost of industrial forestry: orchards and ranches flooded, houses
buried in mudslides, fishing ruined, jobs lost. Indeed, her celebration of the bond
between people and nature is the book's greatest strength. The ecosystem depends on the
courage of those who struggle to save what remains: 16-year-old Spring, her eyes scorched
with pepper spray during a peaceful protest; tree-sitter Butterfly, riding out violent
windstorms; and Thron himself, who secretly wanders the forest, evading corporate security
while photographing the beauty and destruction.
"They stand, in my mind, with the
majesty of old-growth redwoods," Dunning says. By telling their story she hopes to
inspire folks everywhere: "For each of us, regardless of where we live, there is a
river, a mountain range, a beach, a whale, a peregrine, a gnatcatcher that, if we merely
give our time as a witness to loss, will gradually unite the veins of its existence with
our own . . . will empower us when we speak out in defense of the powerless."
—Bob Schildgen
Yahweh's World
Ecology and the Jewish Spirit
Edited by Ellen Bernstein
Jewish Light, $23.95
The oft-repeated notion that disrespect for nature stems from
Judeo-Christian anthropocentrism is sharply challenged in this collection of fresh
insights by Jewish writers, educators, and rabbis. "One might even point out that the
unprecedented exploitation of the earth's resources of the past few hundred years
coincides with a real decrease in the power and influence of religion in public
life," argues Neal Joseph Loevenger in "Misreading Genesis."
Loevenger
suggests that critics exaggerate the influence of biblical exhortations to
"subdue" the earth because they forget that for many centuries the Bible was not
interpreted so literally, but with a quest for multiple levels of meaning. Numerous
readings of Scripture such as those of medieval Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides
demanded homage to God's creation rather than human domination of it.
Various authors explore this theme, demonstrating that the link between a reverence for
the land and Judaism is more profound than commonly realized, and that, in Bernstein's
words, "Judaism can provide a broad framework in which to address the moral issues of
modern environmentalists." In "A Blessing of Holiness," Rabbi Lawrence
Troster traces the concept of holiness, or kedushah, which he sees as a system of
blessings, back to reverence for the earth. "A Jewish environmental ethic," says
Troster, "must begin with a sense of active communion with all life."
In examining the Mishnah, Judaism's earliest codification of its oral law, Rabbi Larry
Freundel discovers elements of a complicated system of environmental ethics,
sensibilities, and controls that he contends "should become a part of every Jew's
knowledge and identity." Such readings are important steps toward uncovering
Judaism's long-hidden ecological message. To their credit, the authors do so in a manner
that can be appreciated by people from every school of thought and ethnicity.—Emily
Gilels
Shorttakes: Sunday Reading
Ecospirituality has many dimensions, as can be seen in the overviews of Max
Oelschlaeger (Caring for Creation), the cosmology of Thomas Berry (The Dream of the
Earth), the ecofeminist spirituality of Rosemary Ruether (Gaia & God), or the
liberation theology of Brazilian Leonardo Boff (Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor). For
yet other perspectives, see:
Caring for Creation: Responsible Stewardship of God's Handiwork by
Calvin B. DeWitt (Baker Books, $11.99). Evangelical Christians are often stereotyped as
fundamentalists for whom Charles Darwin is the anti-Christ. But evangelical environmental
studies professor DeWitt celebrates evolution, contending that it's a grievous sin to
spoil that magnificent work of the Creator.
We've become such spoilers, he warns, that
human activity is causing the sixth major extinction of species in the history of life
(the fifth took place 65 million years ago, well outside the fundamentalist time frame).
His fellow Christians are targets of harsh criticism: "Praising God, from whom all
blessings flow, they diminish and destroy God's creatures here below," DeWitt says,
reminding us that "God's command to Noah [was] perhaps the first endangered species
act on record."
The book includes brief essays by other evangelicals who dispute
DeWitt's strict construction of biblical ecology. But DeWitt's sermon is inspiring enough
to withstand the quibbles. After all, though evangelicals tend to interpret the Bible
literally, it's the most compelling preacher who wins over the flock.
The Timbered Choir by Wendell Berry (Counterpoint, $22). The idea of
a quiet Sabbath sounds quaint in an era when the day of rest is often consecrated to the
God of Economy with trips to hallowed malls. But Wendell Berry manages to spend the
Sabbath ecstatically doing nothing, a practice he says benefits both the environment and
the soul. The poems in this collection sum up 18 years' worth of Sabbaths in the woods and
fields, where Berry contemplates the miracles and mysteries of God, nature, and our place
in the cosmic choir. Finding wonder in "the blessed conviviality" of Creation,
Berry says the trees that "reclaim the land" are both preachers and cathedrals:
Slowly,
slowly, they return/To the small woodland let alone:/Great trees, outspreading and
upright,/Apostles of the living light.
