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Wednesday, April 19, 2006 |
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SOCIAL JUSTICE: Earth Day, 2006
By St Mary Administrator @ 11:22 AM :: 374 Views ::  :: Human Concerns
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 “The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” (Ex. (: 29 As we observe Earth Day, 2006, mindful of the destructive hurricanes on our gulf coast, tsunamis in Asia, rising sea levels as melting of mountain glaciers occurs, and dying ecosystems which severely impact many species of plants and animals, we are chastened by the knowledge that global warming is changing our Mother Earth in profound ways we have only begun to understand, or, perhaps more honestly, in ways we don’t want to understand because it means lifestyle changes for us as consumers of the Earth’s resources. Poet and environmentalist Wendell Berry writes: “We citizens have a large responsibility for our delusion and our destructiveness. We have got to learn better to respect our dwelling places and ourselves. If we believe, as many of us profess to do, that the Earth is God’s property and is full of God’s glory, how can we do harm to any part of it?”
As the poet so well expresses, the underlying cause of these profound changes to the environment is a lack of balance in how we see the Earth (and all the cosmos): whether we see it as God’s beloved creation, or view it strictly in terms of its benefit to humanity. In the past, we saw scientific and technological advancements as transforming and perfecting God’s created order. But although these developments were often beneficial in the short term, their impact now threatens the Earth and its peoples with unpredictable danger, disease and spiritual emptiness. There is a need for a new vision of wholeness, sustainability and justice for the Earth and all its inhabitants which does not depend on market forces, but depends instead on our commitment to God’s creation, and the interrelationships this implies.
Despite the damage already done, further damage from global warming can be prevented, but it calls for a worldwide response and insistence on the use of renewable energy over fossil fuels, as well as using less energy to sustain resources. The time is short – let’s make every day Earth Day. For more information, contact these websites: www.lcv.org (League of Conservation Voters); www.alerts@climatecrisiscoalition.org; or www.actionnetwork.org. |
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