Saving the earth is within humanity’s reach. “The technology exists, the cost is not high, and the benefits are beyond calculation,” said Pulitzer Prize-winning scientist Edward O. Wilson.
Wilson called for a partnership between the religious and scientific communities to save the environment during his lecture at Kingsbury Hall on Wednesday night.
“Religion and science are the two most powerful social forces in the world today, especially in the United States,” said Wilson, a professor emeritus of entomology at Harvard University.
Wilson said that an alliance is necessary to stop climate change, deforestation, pollution, overpopulation and related problems that amount to a major threat to the future of the planet.
Although he is a self-described “secular humanist,” Wilson said he has no problem reaching out to religious leaders. He criticized other scientists’ hostility toward people of faith as being counterproductive to the environmentalist movement.
Wilson said he has had productive meetings with evangelical Protestant leaders in recent months. During his stay in Utah he met with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said the LDS representatives received his message with “very considerable warmth.”
Wilson was born and raised in Alabama. He said that because the state had a poor public school system, he got much of his education by pursuing merit badges for the Boy Scouts.
Today, Wilson has mostly lost his Southern accent, but he speaks in folksy cadences about the environmental issues he is passionate about.
Despite his affable, soft-spoken image, Wilson presents a serious message about transforming modern society into a sustainable environment. “We’re going to have to give serious attention to changing our ways of life.”
Wilson said Americans should respond “furiously” to any attempt to weaken the Endangered Species Act. He advocated turning more national forests into national parks along the East Coast.
One of Wilson’s primary goals is maintaining the earth’s biodiversity. He said the majority of the planet’s species remain undiscovered. These species may contain “nearly endless” potential to help humanity because they contain secrets to curing disease and increasing the food supply, he said.
Students at the speech said Wilson’s message had a strong impact.
“I was amazed at some of the statistics he was giving. It’s enough to make somebody want to do something about it,” said Naveen Hossain, a sophomore in pre-business management.
Jeremy BigelowEdward O. Wilson responds to audience questions following his lecture on “The Future of Life” on Wednesday evening in Kingsbury Hall.