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.

What’s Wrong with Environmentalism?

The most talked about environmental issue is probably man-made global warming. The focus on this issue is so pronounced that it has led to mocking comparisons of Al Gore to a prophet and the destruction of the earth by global warming to the apocalypse.

The problem is that man-made global warming is simply not backed up by enough evidence to become the foremost environmental issue. In the face of record cold, doubt has even been expressed that global warming is occurring at all, let alone as a result of primarily human activity. Since the science simply is not there for man-made global warming, it should take a back seat to more pressing and tangible environmental issues (these issues will be noted in the section “Issues for Environmental Stewardship”).

Another serious problem with mainstream environmentalism is that it has become so politically charged that it is no longer dedicated to the issues alone. It seems that more time is spent arguing about global warming than actually doing anything about it (not that anything needs to be done about it). There is too much rhetoric and too much political opposition. This is partly because the environmentalists have for some reason made tenuous and controversial global warming their major issue. If the major issue were litter cleanup, no one could possibly disagree. But basic, important environmental activities such as litter cleanup are overlooked because of the political debates over controversial issues.

Issues for Environmental Stewardship

These are issues which may or may not be overlooked by mainstream environmentalism. In any case, they are, in my opinion, the most important environmental issues out there. In some cases they have multiple Christian bases (e.g. the waste/consumerism issue).

Litter Cleanup

It seems fitting to list litter cleanup first. This is a common, easy activity (who hasn’t cleaned up litter at a local park?) but it is by no means unimportant. It is true that cleaning up litter can only go so far – as far as the discrete community in which it is done. But is that not one less plastic bottle that will end up buried in the ground for centuries to come? And perhaps aggressive litter cleanup could actually have an effect outside the local community. The infamous “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” would undoubtedly be smaller if less litter were able to make its way to ocean-bound waterways.

Waste Reduction / Excessive Consumerism

Who hasn’t driven through some wealthy town on garbage day and spotted a new-looking sofa, TV, lawn machine, piece of furniture? It looks like the stuff you buy, only it’s being thrown out? And where does it go? Either in the ground, or to China. All of these perfectly good items end up useless, dumped in a landfill or scrapped for parts. And yet, they could be donated, even sold, to those in need. Thus, the issue of waste reduction is not only environmental (wasted resources) but social (reduces supply of cheap used items for the disadvantaged). There should be a powerful Christian motivation here to reduce consumerism, or at least to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in the landfill.

Composting

Composting is not talked about a whole lot, even by environmentalists. Perhaps this is because few people enjoy spending time with their garbage (which is understandable).