Environmentalism: From the Control of Nature to Partnership with Carolyn Merchant

In the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century, the long term goal of the betterment of humankind through the control of nature was a significant advancement. For the 21st century, however, the ethic of control is giving way to one of partnership with the natural world. UC Berkeley Professor Carolyn Merchant discusses how the partnership ethic entails a viable, sustainable relationship in which connections to the global world are recognized through science, technology, and ecological exchanges. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Council Lectures" [7/2010] [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 19243]

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Private exclusive "ownership" of land gives individual "owners" the right to pocket vast amounts of income recognized by economists as unearned since humans do not create the land nor do individual owners create the value of land measured in land rent and increase of monetary value when land is sold. All economists agree that land value is wholly and only created by the community of all people and not by anything individual "owners" of land do except as an equal member of humanity. This source of unearned income is estimated to be at least 35% of GNP in the US and everywhere else where private property in land has taken root. It is the root cause of poverty and provides the incentive for misusing the environment. Taxing land value as we do via our property tax inherited primarily from Francis Bacon's England does not work an injustice because it does not penalize anything productive land "owners" do. Henry George the 19th century American political economist suggested we shift all taxes off of earned incomes from labor and profits from unmonopolized tools of production (we call capital} onto unearned income from land. The economic incentive to lust after ownership of land for unearned profit is the root cause of the destruction of the environment so speaking of this aspect of the larger issues is relevant, nay, crucial don't you think?