Creation Care - Personal Stewardship for Sustainability

This incredible world we occupy is heaving and crying out. Never before, ever, has a species contributed so much to not only their own demise, but the destruction of everything else as well. So, this epoch is named for the strongest driving force on the planet - humankind; we live in the Anthropocene era.

Since the industrial revolution, the acts of humankind have warmed the planet, changed weather patterns, raised and acidified the ocean, poisoned the air and sanitized the soil. Dependence on fossil fuels in prosperous countries have endangered entire civilizations, most in areas that have contributed least to planetary damage.

Concern is immediate and it is huge. Politics and capitalism play a role in the constant growth mode of affluence. Read The Story of More, by Hope Jahren for a comprehensive look at the impact of humankind in the last half-decade.

While calls for individual action can distract us from corporate responsibility, personal stewardship of our beloved earth is not only impactful, it is part of our call as Christians.

So, what to do? Does it have to be big? Nope.

How about eating less red meat? About 40 percent of greenhouse gases come from agriculture, deforestation and other land-use changes. Meat—particularly beef— drives climate change in two ways: first, through cows’ emission of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and second, by destroying forests as they are converted to grazing land.

Consider the carbon footprint of your grocery shopping. Those February strawberries may seem appealing, but how much energy did it take to get them from the southern hemisphere to your local supermarket? If the whole population of the planet ate locally, food transportation emissions would drop by around a third of a gigaton.

Fifty years ago, if you were cold, you’d put on a sweater rather than turn up the heat. Slipping into that cardigan will pay for itself pretty darn fast. If everyone in the U.S. changed their thermostat by 1°F, it would reduce annual carbon emissions by 7.2 teragrams - the equivalent of the amount of carbon released by 1.4 million people in a year. Want to know what your home’s carbon footprint looks like? Try the EPA’s Carbon Footprint Calculator here

The possibilities are endless. Take a look here for even more ways you can make a difference.

Click Here to View the More Information About Bethesda Lutheran Church : Green Team Magazine - March 2023