142. If everything is related, then the health of a society’s institutions has consequences for the
environment and the quality of human life. “Every violation of solidarity and civic friendship harms
the environment”.
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In this sense, social ecology is necessarily institutional, and gradually extends to
the whole of society, from the primary social group, the family, to the wider local, national and
international communities. Within each social stratum, and between them, institutions develop to
regulate human relationships. Anythingwhich weakens those institutions has negative consequences,
such as injustice, violence and loss of freedom. A number of countries have a relatively low level of
institutional effectiveness, which results in greater problems for their people while benefiting those
who profit from this situation. Whether in the administration of the state, the various levels of civil
society, or relationships between individuals themselves, lack of respect for the law is becomingmore
common. Laws may be well framed yet remain a dead letter. Can we hope, then, that in such cases,
legislation and regulations dealing with the environment will really prove effective? We know, for
example, that countries which have clear legislation about the protection of forests continue to keep
silent as they watch laws repeatedly being broken. Moreover, what takes place in any one area can
have a direct or indirect influence on other areas. Thus, for example, drug use in affluent societies
creates a continual and growingdemand for products imported from poorer regions, wherebehaviour is
corrupted, lives are destroyed, and the environment continues to deteriorate.
II.
CULTURALECOLOGY
143. Together with the patrimony of nature, there is also an historic, artistic and cultural patrimony
which is likewise under threat. This patrimony is a part of the shared identity of each place and a
foundation upon which to build a habitable city. It is not a matter of tearing down and building new
cities, supposedlymore respectful of the environment yet not alwaysmore attractive to live in. Rather,
there is a need to incorporate the history, culture and architecture of each place, thus preserving its
original identity. Ecology, then, also involves protecting the cultural treasures of humanity in the
broadest sense. More specifically, it calls for greater attention to local cultures when studying
environmental problems, favouring a dialogue between scientific-technical language and the language
of the people. Culture is more than what we have inherited from the past; it is also, and above all, a
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BENEDICTXVI,Encyclical Letter
Caritas inVeritate
(29 June 2009), 51:AAS
101 (2009), 687.
