Opening Prayer BCP, p' 840

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Opening Prayer (BCP, p. 840)
Thanksgiving 8. For the Beauty of the Earth We
give you thanks, most gracious God, for the
beauty of earth and sky and sea for the
richness of mountains, plains, and rivers for
the songs of birds and the liveliness of flowers.
We praise you for these good gifts, and pray
that we may safeguard them for our posterity.
Grant that we may continue to grow in our
grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation, to
the honor and glory of your Name, now and for
ever. Amen.
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Scriptural mandate

• God saw everything that he had
• made, and indeed, it was very good.
• Genesis 131a
• The earth is the lords and all that
• is in it. - Psalm 241

Gods relationship to creation - Psalm 104
27-30 He wants us to respect life and the
life-giving properties of the earth, and to
continue His creation - Leviticus 251-5 but
He recognizes our nature. - Genesis 820-92
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Gods relationship to creation
We sin against God, our neighborand all of
creation - Jeremiah 613-16 Mans condition is
dependent upon natures condition - Jeremiah
423-27 and natures is dependent upon Mans -
Hosea 41-3
Obedience to Gods will is our hope for
environmental healing. - Romans 819-21 In our
love of Jesus Christ, is the mandate to love all
of creation. - John 11 and Colossians 115-16
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Principles of Justice
Social Justice The social justice movement
advocates that environmental policy has
relevance only if it ensures gender and social
justice - fewer people will not lead to less
poverty. Others argue that numbers are
important. Ecological Justice The ecological
justice movement advocates that justice should
not be limited to humans but to all life on the
planet. Intergenerational Justice Rather than
borrowing from our childrens future, we are
closing down all savings accounts.
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How does ECUSAcarry this out?
Environmental Stewardship office - part of the
Peace and Justice Ministries Office of the
Episcopal Church
provides education, liturgical and action ideas
to facilitate our Churchs commitment to
stewardship of Creation by developing a network
of coordinators throughout the Church working
on environmental legislation disseminating
resolutions providing curricula, resources and
conference information representing the Church
at meetings of other organizations
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Environmental Steward-ship Office works with
Eco-Justice Working Group of the National Council
of Churches Episcopal Power and Light - Combines
Episcopal churches and their congregations into
energy-buying aggregate. The Episcopal
Ecological Network - Grassroots network that
helps the Church advocate and articulate environme
ntal protection and creation stewardship. This
structure - and the work of the Church -
underscore the fact that earth stewardship is a
piece of doing justice and loving mercy.
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IP x A x T
Impact Population x Affluence x Technology
(where affluence is the amount of resources
used per person tech- nology is the
pollution produced per unit). - Ehrlich and
Holdren The carrying capacity of a given system
is limited. Technology has enabled humans to
defy traditional carrying capacities. Medical
advances Modern agriculture
They are using resources faster than those
resources can be replenished. Human population
size has an effect on both human non-human
creatures their ability to have a healthy life.
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Technologys Impact
Agriculture has allowed the human population to
increase due to increased food supplies,
increased nutrition (and fertility), and the
establishment of more stable communities. Transpor
tation facilitates food and water sources being
remote from population centers, so land
preservation (for farming, hunting, etc) becomes
a non-issue in the modern mind. Population
fluctuates due to disease famine
war
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World Population Since 1492
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Impact on Civilizations
Anasazi Indians of the Sowestern U.S. Maya
civilization of Central America Roman Empire Some
evidence exists that as countries develop, a
transition in demographics leads to a more stable
population. European Industrial Revolution
classic example of demographic
transition. Assisted by massive out-migrations
from Europe. Less developed countries Fall in
death rates, but less rapid decline in birth
rates continued population growth. Despite
falling growth rates, the worlds population
continues to grow because there are more women of
childbearing age, resulting in demographic
momentum. In 1999-2000, 80 of the population
lived in less developed countries, with a per
capita GNP of US1,260.
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More People, More Needs
In less developed countries, people need arable
land to grow crops. With growing populations,
people are clearing parks, wildlife preserves and
tropical forests. There is a global trend toward
urbanization. Some consequences increased
energy usage deforestation causing flooding,
loss of biodiversity (biomedical assets) and food
for future generations twice as much clean water
needed in next decade loss of tropical species
for medicine, agriculture gene pool acid rain
and atmospheric change increased use of fossil
fuels other non-renewable resources
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Yeah, but...
More than one billion people live in
abject poverty... but can the earth
support even a modest standard of living for
these people, much less an increased
standard for many others, without
irreparable damage to critical life-supporting
systems? Womens and childrens health
tends to be better when family planning
measures are taken... but there are cultural
reasons for high birth rates, including status
(fertility as power), economic (cheap
labor). Worldwide, women want the same things for
their children good health, education, jobs,
adequate food, and housing but poor countries
are caught in a cycle of poverty, rapid
population growth and environmental degradation.
The richer countries have their own problems
with over-consumption, population density and
environ- mental degradation.
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Global solutions require...
Partnership between governments and NGOs
Participation by local people in designing
programs Dedication to financial and human
resources Commitment to essential factors in
population control
v Womens education v Womens employment
opportunities v Rise in womens legal and social
status v Decrease in infant mortality v Womens
reproductive health and family planning
services v Education of men
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UNs SustainableDevelopment Model
Economic development is linked to
environmental stability. Sustainable
development recognizes growing global
interdependence and promotes an integrated
approach. Sustainable development is long-term.
Sustainable development recognizes a general
responsibility.
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Creative Solutions
FOOD - Navdanya (9 Seeds) WATER - WASH (Water,
Sanitation And Hygiene for All) The UN has
declared 2003 as The Year of Freshwater. ENERG
Y - Global Village Energy Partnership
BIODIVERSITY Nature Conservancy Conservation
International Equator Initiative Global
Conservation Trust Ctr for Environmental Leaders
hip in Business Wildlife Conservation
Society Tropical Rainforest Conservation Act
Covington Burling
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Finding ConsensusIssues to resolve

• Resource Distribution
• Resource Consumption
• Coercion
• Respect for Culture and Tradition
• Freedom of Choice about Family Size
• The Value and Rights of Women