Martin Luther King Jr. Day brings an environmental lesson | ECOVIEWS

Whit Gibbons
·3 min read

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Near the end of the last century, I wrote a column that answered the following question: “What does Martin Luther King Jr. Day have to do with environmental attitudes?” Its message remains applicable today.

Some of Dr. King’s lessons about race relations work equally well for ecology. He taught about racial unity, about the value of diversity and about the importance of tolerance. He spoke to people about overcoming fears and prejudices. A parallel exists in some people’s outlook toward environmental issues when they discriminate because of ignorance of another's place in the world.

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A major cause of some people’s affliction is fear, begot by ignorance, the fundamental wrappings on a package known as prejudice. The consequences of unwrapping this odious parcel are unfair treatment of others, anxiety in oneself and loss of harmony in the world. The formula is the same for someone’s mindset whether they’re discriminating against other people or the natural world.

Whit Gibbons is professor of zoology and senior biologist at the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory.
Whit Gibbons is professor of zoology and senior biologist at the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory.

A variety of groups, both human and wild, have suffered from discrimination for centuries. Among the more obvious nonhuman victims have been snakes and mountain lions. Among humans are identifiable groups of people who have been victims of prejudice, ranging from environmentalists to timber companies to private landowners.

Most individual members of any group have done no harm and will, in fact, do positive things for the environment. Ill feelings come from fear created by a few individuals and general ignorance about the group.

One principle of human behavior is we tend to judge people in our group by their individual actions. We tend to judge other groups collectively by whatever conspicuous negative traits are displayed by a few individuals.

Because copperheads are venomous and protect themselves by biting, some people hold all snakes accountable, including the nonvenomous majority. If a mountain lion kills a domestic sheep, some ranchers may conclude that all mountain lions should be eliminated.

On the human side of the ledger, if radical environmentalists blow up a whaling vessel, some people categorize anyone who protests whale hunting as an extremist. If a property owner destroys woodlands and wetlands on her property, some people get the mistaken notion that all landowners disregard their responsibilities as environmental stewards.

Ignorance and irrational fears lead to negative attitudes and acts of discrimination. How do we overcome prejudice and fear toward people and critters? The prescription is a simple one: get to know them better.

Red-bellied snakes, found throughout most of the eastern United States, are completely harmless, but because of unwarranted prejudice toward all snakes, some people find them offensive.
Red-bellied snakes, found throughout most of the eastern United States, are completely harmless, but because of unwarranted prejudice toward all snakes, some people find them offensive.

For example, most snakes are nonvenomous and completely harmless to humans. In fact, they play an important role in natural ecosystems as both predator and prey, and they have lifestyles that can be a source of fascination.

Likewise, mountain lions are natural predators that trim the weak and sick from prey populations. Individually they have captivating behavior, and they only intrude on man's domain where man has already intruded on theirs. But people who are ignorant of the ecology and behavior of these animals are likely to base their opinion on the behavior of a few individuals.

As for the human groups mentioned, most environmentalists are not reactionaries who are unwilling to negotiate about or compromise on environmental issues.

Many timber companies use sustainable forest approaches, are concerned about the entire forest ecosystem and have individual employees who are as ecologically minded as any research ecologist. And the majority of private landowners are good stewards because they appreciate healthy ecosystems as much as any ardent environmentalist.

No matter to what segment of society someone belongs, they need to cultivate an awareness of the ideals and goals of others. Everyone should recognize and respect the differences that separate them, while searching for common ground.

In the spirit of Dr. King, we should all champion the diversity we find around us, in our own species and in others, by increasing our knowledge about different groups. Fear, begot by ignorance, can be overcome, because ignorance can be remedied.

Whit Gibbons is professor of zoology and senior biologist at the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. If you have an environmental question or comment, email ecoviews@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Martin Luther King Jr. Day brings an environmental lesson | ECOVIEWS