I challenge you.

by Francheska Ysabel A. Avera

An Advocacy Paper for the “Year of the Youth” 2019

Climate change is not a matter to be dismissed. It affects each of us, it chooses no race, no religion, no
social institution, nor caste. It doesn’t put exception in any country, all of us are affected, all of us need to act and
address the threat of climate change.

It is one of the biggest issues confronted by humanity, because in all countries, there is one problem we
all encounter and it is climate change. We need not to be skeptical of the science. We should not say that there’s
no proof because we are living the proof, that the state of the environment is deteriorating. Denial on climate
crisis is one of the reasons why some people feel the entitlement that they could continue their disrespectful
lifestyles. As stated in the encyclical book of Pope Francis, it is a way on how human beings try to satisfy
themselves and feed their self-destructive vices; dismissing reality, trying not to acknowledge them, and delaying
what is inevitable and pretending that nothing pivotal will happen. Instead of questioning if climate change is real
or not, we should wary and think of actual solutions. It is in the state of disconsolation that even if we start to take
the initiative and act at this very moment, the damage we’ve done could take decades to recuperate.

We could and should trust and rely on datas, but the emotions are what moves us, the actual experiences
are what ignites us to take actions. Climate change is both ecology and justice. The people experiencing poverty,
have less and less access to resources. The people who have done the least to cause the devastating state of the
ecology, are the ones who suffer most. It was clearly expressed in the encyclical book of Pope Francis that, “…the
needs of the poor, the weak and the vulnerable, in a debate is often dominated by more powerful interests.” People
in the state of poverty are less capable of adopting new methods to adapt with the consequences and changes
required for reducing the impact of climate change. They lack the means, and everyone should be aware that there
should be emphasis on that. In environmental issues, we are one single human family. There are no divisions,
political or social, and there should be no room for indifference.

“What has climate change got to do with my faith?” Acting on climate change is also about loving our
neighbors, taking care of God’s creation he so loved, and assuring a home for the future generations too. In
Leviticus 25:1-5, it is stated that “When God is teaching the Israelites how to be His people after rescuing them
from Egypt, He mandates that not only the people but the land that sustains them shall be respected.” The Bible is
filled with sentiment for the created world. We could manifest our love for God by loving the world that He loves.
God’s creation is a gift and it is our duty and responsibility to care for it.

We should be wary of the abuse Earth has endured. In the book of Genesis 1, it is stated that God looked
on the world He had made and called it good not once, not twice, but seven times. It is also written on Genesis
2:15 that, “God commands His image-bearers to “serve and protect” creation.” In the encyclical book of Pope
Francis, he asks us to replace consumption with sacrifice, replace greed with generosity, and wastefulness with a
spirit of sharing.

God convenes us to be good stewards of nature, and to empower each other in doing so. We should have
the empathy for those directly affected, and for our environment itself. We are disciples of God and we should
solidify in doing our duty. We shouldn’t decline the reality that we need to save our Earth from dying. If we keep
on denying that fact, the time will come when it would be too late. Pollution, global warming, abnormal sea water
levels, extreme weather conditions, non-potable water, scarcity in resources and the disappearances of crops and
animals have been more prominent, and the situation is far from improving.

We were made out of love, we were made for love, and through our generosity, solidarity and
compassion, we could make a positive impact and improve the deteriorating state of our mother nature. Although
it does not in reality solve global problems, hope lies with the environmental improvements done in some places
and countries. Advances in production of non-polluting energy and in the improvement of public transportation,
cleaning up rivers, restoring woodlands, beautified landscapes done due to environmental renewal projects show
us that we are capable of change.

Human influence has been the dominant cause of the global warming since the mid-20th century. Climate
Change is not just an environmental issue but rather an ethical one. In the encyclical book of Pope Francis, the
ethical and spiritual roots of environmental problems were given emphasis. Lives are being threatened by the
consequences also humans have caused. Indigenous lands and communities are being displaced and identities are
lost.

In our country, the Philippines, the Kaliwa dam issue resonated. Despite overwhelming rejection from the
Indigenous People clusters in the affected areas, the construction of the dam is pushing through at this very
moment. If the project continues to push through, the nature would not only be compromised, but the IPs would
be deprived of their rights to their land and resources as well, which is within their ancestral domains. Several
concerns are raised in regards with this issue, and we could only hope that the irregularities in the anomalous
process of the project would help in stopping the construction of the dam. On the other hand, the news regarding
the Amazon rainforest burning, prompted shock and fear across the world. It has become an “international crisis”
as the rainforest produces more than 20% of our oxygen. According to a published study of a group of researcher
scientists from London and United States of America, deforestation over 30 years in parts of the Amazon has been
destructive enough to ensure regional extinction for 38 species. These suggested that local regions will lose an
average of nine vertebrate species and have a further 16 committed to extinction by 2050. The study was
conducted way back 2012. Environmentalists and scientists have warned us, but risks seem to remain unchanged.
Deforestation has continued, leading to enormous risks for both the animal species and the people living there.

