The lifestyle common in the prosperous west involves excessive consumerism that not only uses more than our fair share of the planet's resources but also emits more than our fair share of carbon dioxide. A majority of the world's scientists link human output of carbon dioxide with accelerating change in the global climate which has the potential to be devastating for people in the poorer parts of the world. Measuring our personal carbon footprint has become a shorthand way of measuring our personal contribution to these problems through our consumption and lifestyle. When doing these calculations we can see if the impact we are having on the world is an increasing or decreasing trend and whether or not we are above or below the average for our society. These trends and our relative position in relation to society's average are more important than the actual numbers generated. This is not a process that is intended to induce guilt as people have very different carbon footprints due to our very different family circumstances.
We should care about carbon emissions because from the very beginning Christians view a central task of humanity as being to cultivate the garden of Eden (ie the earth). Humans are not left to observe or stand back but are endowed with the responsibility to preserve and direct the powers of nature. St. Augustine commented that in this process we become more fully and joyfully who and what we are. Sometimes the word “dominion” is emphasised to authorise exploitation of the earth and the non-human creation. Rowan Williams describes this as a clumsy and lazy reading of what the book of Genesis actually says. Nevertheless, these two strands, nurturing/caring and dominating/exploiting, have existed in many different forms in an uneasy tension throughout Christian history. It is too simple to see the urge for domination and exploitation as the action of unredeemed humanity when, for example, the frontier mentality of the early colonial settlers in the new world was, they believed, a devout re-enactment of the people of God entering the promised land.
We should care because it is a justice and fairness issue for as soon as you start to examine the effects of climate change you are drawn to consider who suffers as a result. And we quickly see that the poorest in the world, who themselves have very low carbon footprints, will suffer disproportionately from the effects of raised sea levels and extreme or unpredictable weather events.
Creation care or stewardship is a biblical attitude of mind that sees the earth as God's and the human race as occupiers of it with responsibility for its care and nurture. Our stewardship is forward looking as we are conscious of the effect our choices will have on generations yet to be born. Christians should be concerned to embed this attitude of mind into our lifestyle.
We should care about carbon emissions because from the very beginning Christians view a central task of humanity as being to cultivate the garden of Eden (ie the earth). Humans are not left to observe or stand back but are endowed with the responsibility to preserve and direct the powers of nature. St. Augustine commented that in this process we become more fully and joyfully who and what we are. Sometimes the word “dominion” is emphasised to authorise exploitation of the earth and the non-human creation. Rowan Williams describes this as a clumsy and lazy reading of what the book of Genesis actually says. Nevertheless, these two strands, nurturing/caring and dominating/exploiting, have existed in many different forms in an uneasy tension throughout Christian history. It is too simple to see the urge for domination and exploitation as the action of unredeemed humanity when, for example, the frontier mentality of the early colonial settlers in the new world was, they believed, a devout re-enactment of the people of God entering the promised land.
We should care because it is a justice and fairness issue for as soon as you start to examine the effects of climate change you are drawn to consider who suffers as a result. And we quickly see that the poorest in the world, who themselves have very low carbon footprints, will suffer disproportionately from the effects of raised sea levels and extreme or unpredictable weather events.
Creation care or stewardship is a biblical attitude of mind that sees the earth as God's and the human race as occupiers of it with responsibility for its care and nurture. Our stewardship is forward looking as we are conscious of the effect our choices will have on generations yet to be born. Christians should be concerned to embed this attitude of mind into our lifestyle.
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