How Our Addiction to Stuff is Destroying the Planet

Before we make our next trip to the mall for more stuff, or surf on Ebay to stock up on even more future landfill material, we should take time to click on this link to a provocative piece on “The Story of Stuff.”

Among the points it makes is that if everyone on the globe were to consume at the rate of most of us North Americans we would need several more planets in order to sustain the rate of consumption--and to absorb the mountains of waste--associated with our shopping habits.

After reflecting on that, I recommend we take time to consider the lyrics of the following piece by singer/songwriter Steve Forbert, the first two stanzas of which appear below. Hopefully by then our shopping urge may have subsided:

Good planets are hard to find,
Temp'rate zones and tropic climes,
True currents in thriving seas,
Winds blowin' through breathing trees,
Strong ozone and safe sunshine,
Good planets are hard to find.

Good planets are in demand,
Clean beaches and sparkling sand,
Land masses with room to spare,
Jet streams and perfect air,
High forests and low wetlands,
Good planets are in demand.

And the mind don't know
If the heart can't see;
Let the blind man go
To his destiny...

Hail And Fire--We May Someday Look Back To This Summer As One Of Our Milder Ones

A hotter, drier climate is a major contributor to extreme weather conditions and out-of-control wildfires around the world.

When the first angel blew his trumpet, hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. A third of the earth, a third of the trees, and a third of all green plants were burned.

When the second angel blew his trumpet, something like a great fiery mountain was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

When the third angel blew his trumpet, a great star fell from heaven. It was burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on a third of the springs of water. The name of the star was Bitter, and a third of the water turned bitter. Many people died because the water was so bitter.

When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, a third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars were struck. They each lost a third of their light. So during a third of the day there was no light, and a third of the night was also without light. 

Revelation 8:7-12 (CEV)

Whether we take these words as a literal prediction of the earth's fate or as simply among many Biblical warnings of apocalyptic disasters, we are seeing records broken for summer heat around the globe. According to data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the 2022 surface temperature of the earth was 1.55 °F warmer than the 20th-century average, with the past decade being the warmest in recorded history. 

Weather variations are normal, of course, but current long-range climate trends are ominous, resulting in catastrophic fires and severe droughts that are putting billions of lives at risk. Ocean temperatures, which require an enormous amount of thermal energy to affect, are in some areas exceeding 100 degrees for the first time ever, threatening marine life and adding to the likelihood of ever more destructive tropical storms.

In Jennifer Szalal's review of Jeff Goodell's bestseller,  The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet: she writes, ”Goodell’s stripped-down style suits his subject. This is a propulsive book, one to be raced through; the planet is burning, and we are running out of time. Death is a common refrain, and it doesn’t apply only to humans. ‘When it gets too hot, things die,’ an agricultural ecologist tells Goodell.” Or, as Goodell writes of creatures that adapt by moving to cooler places: “If they can’t find refuge, they die. A hotter world puts the most vulnerable at risk — the old, the sick, the poor.”

According to John P Abraham, professor of thermal sciences at the University of St Thomas School of Engineering, we will all face life altering changes in a warming climate. “Working outdoors in the heat will require shorter shifts with more breaks, and more overnight work.” Meanwhile, night-time heat is increasing faster than daytime ones, according to Abraham, who adds, “If workers are in daytime heat at work but night temperatures are sufficiently hot that their body cannot cool, they will have a much harder time the next day.” 

We do well to heed warnings like these, each calling for serious repentance of our self indulgent ways, and for radical changes in the way we care for the planet. According to the Revelation text, the trumpet warnings follow the opening of the last of seven seals, suggesting that God is permitting, rather than causing, what is happening to the planet. So to the extent that we humans are contributing to the problem, might there still be hope, as in the case of the Biblical story of Nineveh, that God may withhold judgment if we do an about face and work at righting our wrongs?

Certainly ignoring the problem and simply turning up our air conditioners will only make things worse.

As someone has observed, "Good planets are hard to find." Certainly ours is a rare jewel worth making every effort to preserve. Not only has our Creator made humans responsible for the stewardship of the earth,  to “cultivate and care for it,” we are also urged to practice good creation care by reputable organizations like the Audubon Society, National Geographic Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Chemical Society, American Medical Association, American Geophysical Union, American Meteorological Society, American Physical Society, Geological Society of America, Union of Concerned Scientists, United Nations IPCC, NOAA, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, NASA, EPA, American Geophysical Union, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Royal Society of the United Kingdom, Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, Science Council of Japan, Russian Academy of Science, Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Royal Society of Canada, Chinese Academy of Sciences, French Academy of Sciences, German Academy of Natural Scientists, Indian National Science Academy, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (Italy), Australian Academy of Sciences, Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and the Arts, Caribbean Academy of Sciences, Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Academy Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, etc., etc.

