This article is drawn from the recent book, ‘Religion and Agriculture: Sustainability in Christianity and Buddhism’. Among other subjects, the book explains sustainability in realistic terms as a useful but unattainable goal from all current approaches, and corrects misconceptions of environmental teachings being an essence of religion. It may be read as an opinion piece as it is presented without the extensive references that appear in the book itself. Or it may be read as a critique of conducting science without maintaining broad wonderment of the intricate interactions of nature.