We Have Messed Up the Earth
Living in a temperate climate, I have been
used to having cold winters and warm summers. We never thought we would need
air conditioning. But things have changed. We are in the middle of climate
change and scientists are saying that we have almost passed the point of no
return. The last two summers were extremely dry and hot. This summer we are
having a mixture of heat and thunderstorms causing vast amounts of rain, and
flooding. Hail is clogging the sewers and destroying crops. Streets are
transformed into fast-flowing rivers, houses are flooded and even collapsing.
Rivers and lakes overflow their banks. Rescue services are working at capacity
and still, we hear of people drowning or not being accounted for. I am shocked
at the news reports of calamities from all over. Many have lost everything to
the flood. Even in areas that are used to flooding, people say that they have
never experienced anything like this.
In other parts of the world, the problem is extreme heat. When polar regions are experiencing unheard-of heatwaves and
drought and wildfires spread uncontrollably we know that something is wrong.
The ice is melting at the poles much more quickly than expected and the global
sea level is expected to rise so that islands will disappear and low-lying
populated areas will have to be abandoned. „Several studies have demonstrated
that measures to prevent black carbon emissions can reduce near-term warming of
the climate, increase crop yields and prevent premature deaths.“[1] But are
we doing enough to reduce black carbon?
As Christians, we should not be so
other-worldly that we ignore what is happening here on earth. It should be
self-evident that we care for the environment as good stewards to whom God
entrusted His creation. We may be waiting for a new heaven and a new earth, but
we have already messed up our first assignment, given to humankind when God
took the man and the woman and put them in the Garden of Eden to work it and
take care of it.[2]
The young generation is worried and angry
because we have messed up their future. We are astonished at what a worldwide
impact a Swedish schoolgirl called Greta can make by starting a strike for the
climate, demanding that politicians and world leaders act now to save the
environment. But I am even more astonished that we as Christians do not seem to
care that we are destroying God’s creation. We could do more.
Governments are
waking up. Climate conferences are nothing new. In many climate conferences
around the world environmental policies have been discussed and resolutions
have been made that were implemented half-heartedly. But now the results of
this procrastination are becoming visible in the multitude of disasters no one
can ignore.
The 2021 UN climate change conference (COP26) is scheduled to take place
from 1 to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow. This annual
Conference brings together governments from around the world to agree on coordinated
action to tackle climate change. The conference is also a space for
governments, businesses, local authorities, and civil society to discuss and
showcase climate action.
In preparation for
this conference, the European Parliament reflected on July 14, 2021, on the new
European Commission proposal aiming to reduce greenhouse emissions, designed to
achieve the EU's goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by
2030. The goal is climate neutral economy by 2050. Europe
currently faces unprecedented environmental, climate and sustainability
challenges. These include biodiversity loss, climate change, resource use, and
pollution.
Maybe we will finally learn from all the
calamities we are experiencing that climate change is no hoax even if we are
not directly affected by a disaster right now. We will all have to pay the
price one way or another. We need to take better care of what God has entrusted
to us. Let’s do it.
Photo: tagesschau.de
[1] https://www.ccacoalition.org/en/slcps/black-carbon
[2] The Lord
God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of
it.
Genesis 2:15 NIV
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