We can act in ways that will cause our children and grandchildren to be forever grateful.

Or not.

Should This Economy Recover?

At a meeting I attended over a year ago on coping with the recent economic recession, one of the presenters asked, “Which do you want to hear first, the good news or the bad news?”

We all wanted the good news, which went something like this: If we can weather the current crisis, get the right kind of stimulus going and manage to restore consumer confidence, we should eventually see our economy recover and life return to normal.

I had to wonder, though, should we actually welcome the “recovery” of any economy so dependent on overconsumption, waste, and exploitation of the world’s poor? Is that really “good news,” and if so, for whom?

In the apocalyptic book of Revelation, chapters 17-19 introduce us to an image of a luxurious and powerful seductress named “Babylon,” a symbol of economic systems based on greed and oppression. In contrast to the Radiant Woman of Revelation 12, who represents the humble and holy people of God, this Great Prostitute is dressed in the finest purple and scarlet and sits elegantly astride the powerful “Beast” representing the world’s political powers (introduced in chapter 13). All of the nations are in bed with her, since “all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth” (18:19).

When Babylon finally collapses in disgrace, the kings and merchants of the earth “weep and wail” in anguish. They are desperate to have her recover so the status quo disparity between the very rich and the very poor can continue unabated. In the same way, we North Americans want to restore (and grow) our incomes, our institutions, our accustomed ways of life, to the level we’ve come to believe is our birthright.

But the Babylon of Revelation is doomed by God Almighty, is clearly beyond any recovery. And in the Bible, this is hailed as good news. At her demise all heaven breaks loose in outbursts of praise, “Hallelujah! The Lord God Omnipotent reigns!” (19:6).

I’m not suggesting that all of today’s entrepreneurs have sold out to Babylon. There are many business men and women who operate with integrity and who offer invaluable services to their community. They provide decent jobs at fair wages and don’t assume that their managing more capital wealth entitles them to a greater share of consumer wealth. Because they choose to live frugally and share sacrificially, they should be blessed and celebrated as signs of Jesus’ new order.

But to pray for the “recovery” of our current consumer-driven economy is to counter Jesus’ brand of “good news.” In his upside down kingdom, where his words about wealth represent both law and gospel, it is the world’s hungry who are to be filled with good things, and it is the too-well-to-do who are to be left empty-handed. In his new community it is the poor, and "the poor in spirit," who are truly blessed with happiness, whereas the rich (those who claim the right to ever more consumer wealth) are promised only woes.

This means that what is really needed is not a recovery of an old economy, but the restructuring of a new one, first through a radical reordering of our values (what we consider to be true wealth) and then through adopting lifestyles that represent fairness and justice for everyone on the planet.

Our U.S. economic downturn needs to be seen as a gigantic wake up call, reminding us that to continue to live like Babylon--instead of more like Jesus--is not only wrong, it is unsustainable. It would take additional whole planets to provide enough resources (and enough landfill space for our waste and pollution) for all six billion of the world’s people to consume at the rate most of us do who are among the top 5% of its wealthiest inhabitants.

In that light, does the recovery of a Mammon-driven, “trickle-down” global economy represent good news?

No. If it’s not first of all about good news for the poor, it’s not the kind of “recovery” Jesus has in mind.

As Our Economy Recovers, Should We Celebrate?

There are promising signs of economic recovery everywhere, we're told. Stock market numbers are three times higher than during the recent depression. Employment numbers are up. Consumer confidence is on the rebound.

Yet I often wonder whether we should champion the success of any economy that has become so dependent on more and more consumption at the expense of the world’s poor. And which contributes to the wasteful depletion of the world's resources and the pollution of its soil, air and water in ways that are simply unsustainable. And which requires the most deadly and expensive military force in the world to defend it.

