Monday, July 25, 2005
Christian Environmentalism?
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The book "Living More with Less" brings up many environmental questions. If you don't have any environmental education or sensitivity, you will probably find many of the ideas I list absurd. Environmental education was the major I actually ended up graduating with (long story!) and I truly believe that Christians ought to be in the forefront of environmental education and concern. We are the ones who have a true reason to care, because we have had a stewardship of God's Creation given to us! This planet is a precious gift to us, and surely in how we live in and interact with nature ought to also be done as unto Him and to His glory.
I reject the extreme environmentalism with essentially sees the earth as good and man as all bad. I have met people who want to exterminate human populations to recultivate a wilderness completely empty of human life. This is NOT compatible with Christianity. However, even a superficial study of environmentalism and ecology will show that the areas where there is human poverty are the areas which have the greatest environmental destruction as well. We cannot be healthy if our environment is ill. Americans must also realize that though we may not see directly the environmental consequences of our lifestyle and particular choices, we often export the detrimental environmental effects in exchange for what and how we import. We are truly entering into a global economy and ecology and Christians must be at the forefront of thinking through this rapid change. The Gospel does relate to how we live, socially, politically and environmentally.
For those of us who are women and mothers, we are largely the one managing lifestyle choices in the home (though not always, of course!). For example, who sets the thermostat during the day? Who washes most of the dishes? Who purchases cleaning products and determines how the house is cleaned and how often? Who chooses the fabrics and decoration materials in the home? Who determines where to shop, where the children's activities are, how far they are from home and how often to power up the vehicle?
I am NOT suggesting that we all must live super restricted, environmentally legalistic little lives. Far be it from me! I am suggesting that we can live with a bit of thoughtfulness, care, humility and appreciation. Further, there are economic benefits to efficient, environmental living, as well as quality of life advantages. The most free, joyful times in my life were those in which I owned the least but loved the most.
I am going to mostly share the ideas that are most economically practical, because we are looking to get out of debt so Tommy can go to seminary. For example, I have turned the thermostat to 80. No this is not to heat my house, it is 100 degrees outside every blarmy day here in the hotland. I figured a little sweat won't kill me and I can sleep naked to stay cool at night. Hubby will like that.
I have closed half the curtains to help keep the house cool, not so that it is a dark miserable cave but to allow for a calming, peaceful amount of light. I actually prefer shade to the sun (unless I am trying to get rid of my shockingly white skin). Perhaps it is because I am from Oregon, land of the perpetual rain cloud, but I love the calm coziness of shade. When I am thrust into the bright light of a Texas summer day, I am sent reeling with squinty horror, nearly like dracula. The full sun at noon in the summer is to me more like a symbol of oppression and torture than a metaphor of joy, a reminder that it wasn't necessarily a good idea to seek full blazing knowledge of good and bad just as God has.
I have also started turning off my computer for part of the day. It was up and running at lest 12 hours a day, wasting electricity! Now I have scheduled blogging times so as not to waste watts (as well as rob too much time from my children). And I tore up an old bedsheet and hemmed it into little rags so that I don't have to use paper towels as often. I will list more ideas later, I have some great tips for cleaning that will drastically reduce how much the average person spends on cleaning products (which, BTW are for the most part horribly un-environmental).
For now, adieu.
I reject the extreme environmentalism with essentially sees the earth as good and man as all bad. I have met people who want to exterminate human populations to recultivate a wilderness completely empty of human life. This is NOT compatible with Christianity. However, even a superficial study of environmentalism and ecology will show that the areas where there is human poverty are the areas which have the greatest environmental destruction as well. We cannot be healthy if our environment is ill. Americans must also realize that though we may not see directly the environmental consequences of our lifestyle and particular choices, we often export the detrimental environmental effects in exchange for what and how we import. We are truly entering into a global economy and ecology and Christians must be at the forefront of thinking through this rapid change. The Gospel does relate to how we live, socially, politically and environmentally.
For those of us who are women and mothers, we are largely the one managing lifestyle choices in the home (though not always, of course!). For example, who sets the thermostat during the day? Who washes most of the dishes? Who purchases cleaning products and determines how the house is cleaned and how often? Who chooses the fabrics and decoration materials in the home? Who determines where to shop, where the children's activities are, how far they are from home and how often to power up the vehicle?
I am NOT suggesting that we all must live super restricted, environmentally legalistic little lives. Far be it from me! I am suggesting that we can live with a bit of thoughtfulness, care, humility and appreciation. Further, there are economic benefits to efficient, environmental living, as well as quality of life advantages. The most free, joyful times in my life were those in which I owned the least but loved the most.
I am going to mostly share the ideas that are most economically practical, because we are looking to get out of debt so Tommy can go to seminary. For example, I have turned the thermostat to 80. No this is not to heat my house, it is 100 degrees outside every blarmy day here in the hotland. I figured a little sweat won't kill me and I can sleep naked to stay cool at night. Hubby will like that.
I have closed half the curtains to help keep the house cool, not so that it is a dark miserable cave but to allow for a calming, peaceful amount of light. I actually prefer shade to the sun (unless I am trying to get rid of my shockingly white skin). Perhaps it is because I am from Oregon, land of the perpetual rain cloud, but I love the calm coziness of shade. When I am thrust into the bright light of a Texas summer day, I am sent reeling with squinty horror, nearly like dracula. The full sun at noon in the summer is to me more like a symbol of oppression and torture than a metaphor of joy, a reminder that it wasn't necessarily a good idea to seek full blazing knowledge of good and bad just as God has.
I have also started turning off my computer for part of the day. It was up and running at lest 12 hours a day, wasting electricity! Now I have scheduled blogging times so as not to waste watts (as well as rob too much time from my children). And I tore up an old bedsheet and hemmed it into little rags so that I don't have to use paper towels as often. I will list more ideas later, I have some great tips for cleaning that will drastically reduce how much the average person spends on cleaning products (which, BTW are for the most part horribly un-environmental).
For now, adieu.
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