"And with it the simple practice of extractives
"Replaced by big business and abuse.
"Removing the very heart of the Earth,
"The ores and minerals that leave behind
"Gaping holes, slag heaps and acid rain.
"Developing countries rich in natural resources
"Become the targets for the raping of the land
"Stealing away the very life of its people.
"Nothing green can grow here anymore
"Mining translates into increase of poverty
"And the question remains:
"Who is to blame?
-- Catholic Relief Services
Who indeed is to blame?
Can't possibly be us, could it? Why would we, who are 100 percent reliant on the Earth for our very existence, endanger it and thereby risk losing everything?
"Then God said: Let the Earth bring forth every kind of living creature: tame animals, crawling things and every kind of wild animal. And so it happened.
"God made every kind of wild animal, every kind of tame animal, and every kind of thing that crawls on the ground. God saw that it was good.
"Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the Earth." (Genesis 1:24-26)
And why would God entrust us with all of his creation, give us dominion over all life on Earth, and then encourage us to rape and pillage it? Answer: He did NOT expect us to do any of that. He expected us to respect and care for it just as he did when he created it. He gave the Earth to mankind and to all forms of life on Earth and expect us, as the pinnacle of his creation, to take care of it, to make sure that we were good stewards of his creation and thereby ensure that there would be plenty for future generations -- as many future generations as come into existence until the end of time.
And we are now escalating the pace at which our precious planet is dying. We couldn't be further from being careful stewards of creation. We are hastening its demise with our greed and sense of entitlement, our pursuit of profit, wealth and power.
Shame on us.
How am I called to care for God's creation? Do I reduce, reuse and recycle?
What I am called -- what we are all called -- to do for God's creation is to take only what I need to use, and leave the rest in good condition for others who need it. I'm pretty sure I do not know a single soul who actual practices that. And our brothers and sisters in Third World countries might be said to live that way, but what would they do if they came here to live? Would they dedicate themselves to convincing the rest of us to live more frugally and gently, to stop polluting the Earth and stop using up resources that are desperately needed elsewhere? Living that way because you have no choice -- as miserable as that may be -- his not the same as making a conscious decision to conserve resources and live simply. Our Third World brethren are living better than we are, there's no question, in the sense of caring for the Earth, but given the opportunity, it seems likely many (if not virtually all) of them would change their ways.
Do I reduce, reuse and recycle? I reduce when I can, but must confess, I do not go out of my way to reduce. I do try to reuse some things, but could absolutely do better. I do some recycling, so that is becoming a habit -- we recycle newsprint, cardboard and plastic on a regular basis. We do not use a lot of glass anymore, but if we did, we would also recycle that. We could start recycling cans, and perhaps we will in 2015 begin adding that to our recycling heap.
In what ways do extractives abuse human rights and increase poverty in developing countries?
This refers to mining, in particular. And we do it in this country, too. We have based entire economies on mining operations. Take, for example, West Virginia, where coal mining has ruined much of the landscape in one of this country's most beautiful states. Not only does labor get paid woefully low wages, but the mining operations, much like today's controversial fracking operations, create pollution in the air, in water, the soil and anywhere else in the way. These pollutants threaten health, causing cancer, respiratory and other unspeakable health problems -- yes, in the name of corporate profits, but there's a larger issue: demand. Those low wages and pollutants make possible much of the lifestyle we enjoy today, including the technology that allows me to write and post this blog. Sadly, people in developing countries are also sacrificing their lives, in essence, so that we might live as we do, but they do not see any of the rewards.
In what ways does my lifestyle aid in the abuse of natural resources?
We buy cheap clothing made in Asia and South America by low-wage earners. We eat food grown in those countries, and because we have the resources here to pay for it, we get their food in mamy instances, without realizing it or thinking much about it. And we throw away far too much of it, unthinking, uncaring.
Clothing, food, and then there's plastics, which eat up petroleum-based resources. We drive cars and ride buses and airplanes, and heat our homes and offices, all of which use oil resources.
Our parents used to tell us we should clean our plates at dinner because kids in Africa were starving. Well, they are, but unfortunately by the time it reaches our plates, our garages, our closets and offices, the damage is done.
The question is this: If demand for those things dropped, would people in those countries get to keep and use it? Or would they just lose their jobs and only source of income?
So our lifestyle here may aid in creating demand for goods that eat up the world's resources, but would reducing that demand really help any of those poor people in Third World countries? Recycling has become its own industry here. Maybe that's the problem: Everything has to become profitable to continue to exist.
How am I called to change my lifestyle?
Surely reducing demand would help somewhat. Reducing waste would have to help. Reducing reliance on technology like transportation that eats up the world's oil reserves and adds to pollution would be beneficial to all.
Should we move back toward the village concept, perhaps keeping the best of the technology we've developed but relying more on sustainable agriculture and industries and services that employ our neighbors and help sustain our own small corner of the world? Would that work, and how long would it take to get there?
We must all do our small parts, and the more of us who do, the better things will be. The only remaining question: Can we do enough in time to save the Earth? Now there's something to pray about.
"There is inherent integrity to all creation and it requires careful stewardship."
-- Catholic Social Teaching
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