In the apocalyptic book of Revelation, chapters 17-19 introduce us to an image of a luxurious and powerful seductress named “Babylon,” a symbol of economic systems based on greed and oppression. In contrast to the Radiant Woman of Revelation 12, who represents the humble and holy people of God, this Great Prostitute is dressed in the finest purple and scarlet and sits elegantly astride the powerful “Beast” representing the world’s political and military powers (introduced in chapter 13). All of the nations are in bed with

Representative of the Beast?

her, since “all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth” (18:19). Does this sound a lot like our economy or not?

When Babylon finally collapses in disgrace, the kings and merchants of the earth “weep and wail” in anguish. They are desperate to have her recover so the status quo disparity between the very rich and the very poor can continue unchecked. In the same way, we North Americans want to restore (and grow) our incomes, our institutions, our accustomed ways of life, to the level we’ve come to believe is our birthright.

But the Babylon of Revelation is doomed by God Almighty, is clearly beyond any recovery. And in the Bible, this is hailed as good news. At her demise all heaven breaks loose in outbursts of praise, “Hallelujah! The Lord God Omnipotent reigns!” (19:6).

I’m not suggesting that all of today’s entrepreneurs have sold out to Babylon. There are many business men and women who operate with integrity and who offer invaluable services to their community. They provide decent jobs at fair wages and don’t assume that their managing more capital wealth entitles them to a greater share of consumer wealth. Because they choose to live frugally and share sacrificially, they should be blessed and celebrated as signs of Jesus’ new order.

major world polluters

But to pray for the survival of our current consumer-driven economy may be to counter Jesus’ brand of “good news.” In his upside down kingdom, where his words about wealth represent both law and gospel, it is the world’s hungry who are to be filled with good things, and it is the too-well-to-do who are to be left empty-handed. In his new community it is the poor, and "the poor in spirit," who are truly blessed with happiness, whereas the rich (those who claim the right to ever more consumer wealth) are promised only woes.

This means that what is really needed is not the survival of the old economy, but the restructuring of a new one, first through a radical reordering of our values (what we consider to be true wealth) and then through adopting lifestyles that represent fairness and justice for everyone on the planet.

The U.S. economic downturn of 2008 needs to be seen as a gigantic wake up call, reminding us that to continue to live like Babylon--instead of more like Jesus--is not only wrong, it is unsustainable. It would take additional whole planets to provide enough resources (and enough landfill space for our waste and pollution) for all seven billion of the world’s people to consume at the rate most of us do who are among the top 5% of its wealthiest inhabitants.

In that light, does a Mammon-driven, “trickle-down” global economy represent good news?

No. If an economic system is not first of all about good news for the world's poor, it’s not what Jesus has in mind.

Should The Present U.S. Economy Survive?

One of my good friends recently stated, with a great sense of certainty, that the U. S. economy as we know it was doomed. Our national debt will prove to be unsustainable. The dollar will lose its value. The stock market will collapse.

I wasn't prepared to agree or disagree with this gloomy assessment, but I do wonder if we should champion the survival of any economy that has become so dependent on more and more consumption at the expense of the world’s poor? And which contributes to the wasteful depletion of the world's resources and the pollution of its soil, air and water in ways that are simply unsustainable? And which requires the most deadly and expensive military force in the world to defend it?

In the apocalyptic book of Revelation, chapters 17-19 introduce us to an image of a luxurious and powerful seductress named “Babylon,” a symbol of economic systems based on greed and oppression. In contrast to the Radiant Woman of Revelation 12, who represents the humble and holy people of God, this Great Prostitute is dressed in the finest purple and scarlet and sits elegantly astride the powerful “Beast” representing the world’s political and military powers (introduced in chapter 13). All of the nations are in bed with

Representative of the Beast?

her, since “all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth” (18:19). Does this sound a lot like our economy or not?

When Babylon finally collapses in disgrace, the kings and merchants of the earth “weep and wail” in anguish. They are desperate to have her recover so the status quo disparity between the very rich and the very poor can continue unchecked. In the same way, we North Americans want to restore (and grow) our incomes, our institutions, our accustomed ways of life, to the level we’ve come to believe is our birthright.

But the Babylon of Revelation is doomed by God Almighty, is clearly beyond any recovery. And in the Bible, this is hailed as good news. At her demise all heaven breaks loose in outbursts of praise, “Hallelujah! The Lord God Omnipotent reigns!” (19:6).