The poor will always experience the greater impact. Environmental problems require us to look for
solutions not only in technology, but in a change of ourselves, of humanity.

We sometimes forget that building a better future is inseparable in solving environmental crisis.
Production, often binded with economic objectives, is often not rational. Some productions product value that
does not necessarily correspond to their real worth, leading to overproduction giving negative impact on both the
environment and economies.

We express love for our neighbors by fighting for their right to live their lives on a habitable planet. Our
faith and hope motivate us to take action that can lead to transformation. We build courage. We seek grace, and set
ourselves free from unsustainable and dangerous patterns of consumption.

However, efforts and programs for the environment often die because of lack of interest. In reality,
environmental justice is not an option nor secondary. We are agents of change. One way of initiating awareness is
through social media. It is one of the medium used to extend the dissemination of the encyclical book of Pope
Francis, “Laudato Si’”, which pivoted towards hope. It manifested how being part of a community is important.
Having a collective identity uplifts spiritual identity, and intensify the positivity of hope of people working
together towards betterment.

Pope Benedict XVI spoke of an “ecology of man”, based on the fact that “man too has a nature that he
must respect and that he cannot manipulate at will”. In the theological implication on the second account of
creation, we are created connected to the Earth, we are created from it and we are to cultivate it and return to it in
death.

In the Eucharist, we are not only communed with God, it unites heaven and earth. It embraces and
penetrates all creation. The world which came from God’s hands returns to him in blessed and undivided
adoration. It is also a source of light and motivation for our concerns for the environment, directing us to be
stewards of all creation.
 The solution for climate crisis includes inner reflection. We all need to be a part of the solution. In order
to do that, we need a change in our lifestyle. Almost everyone is yearning for the fruits of modernization and fast
industrialization. This yearn have caused lost of entire ecosystems, and both the health of the people and the
environment are stressed and sacrificed. To address the problem, our cultural and religious values, theology ethics
and practices pushes us to give a broader response and build on the work that has already been done.

Ecology and justice should be perceived as one. It requires science, morals and religion. It’s also a linkage
in fundamental issues of human well-being and justice like economic inequities, poverty, war and peace, just
wages and the rights of workers.

Environmental advocacies could inspire readers and listeners, initiate change in practices and beliefs and
offer new insights and imperatives. Environmental issues should appeal to our emotions, to our senses. Human
and nature are not really separated. We people have our intrinsic values. Humanity is situated within nature. It
requires moral discernment and action. Advocacy movements for the environment is empowering. It affects how
certain people and communities perceive issues. It also creates a ripple effect. In the present time, churches are
actually doing what they can, and as individuals, we need to solidify for the future generations. We need to
provide justice and care and it could start by simply understanding and challenging the needs in changes. Climate
change requires adaptations due to devastation of resources, it creates conflicts which would require solutions. It
urges changes in the communities. Lack of awareness leads to indifference, but too much awareness on the other
hand has tendency to result in the state of immobility.

Advocacies like this could make a global movement in all religions. This issue would reach out beyond
the Christian world, different communities in consensus. It would urge leaders in speaking out, voice out for the
human suffering that are the consequences of climate change. It would encourage leaders in the language of their
own traditions and later extend to millions of people. Having a wider audience does not guarantee instant actions
or movements, but people would start paying attention, dialogues would start, new insights would arise and
experiences and claims would make an impression on people, and that impression could have an aftermath effect
of a change in lifestyle, or conveyance.

What Earth has endured is unfathomable. One could only imagine if we don’t change the harmful lifestyle
we have any sooner, our dependence on fossil fuels and plastics continue to outgrow the tolerance our mother
nature can provide. Caring for our common home is an essential part of our faith. We reflect God’s infinite
wisdom and goodness. We are the summit of His creation and stewards after all creation. We have our
responsibilities and duties as His stewards. The environment is a relationship existing between the nature and the
residents, us.

I challenge you to save our home. Let’s save our nature, let’s save ourselves. Let us save the future. It is
the right thing to do.

References:

Pope Francis (2015) ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE
FOR OUR COMMON HOME. Retrieved from https://w2.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/
encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si_en.pdf

Wearn, O., Reuman, D., Ewers, R. (2012) Extinction Debt and Windows of Conservation Opportunity in the
Brazilian Amazon. Retrieved from https://science.sciencemag.org/content/337/6091/228

(n.d) Bible Gateway. Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com