Christian Social Ethics Report

The global environment of the world is under attack every day. Global warming, deforestation and acid rain are just a few of the threats facing our world. Many people tend to turn a blind eye to these issues. Some people do not even want to acknowledge that these problems exist but, the facts are there and the number do not lie. The 2007 U.N. report concluded that evidence for global warming is unequivocal, and that the actions of humans are primarily responsible (Thompson, 2010). Awareness is the first step in fixing the problem. It is our responsibility as not only Christians but as human beings in general to be aware of the critical situation that our global environment is in. After awareness comes action. It is our obligation to make better choices and practices to help combat the massive amount of damage that has already incurred.

I experience environmental responsibility every day when I am at work. I am fortunate enough to work for a company who prides themselves on being extremely environmentally conscious.

We are a real estate development firm and we have recently built the only LEED certified platinum apartment building in the State of Maryland. Our company has started a new initiative where every building we build will be some level of LEED certification. We know how important it is to preserve the earth we live in and we are aware that any little bit helps. The truth regarding climate change and other threats to the environment cannot be overlooked. The first six months of 2012 were the hottest in the U.S. since 1985, when record keeping began. This was also the year the country experienced the worst drought in fifty-six years (De La Torre, 123). The earth is steadily getting warmer and because of this the earth is in crisis. There is a numerous fears that are associated with climate change. An eighteen-month 2012 study commissioned by the CI found that a “climate driven crisis could lead to domestic instability or international cries in food markets, water supplies, energy supplies, and the public health system” (De La Torre, 123). It is much more than just environmental issues. Risks to the environment can change life as we know it. We cannot just sit back any longer and deny that climate change is not a problem. It is our moral obligation as Christians and as human beings to spread awareness about this growing problem.
The Catholic Church has only recently began discussing the importance of environmental responsibility. Especially since the U.S. just began tracking climate change in 1985, the church never said too much about the issue in the past. In 2009 Pope Benedict XVI produced his social encyclical entitled “Charity in Truth” that enlarges the consistent ethic of life to include the natural environment. He states “the way humanity treats the environment influences the way it treats itself, and vice versa” (Thompson, 2010). This means that if we do not respect the earth and the environment that we live in, it reflects poorly on us, it shows a lack of respect for ourselves. Hearing this statement coming from the Pope was a game changer. It had Christians from all over stop and think that living environmentally responsible is the morally right way to live. Christian scripture tells us how important it is to protect the earth. We should view nature as one of our companions. The companionship model helps us to see this. This model enlarges the common good to include all of creation (Thompson, 2010). This means that when we are looking out for the common good we not just looking out for other human being but to the earth and all of creation as well. Thompson says “the foundation of the church’s environmental ethics is that creation is a gift of God entrusted to humanity to take care of and cultivate” (Thompson, 2010). We should do whatever it takes to limit the threats to the environment for the mere fact that the earth is part of God’s creation which was given to us. Thompson also goes on to say that “the church’s position is clearly anthropocentric or human centered. Humans are above nature, but should work with nature in meeting human needs” (Thompson, 2010). I tend to agree with this statement. I believe that the earth and all of its resources were given to us from God to use to sustain human life. However, we cannot abuse this gift. We should not want to abuse this gift because it was created and presented by God. If we do abuse the gift there will be nothing left to receive from the earth.
In today’s society there is still a spilt regarding thoughts on climate change and other environmental threats. I know it is shocking but there are educated people in this world that do not believe that global warming is a real and imminent danger. It is common knowledge that the first step to combatting a problem is no accept the fact that there is a problem. Without awareness nothing can change. De La Torre says “it seems, though, that our refusal to recognize the damage being committed to the environment constitutes the ultimate form of oppression, for it bring destruction to life (including human life) on this planet (De La Torre, 138). The social norm in the U.S. today should be to live environmentally conscious people should be ashamed by how much they consume and waste in their daily lives. We are already starting to see some of the effect global warming has created. De La Torre says “climate extremes, such as Hurricane Sandy’s destructive path through the Northeast in 2012, are but a foretaste on what might become the new norm” (De La Torre, 123). We need to view Hurricane Sandy as a wakeup call. Climate change can no longer be ignored. We must do everything in our power to reverse the destruction human beings have taken on the earth.
I believe that the Christian Social Ethics argument that best supports my opinion is that of Catholic social teaching.

Even though the Catholic social teaching ideology does not specially speak to environmental responsibility I think their view can be pertained to how we treat and care for the earth. For example, one who practices Catholic social teaching believe that an understanding of justice requires persons to be responsible for one another and to work together for common objectives (Class notes, 14). Pope John Paul II, a follower of Catholic social teaching, believed that this dedication to social justice not only helps the individual but also the common good (Class notes, 14). I consider that this belief relates to our obligation for being environmentally responsible because it benefits not only us as individuals but society as a whole and future generations to come. Taking care of the earth we live in sis doing what is best for the common

good.
I know that I am not the most environmentally conscious person there is. I am sure my carbon footprint can be a lot smaller. There is definitely more that I can do personally to help eliminate the attacks on our environment. But, I am aware that there is a problem, and as stated earlier, being aware of the existence of the problem is the first step.