I’m not suggesting that all of today’s entrepreneurs have sold out to Babylon. There are many business men and women who operate with integrity and who offer invaluable services to their community. They provide decent jobs at fair wages and don’t assume that their managing more capital wealth entitles them to a greater share of consumer wealth. Because they choose to live frugally and share sacrificially, they should be blessed and celebrated as signs of Jesus’ new order.

major world polluters

But to pray for the survival of our current consumer-driven economy may be to counter Jesus’ brand of “good news.” In his upside down kingdom, where his words about wealth represent both law and gospel, it is the world’s hungry who are to be filled with good things, and it is the too-well-to-do who are to be left empty-handed. In his new community it is the poor, and "the poor in spirit," who are truly blessed with happiness, whereas the rich (those who claim the right to ever more consumer wealth) are promised only woes.

This means that what is really needed is not the survival of the old economy, but the restructuring of a new one, first through a radical reordering of our values (what we consider to be true wealth) and then through adopting lifestyles that represent fairness and justice for everyone on the planet.

The U.S. economic downturn of 2008 needs to be seen as a gigantic wake up call, reminding us that to continue to live like Babylon--instead of more like Jesus--is not only wrong, it is unsustainable. It would take additional whole planets to provide enough resources (and enough landfill space for our waste and pollution) for all seven billion of the world’s people to consume at the rate most of us do who are among the top 5% of its wealthiest inhabitants.

In that light, does a Mammon-driven, “trickle-down” global economy represent good news?

No. If an economic system is not first of all about good news for the world's poor, it’s not what Jesus has in mind.

On This Fifth Day Of Christmas, We Pray For A Livable And Well-Kept Planet

"The Lord God placed the human in the Garden of Eden as its gardener, to tend and care for it." 

Genesis 2:15 Living Bible

The very first mandate given us in the book of Genesis is to take care of the earth, to exercise responsible oversight of it on God's behalf. As caretakers created in God's image, we are entrusted with the wise stewardship of creation. 

Sadly, most people have chosen to exploit the planet for short term gain rather than preserve and care for it as the unique, life-giving treasure it is. Huge areas of rain forests ("the lungs of the planet") are being destroyed at an alarming rate to provide more grazing land to meet increased demands for ever more red meat in our diets. Coal burning power plants spew tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day due to our insatiable need for increased power, resulting in the planet warming at an alarming rate.

Good planets, like healthy bodies, require diligent care. We know we cannot expect to be able to abuse our bodies with alcohol, nicotine and other drugs, or with too many carbs, harmful fats, sugars and sodium, without paying a heavy price. In the same way the harm we do to the earth may become devastating and irreparable.

On this fifth day of Christmas pray with me that we will be responsible caretakers of our rich soil, pure water, clean air and all of the resources with which we have been blessed.

It's surely true, as someone has said, that "Good planets are hard to find."

On This Fifth Day Of Christmas, Pray For A Livable And Well-Kept Planet

"The Lord God placed the human in the Garden of Eden as its gardener, to tend and care for it." Genesis 2:15 Living Bible

The very first mandate given us in the book of Genesis is to take care of the earth, to exercise responsible oversight of it on God's behalf. As caretakers created in God's image, we are entrusted with the wise stewardship of creation. 

Sadly, most people have chosen to exploit the planet for short term gain rather than preserve and care for it as the unique, life-giving treasure it is. Huge areas of rain forests ("the lungs of the planet") are being destroyed at an alarming rate to provide more grazing land to meet increased demands for ever more red meat in our diets. Coal burning power plants spew tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day due to our insatiable need for increased power, resulting in the planet warming at an alarming rate.

Good planets, like healthy bodies, require diligent care. We know we cannot expect to be able to abuse our bodies with alcohol, nicotine and other drugs, or with too many carbs, harmful fats, sugars and sodium, without paying a heavy price. In the same way the harm we do to the earth may become devastating and irreparable.

On this fifth day of Christmas pray with me that we will be responsible caretakers of our rich soil, pure water, clean air and all of the resources with which we have been blessed.

It's surely true, as someone has said, that "Good planets are hard to find."

Wrapping An Extra Blanket Around An Already Warm Planet

artist's conception of Kepler 186f

 NASA announced last week the discovery of Kepler 186f, an earth-size planet at about the right distance from its sun to sustain life similar to that found on planet earth.

With all of the pollution, deforestation, overpopulation and other forms of devastation taking place on our own jewel of a planet, we may soon need a new one to emigrate to. The only problem is that this one is about 500 light years away, so there will be no flights available in the near future.