From psalm to dark prophecy, from prayer to satire, there's a range of passion in these
simple verses, accessible even for folks who don't usually look to poetry for inspiration.
Beast and Saints by Helen Waddell (William B. Eerdmans, $12).
Animals that talk, emote, and express moral ideas are usually exiled to children's
literature, but there was a time when beasts were respected characters in spiritual
reading. Some ancient Christian saints had an astonishing rapport with wildlife, and
exemplary tales about them arose as early as the third century in Africa and the Middle
East.
The ability to love wildlife and commune with it was a revered manifestation of
sanctity among these hardy practitioners of desert solitaire and low-impact living.
Typical of the legends is that of St. Gerasimus, who removed a thorn from the paw of a
lion, which then "would not leave the old man, but followed after him wherever he
went . . . so that the old man marvelled at the gratitude of a wild beast." Another
saint "watched over the very reptiles and creatures of the earth," and would
warm a suffering animal in his armpit to help it recover "with all the healing art he
had." Such tales offer insight into an ancient religious spirit less burdened by
anthropocentrism. This welcome reprint includes the graceful original woodcuts by Robert
Giddings of animals once included in the communion of saints.
This Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, and the Environment by Roger
Gottlieb (Routledge, $27.99) is a provocative, ecumenical, and immensely useful collection
of essays ancient and modern. A solid introduction to eco-theology, it leads off with
essays from the canon of American nature writing and then goes through early Buddhist and
Hindu views to Judeo-Christian and Native American spirituality, on to environmental ideas
from Lao Tzu, Albert Schweitzer, and Black Elk, and finally to the Evangelical Lutheran
Church. "African Views of the Universe," "What Is Eco-Kosher?" and
"Gaia Meditations" are among the titles that jostle for attention with "The
Greening of Religion" and "Ecofeminism and Canon." There are even essays
with suggestions for environmental liturgies and a resource list of religion-based
environmental groups.—B.S.
Mythbuster: Back to the Landowners
Proponents of the "wise-use" agenda claim that American landowners live in
fear of environmentalists and government bureaucrats eager to restrict their property
rights. It turns out that most landowners are far more moderate. A recent survey of 1,729
farm, ranch, and forest owners throughout the United States by the farmland-conservation
lobbying group American Farmland Trust found that few property owners are unhappy with
government regulations.
The overwhelming majority-71 percent-say their property value has
not been reduced by government efforts to protect the environment. Most, in fact, favor
some government role in natural-resource conservation (from 70 to 95 percent, depending on
the issue). Three out of four reject the idea of compensating landowners when regulations
lower their property values, and nearly 60 percent favor zoning to protect farmland from
residential development.
Stop to chat with a farmer, and he probably won't rail against unseen "urban
elites" -unless they're land developers threatening to turn his way of life into a
suburban tract development. The survey found that most landowners are in favor of
"hybrid" programs that combine reasonable regulations with cost-sharing payments
to encourage good land stewardship. For more information, contact the American Farmland
Trust, 1920 N. St. N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036; (202) 659-5170; Web site
www.farmland.org.
New from Sierra Club Books
At the Cutting Edge: The Crisis in Canada's Forests by Elizabeth
May. An explosive report on how industry is destroying Canadian forests for short-term
profits.
Rachel Carson-The Writer at Work by Paul Brooks. A collection of
excerpts from published and unpublished work, and recollections from those who knew her.
Annapurna: A Woman's Place by Arlene Blum. The 20th-anniversary
edition of the best-selling account of the historic women's ascent of Nepal's Annapurna,
written by the expedition's leader.
Order these titles from the Sierra Club Store by
phone, (800) 935-1056, through our Web site, www.sierraclub.org/books, or by writing 85
Second St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105.
Order these titles from the Sierra Club Store by phone, (800) 935-1056, through our Web
site, www.sierraclub.org/books, or by writing 85
Second St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105.
VIDEOS: Clearcut Hell
Falling Giants
The Video Project, $29.95 (800) 4-PLANET
The fight for Headwaters Forest has come to symbolize the struggle between
activists determined to protect living ecosystems and timber giants set on
converting commodities into cold cash. But instead of exploiting the drama of
this often bitter conflict, filmmaker Bill Reifenberger lets the facts and
images-including activist Doug Thron's aerial shots of mountainsides clearcut by
Pacific Lumber-speak for themselves in this short but powerful documentary.
More than 96 percent of ancient redwood forest in Northern California has been
destroyed, yet the largest remaining redwood forest ecoystem is still under
attack. (See "Redwood Rabbis," page 62, for update.) Since
acquiring Pacific Lumber in a hostile takeover in 1986, Maxxam CEO Charles
Hurwitz transformed a sustainable-harvest leader into a clearcutting machine.
