The ecological crisis speaks to how we relate to nature

Researcher María Zitto puts forward a fundamental idea: the ecological crisis also speaks to how we relate to nature, to others, and to ourselves. This is the thesis she develops in her article “The View of Humanity at the Stockholm Conference of 1972: Similarities and Differences with Christian Anthropology,” published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, part of the Nature group.

Drawing on the dialogue between the 1972 Stockholm Declaration and the Christian anthropology of Laudato si’, his work highlights the common ground between both perspectives and proposes an understanding of environmental stewardship grounded in human dignity, shared responsibility, care for the most vulnerable, and the interdependence between humanity and nature.

In an interview with the Office of the Vice President for Research at Francisco de Vitoria University, he summarizes the focus of his research as follows: “building bridges” between different realities and finding common ground for protecting the environment.

IMG_0710 The UFV advocates for leadership based on character, responsibility, and service to society Study at the Universidad Privada Madrid

María Zitto is at Francisco de Vitoria University, where she is conducting research on the care of our common home and the relationship between humans and nature, under the supervision of Alberto López Rosado and Jaime Tatay.

A crisis that speaks to how we live

The central idea of the study is simple. The ecological crisis speaks to the state of the planet, but also to the way we live. It reflects how we relate to nature, to one another, to money, and to technology.

Seen from that perspective, the environmental issue takes on greater depth. It ceases to appear as an isolated problem and is better understood as a reflection of our ways of life. The author thus shifts the focus to relationships—to how we connect with our surroundings and what place we occupy within that whole.

This perspective is grounded in relational anthropology. Human beings, he explains, are understood through the relationships that define them: “with themselves, with others, with nature, and with transcendence.” This approach allows us to view sustainability from a broader perspective and to connect care for the environment with our way of life.

From ownership to custody

One of the themes that runs throughout the work is the distinction between dominion and stewardship. These are two ways of relating to nature that entail very different attitudes.

From a perspective of domination, the environment is seen as a resource to be exploited. The concept of stewardship introduces a different nuance. It emphasizes the responsibility to “care for what we receive and what also belongs to others, including those who will come after us,” he explains.

The researcher sums it up very clearly when she states that “the owner seeks profit,” while the custodian “looks after what is entrusted to them and feels responsible for it from a perspective that goes beyond mere profit.” This shift in focus does not eliminate the need to use resources or call development into question, but it does change the way we relate to them.

The focus is no longer solely on what nature has to offer. It has broadened to encompass a wider question: how do we inhabit an environment that has value and demands care?

Recognizing the value of nature

The study also examines how we value nature. For a long time, the environmental discourse has been based on an instrumental logic. The environment is protected because it sustains human life and because development depends on it.

María Zitto’s interpretation of Laudato si’ broadens that perspective. “Nature has value because of what it provides, but also in and of itself,” she notes. From that perspective, ideas such as care and reciprocity gain traction.

The author explains that this approach helps reframe the ecological question. It is no longer just about what we take from nature, but about how we relate to it. The focus shifts toward coexistence and the quality of that relationship.

Being part of nature

Another key aspect of this work is the idea of belonging. Human beings are part of nature, even though they have a unique responsibility within it.

The researcher puts it bluntly when she points out that “we are nature.” This statement shifts our perspective. Caring for the environment is no longer seen as a task directed toward something external but rather as a way of fostering a healthy relationship with the reality to which we belong. “Harming nature is harming ourselves,” she adds.

He acknowledges that this connection is harder to feel today. “Urban life and industrialized environments have distanced many people from direct experience of nature,” he says. Even so, the desire to reconnect with nature remains. And that desire becomes an important starting point for a culture of care.

Care that stems from admiration

Another idea emerges in the interview that runs throughout the entire discussion. Care stems from wonder. Our relationship with nature changes when we have the “ability to pause, look, and recognize its beauty and value.”

María Zitto emphasizes the importance of rediscovering a sense of wonder in nature. When that experience is present, the way we treat the environment changes as well. A more mindful, respectful, and grateful attitude emerges.

That is why he advocates for an education in care that is rooted in appreciation. In his words, we need to reconnect with nature in a way that allows us to say “wow.” That initial recognition paves the way for a more responsible relationship.

Growth, Responsibility, and Connection

The researcher's proposal outlines a vision of sustainability that integrates the environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Development remains necessary, but it only makes sense when guided by responsibility and care.

This approach requires dialogue. When it comes to the environment, there are differing perspectives, various interests, and different ways of understanding reality. The author emphasizes the importance of “creating spaces for dialogue that allow us to move forward based on what unites us.”

Hence his insistence that environmentalism does not belong to any particular group. It is a shared responsibility. His research points to this common ground and shows that “it is possible to agree on fundamental issues such as care, responsibility, cooperation, and intergenerational justice,” he concludes.

From this perspective, sustainability is understood as a way of inhabiting the world with a greater sense of connection, a greater awareness of limits, and a renewed commitment to shared stewardship.