Since good planets are so hard to find, maybe we'd better begin to begin to take better care of the one have. In the past century, for example, we've released an extraordinary amount of carbon into the atmosphere through deforestation of thousands of acres of carbon-rich rain forests each year and the use of an accelerated amount of carbon-laden fossil fuels to meet our acquired "need" for ever more energy and to fuel a growing number of vehicles (in the U. S. we now have more licensed vehicles than we do licensed drivers).

This worldwide increase of carbon output, led by China and the U.S., is having the effect of wrapping an extra blanket of heat trapping insulation around a planet that's calibrated to maintain just the right amount of warmth to sustain life as we know it. This makes it imperative that we question the modern assumption that we have a right to unlimited uses of energy-guzzling cars, homes and lifestyles that are simply not sustainable, according to the most recent U.N. report on this potential crisis.

Please consider joining the following community conversation on this issue:

The Harrisonburg Rockingham Interfaith Association is partnering with The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley (CAAV) to sponsor a conversation on climate change Wednesday, May 7, at First Presbyterian Church on Court Square in Harrisonburg.  The program, which includes a light lunch, is from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. There is no charge for this event.

 Les Grady of CAAV will open the program with a brief statement on why Climate Change matters as an issue for faith communities and for our society.  His remarks will be followed by conversation involving all who are present.  

Please RSVP by May 2 to drmiller.cob@gmail.com or call David Miller, 540.578.0241.  We are eager to share in a meal and conversation with you.  And please share this invitation with other colleagues and churches. 

David R. Miller

Montezuma Church of the Brethren

President, Harrisonburg Rockingham Interfaith Association

Noter:  Dr. Les Grady is a licensed professional engineer (retired) who taught environmental engineering at Purdue and Clemson Universities and engaged in private practice with CH2M Hill, the world’s largest environmental engineering consulting firm.  Since his retirement in 2003 he has devoted much of his time to the study of climate science and the question of global warming.

Living Green--Like Our Grandparents

In an August 20, 2012, column in our local Daily News-Record, George Will makes light of what he sees as media hysteria over our being on the verge of depleting earth's resources and endangering the future of our planet.  Human ingenuity in discovering, extracting and more efficiently using non-renewable resources, he believes, will indefinitely delay any real ecological crisis, and he belittles the current focus on teaching children to “reduce, reuse and recycle.”

With all due respect, I am disturbed Will's inference that any admonition to conserve originates with modern day tree huggers. Conservation has in fact been a part of the core values we were taught by our parents and grandparents, frugal folks who believed they were to faithfully care for the earth and live by “waste not, want not,” and “a penny saved is a penny earned.”

I won't get into an argument here about how global warming may affect the future of our planet, but let's face it, non-renewable resources are, by definition, irreplaceable, which means we should all adopt a sober sense of stewardship in our use of them. Our rate of consumption in the US can be sustained only by denying billions of people in the rest of the world the same extravagances we take for granted.

Good planets are hard to find, and if everyone lived like us, it would take numerous planets to provide for our wants and to absorb our waste.

P. S. One of my readers provided the following helpful link to a blog about setting up recycling at your workplace.

Turning Up The Heat On A Warming Planet

artist's conception of Kepler 186f

Two years ago NASA announced the discovery of Kepler 186f, an earth-size planet at about the right distance from its sun to sustain life similar to that found on planet earth.

With all of the pollution, deforestation, overpopulation and other forms of devastation taking place on our own jewel of a planet, we may soon need a new one to emigrate to. The only problem is that this one is about 500 light years away, so there will be no flights available in the near future.

Since good planets are so hard to find, maybe we'd better begin to begin to take better care of the one have. In the past century we've released an extraordinary amount of carbon into the atmosphere through deforestation of thousands of acres of carbon-rich rain forests each year and the use of an accelerated amount of carbon-laden fossil fuels to meet our acquired "need" for ever more energy and to fuel a growing number of vehicles (in the U. S. we now have more licensed vehicles than we do licensed drivers).

This worldwide increase of carbon output, led by China and the U.S., is having the effect of wrapping an extra blanket of heat trapping insulation around a planet that's calibrated to maintain just the right amount of warmth to sustain life as we know it. This makes it imperative that we question the assumption that we have a right to unlimited uses of energy-guzzling cars, homes and lifestyles that are simply not sustainable, according to a U.N. report on this potential crisis.

What's Your EQ (Earthcare Quotient)?

