It is easy to blame companies and countries that we know are negatively affecting the health and stability of the environment. Take Russia, for example, which on Oct. 19 lied about its methane as emissions compared to satellite imagery, according to a report by The Washington Post.
It is much harder to look at yourself and those around you and to consider what you do that may be contributing to global environmental decline. While we might not feel the effects of climate change in every state in America, some states are already experiencing devastating consequences, as are most other countries in the world.
The term “climate change” has been politicized in American culture. One party believes in climate change, and another party believes that it doesn’t exist, or that it isn’t as serious as some scientists are claiming. How is it possible that we can continuously pollute the air and oceanic ecosystems, and not affect the environment in some way?
Some alarming effects of a changing climate that we see today are longer fire seasons and rising water levels near lakes and oceans. During the early stages of COVID-19, when production and pollution output halted, coral reefs, which had long been dead in Hawaii and Australia, came back to life according to National Geographic.
The world as a whole has contributed to the near extinction of the type of bananas that we eat today. According to Forbes, if we don’t make any changes to our environmental footprint, by 2050, the cocoa bean that makes chocolate will become extinct. Almost worse, the most popular coffee bean, arabica, is already on the endangered species list, per a CNN report.
Environmentalism is not a political issue. We all love our mocha drinks and banana bread, and we all agree that these good things are worth saving. If we continue on this path, our everyday favorite food items will be an expensive luxury.
Furthermore, environmentalism is a Christian cause. Man’s first job was to take care of the plants and animals, and we are called to continue this work as good stewards of the land. So many of us use the outdoors as a way to see God’s provision, beauty and creativity. This alone is reason enough to want to see nature thrive. There are so many reasons to protect Earth: our health, our daily foods and drinks, adorable animals, our religious views, reflection and recreation. As nature lovers, we encourage you to do your own research outside of politics and take stock of what you enjoy in nature. If we fail to acknowledge that humans have a huge impact on the health of the environment around us, we may lose everything about nature that we love.