Earth Day Online Discussion: Religion Meets Earth Day

Worldwatch Live Online Discussion

Gary Gardner and Erik Assadourian : Director of Research(GG) and Staff Researcher(EA)

April 18, 2003 - 2:00am EDT

Spring is a time for spiritual renewal not only for Christianity and Judaism, but for many other religions worldwide. Similarly, environmentalists all over the world are gearing up to renew their environmental commitment during upcoming April 22 Earth Day celebrations. Join Worldwatch researchers Gary Gardner and Erik Assadourian to discuss how the growing trend for unconventional alliances between environmentalists and people of faith could give an energizing boost to both. Already now, environmental initiatives by believers of many religions are helping to put the world on a more sustainable course.

Steve Conklin, Worldwatch Insitute: Welcome everyone, and Happy Spring! Today's discussion will be focusing on religious institutions, and how many of these groups of faith are making a commitment to improve our Earth's environment. Welcome, Gary and Erik.

Gary Gardner and Erik Assadourian : Thanks Steve, it's great to be here. Looking forward to a great discussion today.

: Be careful of the language you use. The expressions "spiritual lessons" and "sacred community forests" reveal a bias toward people who believe in God and against people who do not. By spinning Earth Day as religious you are excluding atheists from your discussion.

Gary Gardner and Erik Assadourian : THanks. When we refer to spiritually oriented people, we definitely include those who are not aligned with any religion or denomination, and those who do not believe in God (but who have a spiritual orientation).

Of course, any appeal to a particular group could exclude others who don't share the group's views, and that may well be the case here. Ironically, it may be religious people who have long felt excluded by the environmental community, since few environmental groups have made an effort to reach out to them. In recent years, however, that has begun to change, and that is why we've wanted to document this.

Richmond, VA: I serve on the Stewardship of the Creation Committee for the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. We explore ways in which our home churches can be more environmentally friendly, such as recycling, switching to incandescent light bulbs, and making our church buildings more energy efficient. I noticed the coffee initiative website in the WWI newsletter and will suggest that to committee members as well as my church. Do you have other suggestions for ways in which churches can be more environmentally friendly in their daily work?

Gary Gardner and Erik Assadourian : Great question. For starters, see this link that has some great suggestions: http://www.worldwatch.org/press/news/2003/04/08/. In general, we think religious groups can have great impact by addressing questions of sustainable consumption (and lowered consumption) as the coffee example does. So making your church more energy efficient; encouraging people to carpool; holding a farmer's market after services, with locally grown, organic food (or growing some of your own food) are all possible actions. In addition, religious groups can help us to make an emotional connection to nature by developing an appreciation for the spiritual value of nature--that a stand of forest, for example, is not simply so many board feet of lumber, but has an intrinsic worth (perhaps as the fruit of a Creative process, if that fits with your religious beliefs).

Washington, DC: Hi Gary and Erik-- Aren't religions really a large part of the environmental dilemma we find ourselves in? Afterall, many promote anthropocentric views of the world and the unsustainable mandate to "be fruitful and multiply."

Gary Gardner and Erik Assadourian : Religions are powerful because they help people wrestle with some of the deepest questions we have as human beings, such as "Who am I? Why am I here? What are my obligations to the people around me? To the natural world around me?" In other words, they help us to shape our worldviews. Sometimes this power is used well, and sometimes not. But as long as we continue to explore such deep questions, we will likely have religions around to help us wrestle with them, it would be foolish to ignore their influence. In addition, religions often add value to our understanding of issues of sustainability. Environmentalists are critical of excess consumption because of its environmental impact, which is certainly defensible. But many religions would argue that this critique, as valid as it is, does not go far enough. They would have us look at the corrosive effect of excess consumption on the human spirit as well. That's valuable additional insight.

Lansing, MI: Gary and Erik, Do you feel that religious institutions and anvironmentalism share much common ground, and is this the reason you think there has been an insurgence of religious peoples into the environmental movement as of late? Or do you feel that the sheer number of people of faith in the United States could not help BUT contribute to the environmental movement?

Gary Gardner and Erik Assadourian : We see a number of common interests among the two groups. As mentioned, both are critical of excess consumption, and both see value in nature that extends beyond its economic value. Both also tend to be committed to issues of social justice. So there is a broad foundation for collaboration between the two groups.

It's true that there are a good many people of faith in the US. Some 44 percent of the US public attends religious services at least once a month. And a 2001 poll indicated that 56 percent of Americans believe that the environment should be protected because "it is God's Creation." So the base would definitely seem to be there. (Actually, the surprise to us is that religions have only recently begun to become directly involved in these issues.)

As our culture becomes so focused on material satisfaction as the chief goal in life, religions may be sensing that they have a strong competitor in consumerism, and may feel the need to become once again critical of materialism.

That, plus the view that the environment is Creation may be motivating some groups, as for example the religious groups behind last fall's "what would Jesus drive?" campaign in the United States.

Richmond, VA: I agree that religious groups can help us to make an emotional connection to nature. I gave a talk at my church about my own spirituality being derived from my work with protecting the environment. It mostly has to do with feeling spiritually connected with all living things because I also believe in the theory of evolution. That can be a stretch for some religious groups (but probably appeals to atheists); however, if you emphasize our dependence on other living things and their dependence on us, then most people will be motivated to conserve and protect. For me, I just feel energized by nature – by the beauty, wonder, and power of it all. Therefore, I am motivated to reduce, reuse, and recycle. And I feel equally energized when I walk into a natural foods store because I know my consumption there has less of an impact on the earth. I don’t buy anything without thinking about where it came from and I don’t dispose of anything without thinking about where it is going to end up. I think that should be a key point in any environmental education program.

Gary Gardner and Erik Assadourian : Thanks, we agree. It's difficult for a lot of people today to develop the same appreciation for nature that you have, in part because we are so separated from nature in most of our economic activity. And an increasingly "virtual" society doesn't help (except when talking about the environment in web chats!)

The late biologist Steven Jay Gould noted that we need to develop the kind of emotional connections that you have, because "we will not fight to save what we do not love." Teaching us to love nature could be a valuable contribution from the religious community.

: Do some religions have a better track record on environmental issues than others? Taoists, for example, see heaven, earth, and humanity as a seamless whole, while western religions are much more dualistic, separating humanity from everything else. Are all religions potential allies in creating a sustainable world?

Gary Gardner and Erik Assadourian : Evaluating the environmental track record of different religions can be done on many levels, including scriptural teachings, actual practice, and potential for reform.

What's most important, we think, is the view expressed by Mary Evelyn Tucker of Bucknell University, when she notes that we should speak not of religious traditions, but of religious processes. Her point is that religions have been around for so long (longer than any other human institution) because of their capacity to adapt to contemporary circumstances. With the increased understanding of the sustainability crisis in which we live, many religions will recognize the importance of addressing these issues. Many already have, as the many examples cited in our "Invoking the Spirit" show. This adaptability makes all religions potential allies of sustainability, in our view.

Steve Conklin, Worldwatch Institute: Thanks for joining us today, Gary and Erik, and thank you to all of our contributors.

Gary Gardner and Erik Assadourian : Thank you, Steve. We enjoyed it!