Issues

The Environment

Stewardship of God's creation is a justice issue. We have a divine charge to take care of creation. But we also need to recognise that, as in everything, mismanagement of the environment unequally affects the poor. Wise management of the earth is therefore an expression both of worship to its Creator, and of justice for the weak.

Sadly, many Christians see concern for the environment as an extreme position, characterising it as "tree huggers," "evolutionist," or "politically correct environmentalism."

What does the Bible say about the issue?

A Christian Perspective
The two main issues are related to worship and mission - or love of God and love of our neighbour:

1. The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. (Ps 24:1)
   He takes delight in his creation (Ps 104). We honour God by taking care of what is his. God's command to man regarding the earth was not only to subdue it, but also to take care of it (Gen 2:15). We are stewards of God's creation for good. It produces food for us, but we are not to abuse it in the idolatrous pursuit of our own selfish pleasure and gain. When we abuse what belongs to the Lord, we dishonour God. The book of Revelation actually speaks even of God "destroying those who destroy the earth." (Rev 11:18)

2. God blesses the earth to provide for all people (Ps 65:9-13)
   Abuse of the earth in selfish pursuit of economic prosperity always hurts the poor, weak, and vulnerable the most - whether it is through pollution, global warming, deforestation, or whatever. Yet we are called to care for the poor, the outcast, and the weak. Taking care of the environment is a justice issue.

The Big Issue - Global Warming
There are many relevant environmental issues that affect the poor, such as deforestation, water management, and pollution. But the most serious single issue is that of global warming:

• The Earth's climate has warmed by about 0.6C in the 20th century. Much scientific evidence suggests that human activities have contributed to this. The burning of coal, oil, and natural gas and the cutting of forests are changing the atmospheric concentration of "greenhouse gases" such as CO2, changing our planet's climate, with far-reaching consequences.
• If nothing is done to reduce emissions, current climate models predict a global temperature increase of 1.4 - 5.8C by 2100. Consequences are likely to be rising sea levels, and more extreme weather, such as hurricanes, droughts, and floods. Developing countries are likely to suffer most because of their dependence on climate-sensitive activities - such as agriculture and fisheries. They also have limited capability to respond to climate change.
• Rich countries contain only 16% of the world's population and yet generate 50% of greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. The US alone produces nearly one quarter of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.

What can you do?

1. Keep informed. Visit the links about the environment. Come back regularly to get latest updates.
2. Check your ecological footprint. Follow the link to myfootprint.org. This site also has some pointers for those who want to get more active, especially in the US.
3. Adapt your own lifestyle. Tear Fund have some simple suggestions of how you can begin to make your own lifestyle more environmentally friendly - read more at the link to their site:
   • Renewable energy in the home. Change over to a more environmentally-friendly energy provider for your home. Good Energy (good-energy.co.uk), a UK company supplyies all its electricity from renewable sources: wind farms, solar panels and small hydroelectric power schemes.
   • Energy efficiency. UK households waste around £ 96 million worth of energy every week. There are easy ways to make your home more energy-efficient - and it also saves you money!
   • Waste Management. Up to 70 per cent of the waste in our dustbins could be recycled. Recycle and reduce your waste.
   • Transport. Transport is the fastest growing source of CO2 in the UK, and cars are one of the biggest contributing factors in the developed world. Think about how you can use your car less, and more efficiently. Think before you buy your next car what would be more environmentally-friendly.
4. Speak out. Join Tear Fund's campaign on the environment. Let environmental issues be a Christian concern when thinking about voting
5. Pray. Pray that concern for the environment would be taken seriously. Ask God what he requires of you.