Jon Rosales
Holistic Science
I approach these questions from my field of study, environmental studies, and
from my professional practice and expertise in indigenous knowledge of
climate change.
1. What would the practice of your selected discipline look like from an
Earth Jurisprudence perspective? How is that different from the way that
your discipline is generally practiced now? And, what are the benefits of
practicing the selected discipline from an Earth Jurisprudence
perspective?
An Earth Jurisprudence perspective would mobilize the practice of holistic
science, how we do our work, in the following manner. An Earth
Jurisprudence perspective of holistic science would extend the bounds of
consideration, or consciousness and importance, in our field to include the
entirety of environment and, most importantly, to respect and work for the
integrity of the whole tangled Earth system. It would, for example, continue to
investigate the melting of sea ice in the Arctic as a physical event, such as the
loss of sea ice extent, but also melting sea ice as a loss of habitat for walrus, a
loss of cultural identity for subsistence hunters, a loss of protection of
infrastructure for residents of the Arctic, a loss of literary interpretations of
what the Arctic means to humanity, and so on, with the overriding intention of
working for the integrity of the entire interconnected complex of human, nonhuman, and physical elements on Earth. Such an entangled approach would
not be entirely new in our field with Earth system approaches going back
hundreds of years and coming to forefront in the 1960s and 1970s with the
Gaia hypothesis and Limits to Growth.
While it would be impractical to expect every investigation and interpretation
of scientific inquiry to consider every possible connected realm attached to
the scientific investigation, holistic science would reinforce an expectation
that we consider say four or five different realms of consideration and at a
minimum to focus on the sanctity of the multiple human, non-human, and
physical systems that extend from what is being studied. In short, Earth
Jurisprudence would prompt us to work for the planet as opposed to working
on its isolated attributes.
While an Earth Jurisprudence perspective, and certainly Earth centered
perspective, is not all that alien to my discipline, Environmental Studies, it has
the potential to renew our work for the better. Most people in my field accept
that the environment is interconnected and multi-faceted. As with ecology,
we accept that no one thing can be done in isolation or without affecting
multiple other systems. We already accept that science, social science, and
humanities approaches to environmental problems as a holistic approach to
our work. But what Earth Jurisprudence would do for us and where it would
improve our work is to more directly and unabashedly advocate for Nature.
Many in my field, especially from those with backgrounds in science, tend to
avoid advocacy and being labelled advocates for Nature for fear of being
labelled as biased. It is here, I think, where an Earth Jurisprudence
perspective would receive resistance in my field. That being said, many in my
field embrace advocacy (or mission oriented science), in fact being an
environmentalist can be defined as someone who speaks and works for
Nature.
The benefits of an Earth Jurisprudence perspective cannot be understated – it
gives us a better chance to solve pressing environmental problems. The
discoveries of reductionist science are impressive but the pressing problems
of our time, like climate change and biodiversity loss, require more; they
require a recommitment to work for Nature with a renewed, dare I say,
spiritual commitment. It is at this level of commitment that new cultural
norms and expectations of practice would enter our field and we would
research, communicate, encourage, and show by example how to live a life in
communion with the planet.
2. What promising approaches do you recommend for achieving
implementation of an Earth-centered worldview for your selected
discipline? (Note: depending on the discipline, approaches could also be
theoretical, although practical approaches should be prioritized).
Incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in to scientific projects
is an excellent way to practice holistic science and acknowledge an Earth
Jurisprudence perspective. TEK is most widely practiced by indigenous
communities that have been able to maintain long-standing traditions of
passing knowledge down through generations through well-established
cultural norms and practices. The role of elders is particularly important in
many of these cultures for they are the knowledge holders who pass on
cultural practices that have endured for generations, perhaps thousands of
years. These practices encompass what many consider sustainability, but a
sustainability that is ancient and continues not one that has yet to be made. In
large part due to long-standing interpretations of Nature within TEK that
include a wide array of socio-physical elements and and nuanced and specific
ways of knowing and interpreting Nature, scientists are increasingly
partnering with indigenous peoples to co-produce knowledge combining
Western scientific practice with TEK.
Subsistence cultures are particularly promising as examples of sustainable,
holistic, and Earth-centered relations with the planet that epitomize the Earth
Jurisprudence initiative. Subsistence cultures may be indigenous and possess
deep TEK as explained above, but what is of interest for our pressing
problems is that subsistence cultures are structured to respect environmental
limits and to live in communion with their surrounding environment.
Subsistence harvests, for example, are limited by the amount of game
available at any given time and by cultural practices to ensure the game
remains abundant for future generations. To do this, elders who have learned
from their elders continue practices that are enmeshed with natural cycles,
such as migratory patterns and seasonal availability. Subsistence cultures
that have been able to retain and continue their practices are the original
locavores, organic, and green consumers we strive to be in the dominant
societies. In order to tackle our pressing environmental challenges, their
livelihoods should be acknowledged as such, allowed to continue, and
replicated.
3. What key problems or obstacles do you see as impeding the
implementation of an Earth-centered worldview in your selected
discipline?
An Earth-centered worldview, as mentioned above, comes with the
expectation that practitioners engage in advocacy, or be mission oriented. As
the question implies, being Earth-centered, as opposed to truth seeking or
targeting to reduce some uncertainty in science, requires that the initiation
and purpose of scientific inquiry is to honor, respect, and work for the planet.
As has been my experience in the sciences, many in my field will resist and
belittle framing their work as Earth-centered. Ironically many in my field are
already Earth-centered and have such a worldview, in fact working for the
magnificence of the Earth is what drove many of us to get in to our
environmental fields in the first place. Still, many in my field resist
acknowledging these impulses.
An Earth-centered approach to science also challenges the capabilities of
scientists who may not have the expertise to consider multidisciplinary or
interdisciplinary elements of their research. Earth-centered and holistic
science requires us to be generalists who must collaborate outside our fields
to cover multiple elements of research. Also, funding agencies do not always
support such projects favoring narrow forms of inquiry.
4. What are the top recommendations for priority, near-term action to
move your selected discipline toward an Earth Jurisprudence approach?
What are the specific, longer-term priorities for action?
Priorities can take two forms. Earth Jurisprudence and centered models of
holistic science that are already established and successful should be
documented, evaluated, and where appropriate replicated. Models of
successful TEK and thriving subsistence cultures are such models. The United
Nations is well-positioned to serve as a center for this information exchange.
Another more specific priority is to incorporate holistic science in to the
Sustainable Development Goals. Ideally a separate goal or sub-goal would
have been devoted to such approaches, but there are two entry points where
this can happen in the current goals. First, Goal 17.8 on science, technology
and innovation capacity building mechanism for least developed countries
should include Earth-centered, holistic science options that are both
appropriate for their context. Second, holistic science, perhaps outlined as
Earth systems science, should be part of the new measurement of progress
called for in Goal 17.9.