Blue River Declaration

A New Conversation about an Earth-based Ethic

Abstract

In October 2011, a group of environmental thinkers—ecologists, philosophers, foresters, poets and novelists, religious and environmental studies specialists, and indigenous traditions experts—met with the audacious goal to write collaboratively a new ethic. The result was a statement of conscience that drew on the collective wisdom of the assembled group about the human place in and responsibilities to the biosphere and its diverse and interconnected living systems. The ethic was named the Blue River Declaration for the river in Oregon’s Cascade Mountain Range where it was crafted.