Essay: Real Environmentalism

Introduction

When most of us hear terms like “eco-conscious” or “environmentalism,” what do we think of? Global warming, compact fluorescent light bulbs, green (literally) reusable shopping bags? Unfortunately, these things have little bearing on real environmentalism.

So what is “real” environmentalism? It is, first of all, so different from the standard image of environmentalism that it should not even bear the same name; I suggest the term “environmental stewardship.” Environmental stewardship does not place nature above man. It does not center around tenuous science (man-made global warming) or over-the-top politically-motivated rhetoric (“We use energy to mix toxic chemicals in with the natural resources to make toxic contaminated products.”) It is, simply, based on a desire to preserve, to conserve, the world that God gave us.

In the Beginning

In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth. What is important here is that He made the earth and everything in it. Each time God created something, He “saw that it was good.” Thus, there is a certain inherent value in nature from the beginning, because God made it.

God also made man, and gave man dominion over the earth, commanding him to “fill…and subdue it.” The key point here is that this dominion is not unlimited. It is given to us to be good stewards of creation, much in the way that in the New Testament we are called to be stewards of the Kingdom. If what God made was good, it follows that is not our right to destroy it. We must, therefore, protect and preserve the world. This conviction is based on faith, not politics.