"We are not consumers of what God has made;
we are in communion with it."1
This is the theological core of a new report from the Council for Mission and Public Affairs. For centuries, Christians have perceived Genesis 1:28, "possess the earth and subdue it", as permission to exploit the earth. We have abused God’s command to be good stewards of creation. -- We have not acted as custodians but as consumers. And now creation is calling us to account.
Climate change is big news. In January, researchers from Oxford University revealed evidence that the maximum temperature rise could be twice that previously envisaged.
The situation is bleak. We are a population reliant on fossil fuels. The earth’s supply of these fuels is finite. Even if we were not aware of the immensely damaging effects of burning coal, gas and oil, there would be a problem.
The climate is changing. With the exception of a few outstanding "heretics"2 who are given more press than their cause deserves, there is now no denying that human action is responsible for this change. The effects are and will continue to be serious for us and our environment. It makes little difference if you are a green lobbyist, The Times science correspondent, or the Archbishop of Canterbury, this is for real:
"The earth is ailing - and human beings are responsible."3
The question now is what do we do about climate change. And the answer will depend on who we are.
In September of last year the Prime Minister, Tony Blair described climate change as "the world's greatest environmental challenge". But he was optimistic:
"With the right framework for action, the very act of solving [the problems posed by Climate Change] can unleash a new and benign commercial force to take the action forward, providing jobs, technology spin-offs and new business opportunities as well as protecting the world we live in."4
This response is political and it is economical. It is governed by politics because the possession of power in a democracy is volatile, and subject to one's ability to keep the electorate happy in the short term. Politics in turn is governed by the economy because a successful economy is understood as a precondition of 'happiness' in a consumer-driven society.
But economical optimism does not permit radical change. There is no need for a fundamental reappraisal of our way of life if its potential is only to keep getting better. The promise of progress was central to New Labour's 1997 campaign rhetoric: "Things can only get better."5 -- But what if pessimism is needed?
In the third chapter of A Passion for the Possible, William Sloane Coffin debunks economic triumphalism. Economy and ecology are integrally related, and economy is not the greater power. "Any economy, national or world, is a subsystem of the ecosystem."6 The power of nature, of the ecosystem, is greater because we cannot change nature. As Dennis Hayes said nearly fifteen years ago, "we can’t break Nature’s laws. We can only prove them."7 The needs of the economy are not such that they can be balanced against environmental needs.
So what should we do? What is the Christian response?
Firstly we must resist temptation. It is tempting to ignore the issue and do nothing. It is tempting to join in the economic optimism and ask what the next power source will be, or how we will sustain development within the ‘developed’ world. But if we wish to effect real change surely we must begin more radically, with asking ourselves ‘what is enough?’
Jesus taught that the poor would be blessed, not the amassers of possessions. As consumers, customers, clients, patrons we are all too used to seeking out ‘the best deal’ with little regard for the consequences, for who is losing out. In environmental terms, the answer is simple, we are all losing out.
This is our future. And it is not just a human future. 11 000 species are now in danger of extinction. Polar bears have a species' life expectancy of 20 years as a direct result of global warming. As Christians we are not called to be ostriches. We must not hearken to the "heretics" or be diverted by their denial. Now is the time for action.
And how do we act? We need to question our comfort zone, to shed the extra shirt off our back, and rediscover proper awe and reverence for the world we inhabit. We can start with the simple things:
"Go for a walk. Get wet. Dig the earth."1
For more suggestions, you may need a copy of Sharing God’s Planet, £5.99 from Church House Bookshop. Eggs and Ashes (£12.99, Wild Goose) also has some very relevant ideas for lenten discipline.
