Andrew Light, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Washington, addressed students and community members on the practice of ecological restoration in the 21st century in a Monday night lecture at Russell House titled, “When We Restore Nature, What Do We Owe the Past?” Light focused on the moral obligation that humans have to preserve remnants of industrial and agricultural sites when restoring the surrounding environment.

“When we restore a place back to its ‘original state’ we are neglecting the historical importance of the last 500 years and what future generations can learn from them,” Light said. “In some areas environmental restoration must take place, however, I believe that when renovating an area it is important to incorporate its industrial, more recent past.”

Light argued that a pragmatist methodology is needed to transform environmental ethics into a more viable practice able to participate in the actual resolution of environmental problems. Most of Light’s work in environmental philosophy has focused on the failure of the discipline to fulfill its promise as a guide to the formulation of better, more morally responsible environmental policies.

“To be morally responsible in relation to our effects on the planet, we must form connections, not with some abstract conception of nature, but more concretely with each other as inheritors of the conditions we have created for ourselves,” Light said.

Light’s address resonated with many students interested in human responsibility to restore and maintain the environment. Light suggested that when restoring an environment back to its original state, ecologists must not neglect to restore modern history such as mine shafts. By destroying these landmarks, Light claims, past generations of human work are forgotten.

“Andrew Light’s lecture provided a philosophy on ecological restoration that I had never heard before, and seemed to make a lot of sense in modern renovation,” said Ryan Macguire ’10. “The idea that humans should maintain their industrial past when restoring the environment is a very innovative way to look at the natural landscape.”

Identifying several theoretical debates in the field which have served as an obstacle to the development of better policies, Light highlighted the need for humans to connect with the natural world in order to better understand the consequences of human mistreatment of the environment, namely global warming. Light illustrated this point with the example of Chicago’s Oak Savannah, which is the largest urban environmental restoration project in the United States.

“Chicago is currently leading the way for this country in terms of environmental capitalism,” Light said. “With over 20,000 volunteers helping to restore the native growth of the Savannah Oak, the people of the surrounding area have made a deliberate moral choice to maintain Chicago’s green belt. This model for environmental activism is something that ecologists hope more cities will follow.”

Light has written or edited 16 books on environmental ethics and policy and served as director of NYU’s Environmental Conservation Education program. He is currently finishing a book on ethical issues in restoration ecology.