Earth Day is on April 22, and Arbor Day on the 24th

Good planets are hard to find, and we have no Planet B. Our amazing Spaceship Earth has priceless but finite resources for its current and future passengers, but only if we manage them wisely.

     Rate each of the following on a scale of 0-5, 0 if you strongly oppose this environmental advice, 5 if you strongly support it, and 1, 2, 3, or 4 for somewhere in between.

___1. Taking fewer and shorter showers. Experts suggest short “Navy showers” several times a week, thus conserving water and reducing chemical exposure to phthalates, sulfates and didethanolamides in shampoos, for example. (Harvard Health).

___2. Setting water heater temperature at a recommended 120 degrees.

___3. Using cold water as recommended for most laundry. 

___4. Sun drying or air drying clothes if possible. Dryer lint indicates harm done to clothing.

___5. Turning thermostats down in winter and up in summer. Our Harrisonburg Electric Commission recommends a setting of 78 or higher in the summer and 68 or lower in winter. 

___6. Refusing, recycling, reusing, and composting. Grandma’s rule: “Use it up, make it do, wear it out or do without.”

___7. Avoiding use of electric door openers unless disabled. Prolonged opening time lets in more cold air in winter and hot air in the summer.

___8. Walking instead of driving to nearby locations as able.

___9. Utilizing public transportation wherever and whenever possible.

___11. Saving water from faucets and showers while waiting for warm water and using what’s saved for watering plants or for humidifiers. Not having water running while brushing teeth or scrubbing hands.

___12. Flushing commodes only when necessary (you’ll know when).

___13. Keeping lights off where and when not needed.

___14. Unplugging seldom used electrical appliances.

___15. Using stairs if able and reducing use of elevators. Great exercise!

___16. Encouraging your town, work place, congregation, etc., to incorporate climate care into the values, administration and practice of their institution, and to invest in solar and other alternative forms of energy.

___17. Delaying spring lawn mowing and converting lawns to meadow and pollinator-friendly spaces.

___18. Growing vegetables in an available garden plot, buying local foods.

___19. Consuming more whole foods and local produce and using fewer highly-processed food products.

___20. Adopting a Slow Fashion lifestyle with clothing and accessories made of earth-friendly material that show regard for conservation, sustainability and humane working conditions.

Here are some big ticket items for which you can gain extra points, with 0 for strongly oppose and 10 for strongly support. Or you can choose any number in between.

___21.  Reducing reliance on gas-powered vehicles by car pooling or, better yet, car sharing.

___22.  Reducing roadtrip and airline vacations and avoiding cruises (especially bad for the environment).

___23. Creating greater equity in housing space occupied per individual (larger spaces for larger households, smaller spaces for smaller households).

___24. Sharing possessions and skills with others in your congregation and/or neighborhood.

___25. Radically reducing money spent on possessions that deteriorate and depreciate in value, and investing heavily in better health, food, education and housing for needy neighbors around the globe.

___26. Championing legislation that supports clean energy, mitigates climate change and resists expenditures on ever more lethal means of destruction, and that instead invests in programs that heal the earth and care for its people.

___ TOTAL

If your total is over 100 in this unscientific poll, you’re well above average. If 140 or higher, you’re an EQ genius!

Feel free to copy and share.

A Pathetic Apology To Our Grandchildren

Dear future generations,

Many of us older folks realize we have done lots of serious damage to the planet you and your offspring will inherit. Under our watch, rivers and oceans have become polluted, the earth's  soils, vegetation and other forms of life depleted and contaminated, and its atmosphere dangerously poisoned and overheated.

We realize good planets are hard to find, and we didn't do this with any intention of harming you or keeping you from enjoying the good life we've been able to have here during our brief stay. Please understand we were simply looking out for our own interests, looking for all the ways possible to live as comfortably, conveniently and well-off as we felt entitled to.

Looking back, we realize we could and should have been able to live with homes and lawns half as large and which would have required far less energy and other resources to maintain. We could have used half the amount of fuel consumed by our many miles of travel in our SUV's and RV's, and been content with half the foods transported from all over the world to satisfy our palates. We could have availed ourselves of more of what we could have been producing and using locally and in season.

But our being able to experience all of this Mammon-sourced comfort, convenience, and conspicuous consumption proved to be a temptation just too great to resist, even though we meant no harm, really we didn't.

