Page 13 - PC Issue 14 Summer 2020

Connection
JUSTICE
Creation Care and Loss
presbyterian.ca
SUMMER 2020
PRESBYTERIAN
13
of Biodiversity
By the International Affairs Committee and Justice Ministries
The creation stories in Genesis are well-loved and frequently cited in creation care theology. Genesis tells us much about God’s intentions for creation: we know from Genesis that God is the creator of all things; that everything created by God is good; and that humankind was given spe- cific responsibilities to care for crea- tion. It is clear that God loves and delights in creation, yet the capacity of humankind to influence the natural world has reached an unprecedented scale that has pushed natural sys-
tems to their limits and had a dev- astating impact on this beloved and biologically diverse creation.
Over the past three decades, more and more scientists have begun to express concern that the world is on the brink of a mass extinction event of anthropogenic (human) origin. Pe- ter Sale, a Canadian oceanographer and ecologist with a lifelong study of coral reefs, states humans “are responsible for most of the extinc- tion occurring today, and the rate is somewhere around 0.1 percent of extant species per year... [This means that] species are now disap- pearing at a rate of about a thousand
times faster than the average rate of extinction over the last five hundred years.”
While climate change is a growing threat, overexploitation of species, agricultural activity and land conver- sion are still the dominant causes of current biodiversity loss. Unless steps are taken to protect currently unexploited land, it is projected that only 10% of the Earth’s land sur- face will remain in a natural state by 2050. Wetlands around the world are estimated to have declined by more than 50% since 1900. The increasing expansion of commercial agriculture has resulted in the loss of 40% of all tropical and subtropical forests. In the Amazon rainforest, approximately 6 million hectares, an area of rainfor- est equivalent in size to the American state of West Virginia, is deforested every single year.
It is not only land that is affected: biodiversity in the world’s oceans is threatened by climate change, over- fishing, acidification and pollution. At the present time, an estimated 90% of seabirds have fragments of plastic in their stomachs, while in 1960, it was only 5%. Additionally, the world has lost almost half of its shallow water corals in just the last 30 years and unless current levels of global warming, ocean acidifica- tion, bleaching and overfishing are
YOUTH
addressed, it is projected that coral reefs will cease to exist by the end of this century. They will have become the first full ecosystem in the world to have been totally destroyed and eliminated by human activity. This would have a significant effect not only on biodiversity but also food se- curity: coral reefs provide habitat for one quarter of all marine species and millions of people depend on coral reefs for food.
As Christians consider the mount- ing ecological crises, it is easy to despair and ask ourselves, why must we deal with this? The challenges are of course too complicated for any one person or any single group to tackle, but the call to serve and love God includes all creation and us among it. Environmental degra- dation, including pollution, climate change and declining biodiversity have multi-generational causes and impacts. These challenges are bound up in the snare of global politics, and Canada’s actions contribute to these challenges on a global scale.
Despite this, there are many ac- tions we can take to address biodi- versity loss both as individuals and churches. We can write government ministers in support of biodiversity efforts. We can “biodiversify” our homes: use environmentally friendly products and dispose of chemi-
cal and hazardous materials safely; landscape using native trees and plants that attract beneficial insects and bees; plant more flowers than grass. If we choose to eat seafood, we can seek out sustainable options, avoiding endangered species like Bluefin Tuna or North Sea cod and instead purchase seafood labelled with the blue MSC (Marine Steward- ship Council) logo or Ocean Wise Seafood (a program founded by the Vancouver Aquarium) symbol.
Church properties can also make a difference. Churches can plant a bee garden or build bird houses or bat boxes; they can par tner with other groups to encourage and suppor t lo- cal government initiatives that protect habitats and suppor t biodiversity; they can use locally and ethically sourced seasonal food for church meals.
Actions Christians take to support biodiversity honour the love and de- light God shows for creation and take seriously the responsibility humans have to treat creation—ourselves in- cluded!—as beloved by God.
To learn more about biodiversity and access the sources of the statistics quoted here, see the 2020 interim report of the International Affairs Committee to the General Assem- bly, posted on the PCC’s website at presbyterian.ca/ga2020
C.Y. We are Waiting
By Jo Morris, CY2021 Coordinator
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind. (Isaiah 40:31, The Message)
Little did the planners of Canada Youth 2020 know how ironic the theme for the event (No End in Sight) would turn out to be. At the time of writing, there is no end in sight to the shifting new normal that we are all experiencing through this pandemic. And so, we are waiting.
The CY events have been respon- sive, flexible and always attentive to the needs and curiosities of our denomination. At the height of a Ca- nadian refugee response, CY2016 in- vestigated the complexity of “Home”
and what it would require of us all to welcome neighbours to their new home. We were feeling “Rooted” and grounded at CY2009, having found a secure place within the life and times of the denomination. In 2003, when CY was still in its infancy, the event looked to the future and stood “On the Edge of a Wave,” reflecting on how the still-new millennium was impacting our PCC congregations. With each turn of the calendar, CY was willing to look wide-eyed into the current times and then choose a direction for its focus.
The same is true now. The deci- sion to postpone CY2020 was made carefully, taking into consideration a variety of important factors: Brock University’s cancellation of third party events until June, the need for congregations to focus on the imme- diate pastoral considerations without distraction, and the reality that it was
simply time to pause and wait. It was clear that attention needed to be on more pressing considerations.
It is difficult to wait—especially for something as vibrant and unique as CY. Congregations across the coun- try have been fundraising for many months. Travel plans were underway, roommates were being chosen, ex- pectations were high. We were in the final stages of confirming all program elements, and event registration was about to be launched. And then sud- denly, the future was unclear. Our quick march toward July 6, 2020, slowed to a crawl.
We have to wait.
We will make good use of this waiting time. We have been given the gift of an additional year to make CY2021 strong and exciting. The extra time allows us to focus on the current needs of the future CY2021 par ticipants—listening, collaborat-
ing, asking some smart and difficult questions and discussing the pos- sibilities. Staying engaged and con- nected in the life and work of our congregations as they re-imagine their ministry will be so important.
CY has a lengthy list of extraor- dinary leaders and the event has been blessed by the wisdom and talent of these folks. They come from all places within our PCC fam- ily: youth, elders, teachers, clergy, seniors, staff and volunteers. They will inspire and connect the CY plan-
ners to the present realities of our PCC family. It is not simply a case of pushing Play on the schedule that had been designed for CY2020. CY2021 will be redesigned to be responsive, flexible and attentive to the current needs and curiosities of our denomination.
We will share new information about CY2021 as it becomes avail- able. Please pray for the planners and participants who are waiting.
We can hardly wait to be together at CY2021.