An NPR report tells us how Hurwitz liquidated Pacific Lumber's pension fund
and tripled its logging rate, attacking ancient groves "with an enthusiasm
that disturbed even former timber workers."
Pacific Lumber's Mary Bullwinkel tells us that her company balances logging and
environmental needs. But with one Headwaters redwood bringing in more than
$100,000 and Hurwitz still owing hundreds of millions from the buyout, the
chances of its balancing act favoring the forest are slim.
After seeing caravans of trucks loaded with giant logs, Thron was moved to
document the deforestation. "Pacific Lumber would say I'm trespassing," he says.
But his photos make it clear who the real criminal is. A defensive Bullwinkel
concedes, "You'll never sell a clearcut. But if you hold up a picture . . . 50
years later, and say, 'Remember that clearcut Doug Thron showed you? Well here's
that same place,' and you've got a beautiful forest growing back."
Which goes to show that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. "The replanting of
an ancient forest is a myth," Thron says. "What comes back . . . is nothing but
brush, scrub. There's no indication of any type of forest." And he's got the
pictures to prove it.
For information on the Sierra Club's Headwaters Forest campaign, contact the
California/Nevada/Hawaii field office at (415) 977-5730.—Liza Gross
God's Country
Keeping the Earth
Union of Concerned Scientists, $17.95; (617) 547-5552
Science and religion have traditionally pursued parallel paths in struggling to
decipher the mysteries of the universe. But growing concern about imminent
environmental disaster has precipitated a convergence, brought to life in this
engaging, thought-provoking documentary narrated by James Earl Jones and produced
by the Union of Concerned Scientists with the National Religious Partnership for
the Environment.
The perspectives of luminaries from both worlds are skillfully interwoven-each
segment opens with Scripture then segues into scientific and religious
explications of the topic-exhorting us to mend our wanton ways or risk an
apocalyptic fate of biblical proportions.
"Nature is God's textbook, God's gift to existence," says Jewish theologian Ismar
Schorsch. Destroying a species of Creation is like tearing a page out of
Scripture. Instead of protecting what we've been given, Jones chides with the
imperious voice of the deity, we're squandering it, at an ever-accelerating pace.
Images of human activity-miles-long traffic jams, plants spewing industrial
emissions, logging, sprawling housing developments-show the extent of our handiwork.
"We could lose as much as twenty percent of the world's species in the next
thirty years or so if we don't take stronger measures," says biologist
E. O. Wilson flatly. His words linger as we see a tiny bird nesting in a stately
cactus stranded in a giant parking lot, then cut to bulldozers in the blazing
desert sun clearing towering saguaro cacti and everything else in their path, to
make way for what? More parking lots? Strip malls?
"We have to scale back in our frenzied activity to reflect on who we are, why
we're here, and where we're going," says Christian Environmental Council Chair
Calvin DeWitt. "We as good stewards of the Creation are obligated not to destroy
[it]."
While some technocrats claim that science will save us from our excesses,
scientists here argue that such a view is not only naive but misses the point.
"It's a question of values, a moral and ethical challenge as to how we treat the
environment we so critically depend on," says physicist and Nobel laureate Henry
Kendall. "We cannot be rescued by science and technology, because these problems
...are human problems and have to be dealt with as such."
Because we know how much we're damaging the planet, the situation is not just an
environmental crisis but a moral one. This is where scientists and religious
leaders hope their alliance can spark a new environmental activism, calling upon
Earth's religious and secular citizens alike to become its missionaries.—
L.G.
World on the Web
by Sierra Club Webmaster John Kealy
www.god'sgreenearth.org
Religious and environmental ethics are often complementary, but since you may not
hear many sermons on, say, Christianity and toxic waste, tour these Web sites to
fully explore your role as "steward of Creation":
The case of environmental integrity and justice must occupy a position of
utmost priority for people of faith," says a 1991 proclamation by more than 250
religious leaders, including patriarchs, lamas, rabbis, cardinals, mullahs,
archbishops, and theology professors from 83 countries. For the full text, a list
of U.S. eco-congregations, and a calendar of events, check out the National
Religious Partnership for the Environment at www.nrpe.org.
Another worthwhile site is the Christian Environmental Studies Center
(cesc.montreat.edu).
The Web site of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (www.jtsa.edu/org/coej/) includes legislative updates and information on the group's
campaign to protect biological diversity.
Take what these sites say to heart, and "the fish of the sea, the birds of the
air, all the cattle, all the earth, and all the creatures that crawl on the
earth" will breathe easier.
(C) 2000 Sierra Club. Reproduction of this article is not permitted without permission. Contact sierra.magazine@sierraclub.org for more information.
