Avoiding the heat
Climate Change is not an issue that we can get away from. If it is not somewhere in the news every day, it is certainly every week. There are some significant issues being discussed, and at times it can be pretty confusing and hard to understand. CASI member
Hugh Scott has been doing some research to update Outlook Unsettled, the climate change resource that we produced several years ago. Since then there has been a lot of material published, and there is a lot of new information.
The core issue is the environment, and what is happening to the environment. Scientists tell us that global temperatures are going up. To most of us the amount of the increase seems insignificant – what is an average increase of 2 – 3 degrees when daily temperatures fluctuate more than that? The point is that this is an average, which means that the extremes will be far more, and so we will see more extreme weather events such as the recent deluge in Northland.
There are a number of causes behind the increasing temperatures. As the sceptics point out, there are natural phases of warming and cooling. There is a US Senator who traces the alternating reports of global warming and cooling back into the 19th century. All true – but when graphed it is clear that the overall trend is up. In New Zealand we have not experienced the pollution levels of many of the major global cities, but no one who has experienced such pollution will have any difficulty in believing that it must contribute to widespread environmental destruction, including global warming.
The necessary response to global warming is a new level of concern for the environment and what we are doing to it. Businesses used to complain that the cost of environmental concern would be too much, and would have severe economic impacts. In fact businesses who have taken this on board are finding that care for the environment is also good business. Better building insulation, improved energy use and recycling all in the end make good business sense. The same is true around the home. The steps which we can take to reduce or mitigate global warming are also good sense for better living
As Christians the same thing applies. Care for the environment makes good sense theologically. As stewards of God’s creation we do need to take responsibility for what we are doing to the world. Regardless of whether we are climate change believers or sceptics, we have a duty to care for the planet. In the end caring for the environment is very much about God.
CASI has two new resources:
- We have adapted to the New Zealand setting an Environmental Audit for Churches, Parishes or Organisations. This is designed to help your church or parish to have a good look at what you are doing, and to design an environment policy.
- We have written an updated resource for church and group discussion. Outlook – Still Unsettled is a resource that will work with the Environmental Audit booklet. Outlook – Still Unsettled contains the background information and explanations to help people understand the issues that are being talked about and written about in the media.
Both booklets are available from the CASI website: www.casi.org.nz/issues/environment/index.htm
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