| Caring For Planet Earth - At What Cost? |
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I’m not one of those Christians who think we shouldn’t care for the environment because one day God’s going to make a new earth. That’s like saying: “One day God’s going to give me a new body so why bother to give the one I’ve got right now the rest, exercise and good food it needs?” We look after our bodies because we have to live with them right now – and that’s the same reason we should look after the earth! (See Genesis 2:15).
But not everyone is driven by this motivation of care. Some people are motivated by fear – fear of the future if we don’t change our ways now. Others are driven by a trendy political correctness – i.e. it’s cool to be a greenie!
Now, please hear me. I’m not saying we shouldn’t care for the environment. I am saying that we need to have a balanced environmental approach that takes into account the health of Australia – its businesses and its people. Trackback(0)
Comments (3)
  written by Steven Ashdown, July 04, 2008
The Enviroment is a Major Priority in this day an age, and I welcome the Federal Governments move to make this a high priority on there list in governing for the nation, and believe it is one reason why they were elected last year.
Kevin Rudd in his month as PM made the move in signing the Kyoto Protocol, and believe this was a strong Principle in standing up for the Enviroment with other Countries around the world, in cutting emmisions & setting Targets. China & India are the biggest in creating Greenhouse Gas Emissions & the U.S are not far behind, on the other hand Personally I beliave that we can be a light to the rest of the world by setting strong standards in reducing Emissions, that is every person in this nation. The Emissions Trading Scheme will make people think twice about using energy, with what is to be expected to be an increase in prices, and even Buinesses, especially Big Businesse that have a major part to play in producing emissions. Both the Public and Businesse, along with the Government about to put in place the Carbon Scheme, need to make big and chellenging sacrifces in the 21st Century in finding the balance between managing, affording, and planning with there Finance, Family life, and there Energy use Consumption to be a part of Australia believing that we can be a big leader in Climate Change across the world. It's not going to be easy, times are tough with increase in prises going up, and will be continuing to up, especially World Oil Prices. report abuse
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 written by Shalini, July 05, 2008
When it comes to caring for the planet, politics and economics aside, I'd just like my future children, everyone else's kids and generations to follow to have the same opportunity as I have- to be mesmerised by a perfect sunrise, to swim in an unpolluted sea, to breathe fresh air, to be able to see the green leaves of trees touched by sunlight, to learn about an enormous variety of plants and animals, and to see God's handiwork in all the vibrant colours that nature displays. Even the smallest difference made to protect that legacy would be worth it. And that is my rant for the evening!
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China and India is where the difference needs to be made but developed nations set the example a long time ago. Once upon a time our politicians manipulated the belief that God gave his people dominion over the earth to mean that He gave us permission to pillage it for all it was worth, and then some more. When we exhausted Europe, we took our technology and colonised most of the rest of the planet. We set the standard.
When Kevin Rudd signed the Kyoto Protocol, I felt proud. Because that is a transformation in the spirit of this nation's politics. We recognise that a sustainable environment is not a national issue but an international one. By setting emissions targets, the protocol seeks to resolve the issue internationally. And every nation needs to play a part for this thing to work, including us.
Australia's being planet conscious isn't as much a problem as how we are going about making the difference. We haven't addressed the issue at its source: we continue to rely on the sorts of large technological solutions to national problems that got us here in the first place. We continue to rely on an economy of limitless growth (while the environment clearly has its limits). The amount of money we spend on non-renewable energy sources if spent on developing renewable sources could make us a light to the rest of the world (both literally and figuratively).
Where Australian businesses are concerned, very few see the environment as a stakeholder. We seem to be able to take on corporate social responsibility a bit better than environmental sustainability, probably because our lives are mostly so removed from the natural environment. And that's a blindspot.
Maybe if people and businesses as a whole shift from the inside out (even if as slowly as necessary), then our leadership may not be under such pressure to force change from the outside in.