Caring for the Environment is a Spiritual Practice
“God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living them that moves upon the earth.”
If you believe in the truth of the Bible, you cannot deny that God made us responsible for the divine One’s magnificent creation. I roll my eyes at individuals, religious leaders, churches, and denominations who claim to possess a literal interpretation of scripture, and yet, fail to take proper responsibility for the care of our world. Many in these groups falsely and dare I say, sinfully, go out of their way to damage God’s creation permanently. These groups of fundamentalist Christians often deny global warming and the destruction of God’s creation.
I was reading an article I found in Apple News by Anna Kramer entitled, “Trump’s EPA Plans to Stop Making Companies Report Their Emissions.” According to Kramer, “The Trump administration intends to stop collecting greenhouse gas emissions data from more than 8,000 facilities across the United States-the data set that provides the most complete picture of the nation’s climate pollution.” American businesses and manufacturing are poised to save billions of dollars by no longer implementing ecological safeguards on the toxins they spew into our atmosphere, water systems, and landscapes. Kramer continues, “A 2021 National Bureau of Economics Research paper found that power plant forced to report under GHGRP reduced their carbon emissions by about 7%, with greater reductions for publicly owned plants.”
Without government reporting programs, we Americans will have little information about the impact corporations are making on our air, land, and waterways. The long-term impact of no longer reporting pollution information is the unethical effects on our future. The corporate heads make more money while poisoning the majority. Worse, the generation presently in power is destroying the natural resources necessary for future generations to thrive, and perhaps even exist.
Today, commit to learning more about the impact of pollution, emission standards, and the need for ecological commitments. When you are with others, be prepared to speak to the need for environmental justice and to raise questions and offer perspectives that challenge the way we have carelessly damaged the globe God provided as our home. Seek ways to support ecological causes so our children, the third and fourth generations, will have the same opportunities to breathe fresh air and drink safe water. Pray for our environment and listen for the Holy Spirit to call you to faithful action.
