Skip to main content

Earth stewardship: a strategy for social–ecological transformation to reverse planetary degradation

Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences volume 1, pages 44–53 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

A century ago, stewards were responsible for managing estates or for keeping order at public events. Today, the Earth is one global estate, and improved stewardship is vital for maintaining social order and for preserving life on Earth. In this paper, we describe Earth Stewardship, a social–ecological framework for sustaining life in a rapidly changing world. The paper defines the components of Earth Stewardship, characterizes the scientific needs for its agenda, and discusses initial efforts to engage multiple disciplines and segments of society in its application. As a beginning, new knowledge for global stewardship must be generated by teams of physical, biological, and social scientists. However, other stakeholders are needed for generating and applying such knowledge, including people in communities of faith, professions involved in design, planning and restoration, and policymakers and managers. Communicating environmental problems and solutions must take into account the psychology of how people perceive problems, promoting positive stances toward the actions needed for an adaptive approach to Earth Stewardship. Successful long-term stewardship of the Earth will require a global partnership linking researchers, managers, policymakers, and citizens.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Notes

  1. US National Environmental Policy Act of 1969: The purpose of the act is “to declare a national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and his environment; to promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare of man; to enrich the understanding of the ecological systems and natural resources important to the Nation…”

References

  • Armitage D, Berkes F, Doubleday N (eds) (2007) Adaptive Co-Management: Collaboration, Learning, and Multi-Level Governance. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumeister RF, Bratslavsky E, Finkenauer C, Vohs KD (2001) Bad is stronger than good. Rev Gen Psychol 5:323–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berkes F, Colding J, Folke C (eds) (2003) Navigating social–ecological systems: building resilience for complexity and change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohm D (1996) On dialog. Routledge, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown KW, Kasser T (2005) Are psychological and ecological well-being compatible? The role of values, mindfulness, and lifestyle. Soc Indic Res 74:349–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter SR, Mooney HA, Agard J, Capistrano D, DeFries R, Díaz S, Dietz T, Duraiappah AK, Oteng-Yeboah A, Pereira HM, Perrings C, Reid WV, Sarukhan J, Scholes RJ, Whyte A (2009) Science for managing ecosystem services: beyond the millennium ecosystem assessment. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106:1305–1312

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chapin FS III, Kofinas GP, Folke C (eds) (2009) Principles of ecosystem stewardship: resilience-based natural resource management in a changing world. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapin FS III, Carpenter SR, Kofinas GP, Folke C, Abel N, Clark WC, Olsson P, Stafford Smith DM, Walker B, Young OR, Berkes F, Biggs R, Grove JM, Naylor RL, Pinkerton E, Steffen W, Swanson FJ (2010) Ecosystem stewardship: sustainability strategies for a rapidly changing planet. Trends Ecol Evol 25:241–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark WC, Dickson NM (2003) Sustainability science: the emerging research program. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:8059–8061

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clark WC, Levin SA (2010) Toward a science of sustainability. Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Conradie E (2006) Christianity and ecological theology: resources for further research. Sun, Cleveland

    Google Scholar 

  • Daily GC (1997) Nature’s services: societal dependence on natural ecosystems. Island, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Daily GC, Polasky S, Goldstein J, Kareiva PM, Mooney HA, Pejchar L, Ricketts TH, Salzman J, Shallenberger R (2009) Ecosystem services in decision making: time to deliver. Front Ecol Environ 7:21–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener E, Biswas-Diener R (2008) Happiness: unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth. Blackwell, Malden

    Google Scholar 

  • Dietz T, Ostrom E, Stern PC (2003) The struggle to govern the commons. Science 302:1907–1912

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis EC, Ramankutty N (2008) Putting people on the map: anthropogenic biomes of the world. Front Ecol Environ 6:439–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Felson AJ, Pickett STA (2005) Designed experiments: new approaches to studying urban ecosystems. Front Ecol Environ 3:549–556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foley JA, DeFries R, Asner GP, Barford C, Bonan G, Carpenter SR, Chapin FS III, Coe MT, Daily GC, Gibbs HK, Helkowski JH, Holloway T, Howard EA, Kucharik CJ, Monfreda C, Patz JA, Prentice IC, Ramankutty N, Snyder PK (2005) Global consequences of land use. Science 309:570–574

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson BL, Branigan C (2005) Positive emotions broaden the scope of attention and thought-action repertoires. Cogn Emot 19:313–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graedel TE, Crutzen PJ (1995) Atmosphere, climate, and change. Scientific American Library, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Grove JM (2009) Cities: managing densely settled social–ecological systems. In: Chapin FS III, Kofinas GP, Folke C (eds) Principles of ecosystem stewardship: resilience-based natural resource management in a changing world. Springer, New York, pp 281–294

    Google Scholar 

  • Haberl H, Erb KH, Krausmann F, Gaube V, Bondeau A, Plutzar C, Gingrich S, Lucht W, Fischer-Kowalski M (2007) Quantifying and mapping the human appropriation of net primary production in Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:12942–12945

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hardin G (1968) The tragedy of the commons. Science 162:1243–1248

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ICSU (2010) Earth system science for global sustainability: the grand challenges. International Council for Science, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2007) Climate Change 2007: the physical science basis, contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasser T (2002) The high price of materialism. MIT, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Kates RW, Clark WC, Corell RW, Hall JM, Jaeger CC, Lowe I, McCarthy JJ, Schellnhuber HJ, Bolin B, Dickson NM, Faucheux S, Gallopin GC, Grübler A, Huntley B, Jäger J, Jodha NS, Kasperson RE, Mobogunje A, Matson PA, Mooney HA, Moore B III, O’Riordan T, Svedin U (2001) Sustainability science. Science 292:641–642