Maybe our best excuse for all this is that we simply became addicted to hoarding more and more stuff. We became hooked on having walk-in closets full of more clothes and shoes than we could possibly wear, having freezers, pantries and refrigerators full of far more food than we needed, and two-car garages with late model vehicles with all the latest accessories. We became as addicted to the lifestyle of the wealthiest 3-5% of the world's inhabitants as some people become dependent on alcohol or crack cocaine.

And we found ourselves unable or unwilling to find a cure.

So please try to understand. And meanwhile we hope you'll be OK in spite of our leaving your earth home in such a mess. I guess we figured everything was in God's hands, and if things got too bad Jesus would surely step in and rapture everyone away to a better place, somewhere where there would be no human-caused pollution or devastation to worry about.

Really, that's what we assumed would happen.

So mea culpa. God have mercy. Christ have mercy.

I Have Set Before You Vita (Life) and Cide (Death)

Good planets are really hard to find.

Which of the following do you think the compassionate Creator of the universe and of all of its inhabitants would consider the most unthinkably heinous of all evils?

Note: Not all of the terms below can be found in your dictionary.

Spermicide: using a substance to kill sperm to avoid pregnancy

Ovicide: preventing implantation of a fertilized ovum to avoid pregnancy

Embrycide: aborting an embryo in the early stages of pregnancy

Feticide: aborting a fetus in a later stage of pregnancy

Infanticide: killing a newborn, or not giving a baby the means to live, at the end of a pregnancy

Suicide: taking ones own life

Homicide: taking another person's life

Militiacide: training and arming young men and women to become warriors capable of killing whoever their nation considers its enemies, and if necessary sacrificing their own lives in the process

Genocide: systematically bombing, starving or otherwise destroying whole populations of people

Atomicide: creating and using nuclear weapons capable of destroying all civilization as we know it

Terracide: contributing to the destruction of all life systems on earth through the exploitation of its resources and the pollution of its land, atmosphere and oceans

P.S. Here's a link to one of my pro-life blogs:
https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2015/04/all-life-is-precious-conversation-with.html

On The Fifth Day Of Christmas--Pray For A Planet Kept Clean And Livable

"The Lord God placed the human in the Garden of Eden as its gardener, to tend and care for it." Genesis 2:15 Living Bible

The very first mandate given us in the book of Genesis is to take care of the earth, to exercise responsible oversight of it on God's behalf. As caretakers created in God's image, we are entrusted with the wise stewardship of creation. 

Sadly, most people have chosen to exploit the planet for short term gain rather than preserve and care for it as the unique, life-giving treasure it is. Huge areas of rain forests ("the lungs of the planet") are being destroyed at an alarming rate to provide more grazing land to meet increased demands for ever more red meat in our diets. Coal burning power plants spew tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day due to our insatiable need for increased power, resulting in the planet warming at an alarming rate.

Good planets, like healthy bodies, require diligent care. We know we expect to be able to abuse our bodies with alcohol, nicotine and other drugs, or with too many carbs, harmful fats, sugars and sodium, without paying a heavy price. In the same way the harm we do to the earth may become devastating and irreparable.

On this fifth day of Christmas pray with me that we will be responsible caretakers of our rich soil, pure water, clean air and all of the resources with which we have been blessed.

A Prayer For the Fifth Day of Christmas: A Planet Kept Clean And Liveable

"The Lord God placed the human in the Garden of Eden as its gardener, to tend and care for it."

Genesis 2:15 Living Bible

The very first mandate God gave us was to take care of the earth, to subdue it and have dominion over it on God's behalf. As caretakers created in God's image, we are entrusted with the wise stewardship of creation. 

Sadly, most people have chosen to exploit the planet for short term gain rather than preserve and care for it as the unique, life-giving treasure it is. Huge areas of rain forests ("the lungs of the planet") are being destroyed at an alarming rate to provide more grazing land to meet increased demands for ever more red meat in our diets. Coal burning power plants spew tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day due to our insatiable need for increased power, resulting in the planet warming at a steady but alarming rate.

Good planets, like healthy bodies, require diligent care. We know we can't abuse our bodies with too much alcohol, nicotine and other drugs, or with too many carbs, harmful fats, sugars and sodium, without paying a heavy price. In the same way the harm we do to the earth will be passed on to our children and to future generations.

On this fifth day of Christmas pray with me that we will be responsible caretakeers of our rich topsoil, pure water, clean air and all of the resources with which we have been blessed.