Humanist Perspectives: issue 148, Environmental Ethics

editorial
Problems with Certainty by Gary Bauslaugh: We are obliged to be very cautious when we bring about irreversible damage to our environment — we cannot anticipate all of the consequences.
letters from our readers
Letters
the world around us
the world around us by Theo Meijer
tribute
Irene Brereton, 1912–2002 by Blodwen Piercy: A tribute to the wife of the founder of Humanist in Canada.

Ecology & Humanism: the challenge of deep ecology by Mark Battersby: The challenge of the deep ecology movement — are humans irrelevant?
a Model for Land Conservation: notes from the Nature Conservancy by Jacqueline Waldorf: Some examples of how the Land Conservancy works in various partnerships to protect valuable natural resources.
Landscape & Sentiment: documenting the rural Maritimes by Gary Wilson: Gary Wilson presents evocative photographs of rural Nova Scotia and new Brunswick.
Evolution & Creationism: a report from our correspondent in London by Derek Kaill: Kaill reports on a debate in London Ontario that shows once again how lop-sided this argument is.
the Darwinian Mind: Making Human Nature Natural, part 1 by Robert Weyent: The first part of this four part series examines ideas of the mind before Darwin.
Civilization in Crisis, part 3: the Mind’s Triumverate & Eco-Ethics by Henry Beissel: the third and final part of Beissel’s wide ranging enquiry into human society and its impact on the natural world.

a Problem of Acknowledgement: recognizing past wrongs by Trudy Govier: Govier discusses the importance of acknowledging past wrongs.

films Dr Strangelove & the Precautionary Principle by Shirley Goldberg: Scientist’s responsibility to the biosphere is examined in the national Film Board’s Nuclear Dynamite.
practical philosophy
Past & Present by Trudy Govier: Are we wrong to use present values to judge past actions?
things that go bump
Cause & Meaning by James Alcock: Alcock discusses why so many people believe in the supernatural and the paranormal.

children’s books
Children’s Books & the Environment by Gwyneth Evans: Evans examines the changing attitude to the environment that can be seen in children’s books.

books
Paris 1919 edited by Ian Johnston: Robert H Johnson reviews Margaret MacMillan’s book Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World.
God’s Secretaries edited by Ian Johnston: Graham Roebuck reviews Adam Nicholson’s book God’s Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible.

poetry
Jehovah by Mildred Tremblay: The winning poem in Humanist in Canada’s first poetry contest.