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kearns L, Keller C (2007) Eco-Spirit: religions and philosophy for the earth. Fordham University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Kofinas GP (2009) Adaptive Co-management in social–ecological governance. In: Chapin FS III, Kofinas GP, Folke C (eds) Principles of ecosystem stewardship: resilience-based natural resource management in a changing world. Springer, New York, pp 77–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Likens GE (1991) Human-accelerated environmental change. Bioscience 41:130

    Google Scholar 

  • Lubchenco J, Olson AM, Brubaker LB, Carpenter SR, Holland MM, Hubbell SP, Levin SA, MacMahon JA, Matson PA, Melillo JM, Mooney HA, Peterson CH, Pulliam HR, Real LA, Regal PJ, Risser PG (1991) The sustainable biosphere initiative: an ecological research agenda. Ecology 72:371–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matson PA (2009) The sustainability transition. Issues Sci Technol 25:39–42

    Google Scholar 

  • MEA (2005) Ecosystems and human well-being: synthesis. Island, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Moser SC (2010) Communicating climate change: history, challenges, process and future directions. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Clim Change 1:31–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson DR, Adger WN, Brown K (2007) Adaptation to environmental change: contributions of a resilience frameowrk. Ann Rev Environ Resour 32:395–419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NRC (1999) Our common journey: a transition toward sustainability. National Academies Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • NRC (2010) America’s climate choices: adapting to the impacts of climate change. National Academies Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsson P, Folke C, Hughes TP (2008) Navigating the transition to ecosystem-based management of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:9489–9494

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ostrom E (2009) A general framework for analyzing sustainability of social–ecological systems. Science 325:419–422

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Palmer M, Bernhardt E, Chornesky E, Collins S, Dobson A, Duke C, Gold B, Jacobson R, Kingsland S, Kranz R, Mappin M, Martinez ML, Micheli F, Morse J, Pace M, Pascual M, Palumbi S, Reichman OJ, Simons A, Townsend A, Turner M (2004) Ecology for a crowded planet. Science 304:1251–1252

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pickett STA (1999) The culture of synthesis: habits of mind in novel ecological integration. Oikos 87:479–487

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pickett STA, Cadenasso ML (2008) Linking ecological and built components of urban mosaics: an open cycle of ecological design. J Ecol 96:8–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Pickett STA, Burch WR Jr, Grove JM (1999) Interdisciplinary research: maintaining the constructive impulse in a culture of criticism. Ecosystems 2:302–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Power ME, Chapin FS III (2009) Planetary stewardship. Front Ecol Environ 7:399

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rockström J, Steffen W, Noone K, Persson Å, Chapin FS III, Lambin EF, Lenton TM, Scheffer M, Folke C, Schellnhuber HJ, Nykvist B, de Wit CA, Hughes T, van der Leeuw S, Rodhe H, Sörlin S, Snyder PK, Costanza R, Svedin U, Falkenmark M, Karlberg L, Corell RW, Fabry VJ, Hansen J, Walker B, Liverman D, Richardson K, Crutzen P, Foley JA (2009) A safe operating space for humanity. Nature 461:472–475

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider S, Turner BL II, Garriga HM (1998) Imaginable surprise in global change science. J Risk Res 1:165–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider SH, Rosencranz A, Niles JO (2002) Climate change policy: a survey. Island, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Schultz PW, Nolan J, Cialdini R, Goldstein N, Griskevicius V (2007) The constructive, destructive, and reconstructive power of social norms. Psychol Sci 18:429–434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seligman MEP (2011) Flourish: a visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Free, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Steffen WL, Sanderson A, Tyson PD, Jäger J, Matson PA, Moore B III, Oldfield F, Richardson K, Schellnhuber H-J, Turner BL II, Wasson RJ (2004) Global change and the earth system: a planet under pressure. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern N (2007) The economics of climate change: the Stern review. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Szaro RC, Johnson ND, Sexton WT, Malk AJ (eds) (1999) Ecological stewardship: a common reference for ecosystem management. Elsevier, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner BL II, Kasperson RE, Matson PA, McCarthy JJ, Corell RW, Christensen L, Eckley N, Kasperson JX, Luers A, Martello ML, Polsky C, Pulsipher A, Schiller A (2003) A framework for vulnerability analysis in sustainability science. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:8074–8079

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • UN (2010) The millennium development goals report 2010. United Nations, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Vitousek PM, Mooney HA, Lubchenco J, Melillo JM (1997) Human domination of earth’s ecosystems. Science 277:494–499

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WCED (1987) Our common future. World commission on environment and development. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank representatives of the multiple academic disciplines and citizen groups that have contributed to the development of the Earth Stewardship initiative. We also appreciate the vision and courage of Steve Schneider who spoke so forcefully about the need for such an initiative and the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences for providing a venue to explore these ideas.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA

    F. Stuart Chapin III

  2. Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, USA

    Steward T. A. Pickett

  3. University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Mary E. Power

  4. Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Robert B. Jackson

  5. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    David M. Carter

  6. Ecological Society of America, Washington, DC, USA

    Clifford Duke

Authors
  1. F. Stuart Chapin III
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Steward T. A. Pickett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mary E. Power
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Robert B. Jackson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. David M. Carter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Clifford Duke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Stuart Chapin III.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chapin, F.S., Pickett, S.T.A., Power, M.E. et al. Earth stewardship: a strategy for social–ecological transformation to reverse planetary degradation. J Environ Stud Sci 1, 44–53 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13412-011-0010-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13412-011-0010-7

Keywords

  • Communities of faith
  • Earth stewardship
  • Ecological Society of America
  • Positive psychology
  • Science literacy
  • Social norms
  • Sustainability