Comments on: Can I be a Christian and still worship a plant? http://www.buckfart.com/?p=96 * communications * environment * leadership * science * Fri, 21 May 2010 03:24:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: John Agathon http://www.buckfart.com/?p=96&cpage=1#comment-49 John Agathon Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:16:31 +0000 http://www.buckfart.com/?p=96#comment-49 I think I heard from someone that to worship god or any of his creations is ok as long as it's done ultimately to honor God itself (so you're not really worshipping say the coffee tree in this example but honoring and appreciating what God gave us by putting that coffee tree on this earth). I hope that makes sense. I think I heard from someone that to worship god or any of his creations is ok as long as it’s done ultimately to honor God itself (so you’re not really worshipping say the coffee tree in this example but honoring and appreciating what God gave us by putting that coffee tree on this earth). I hope that makes sense.

]]> By: J.J. Buckfart http://www.buckfart.com/?p=96&cpage=1#comment-9 J.J. Buckfart Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:37:59 +0000 http://www.buckfart.com/?p=96#comment-9 Here when I say "ethical" I am thinking of Aldo Leopold's Land Ethic and environmental ethics. When we care for the land and gain benefit from it i.e. forestry, agriculture, etc. we have choices. Some choices may produce less product per acre, but can be done in a more sustainable fashion. Systems that maintain greater biodiversity, (which in turn have higher resilience) tend to be more sustainable for the longer term. Using less fertilzer and pesticides can become an ethical arguement; especially when overuse, or off target drift causes problems away from the managed land. Land stewardship is deeply connected to "loving our neighbour." If our practices are causing problems for the folks down stream, or down the street, then it becomes an ethical issue on a whole other level. I suspect most shade coffee we purchase is also organic. Can you guess why? More complex systems (remember the shade coffee grows in the understory in a more diverse plant community) need less inputs. Nutrient cycling, and natural predators to coffee predators reduce the need for artifical inputs. Here when I say “ethical” I am thinking of Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic and environmental ethics. When we care for the land and gain benefit from it i.e. forestry, agriculture, etc. we have choices. Some choices may produce less product per acre, but can be done in a more sustainable fashion. Systems that maintain greater biodiversity, (which in turn have higher resilience) tend to be more sustainable for the longer term.

Using less fertilzer and pesticides can become an ethical arguement; especially when overuse, or off target drift causes problems away from the managed land. Land stewardship is deeply connected to “loving our neighbour.” If our practices are causing problems for the folks down stream, or down the street, then it becomes an ethical issue on a whole other level.

I suspect most shade coffee we purchase is also organic. Can you guess why? More complex systems (remember the shade coffee grows in the understory in a more diverse plant community) need less inputs. Nutrient cycling, and natural predators to coffee predators reduce the need for artifical inputs.

]]> By: Henry Zonio http://www.buckfart.com/?p=96&cpage=1#comment-6 Henry Zonio Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:24:41 +0000 http://www.buckfart.com/?p=96#comment-6 So, why is it more "ethical," though, to buy shade coffee? BTW, I never knew that there were distinctions :) So, why is it more “ethical,” though, to buy shade coffee? BTW, I never knew that there were distinctions :)

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