Finally, the Pope argues that it is precisely this disregard for human life that leads to environmental destruction. "If there is a lack of respect for the right to life and to a natural death . . . the conscience of society ends up losing the concept of human ecology and, along with it, that of environmental ecology." The Pope goes on to add that "it is contradictory to insist that future generations respect the natural environment when our educational systems and laws do not help them to respect themselves."