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What should we do about the environment?

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If you’re not part of the solution….

…you’re part of the problem.

What should we do about the environment?

Greenhouse effect

Global warming

Pollution

Slash and burn

Animal extinction

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The world’s rainforests are fast disappearing because we are cutting them down. Trees are bulldozed and burnt. This is known as slash and burn.

We are exhausting the planet’s non-renewable resources so quickly that they could soon run out altogether.

What’s the problem?

More than half of the world’s animal and plant species are found in the rainforests. They will lose their habitats.

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When trees are cut down their goodness is destroyed too.

Farming on cleared ground only lasts for only 1-2 seasons.

Millions of tonnes of CO2 rise into the atmosphere.

CO2 causes the greenhouse effect and global warming.

Animals lose their habitat, which may lead to extinction.

Problems caused by slash and burn

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Increase crops yields on good land so other land does not need to be used, or rainforests cut down.

Plant alternative sources of timber and wood for fuel.

Protect wildlife through habitat conservation.

Educate people through conservation projects.

Persuade governments to reduce the destruction of rainforests.

Solutions to slash and burn

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Key terms

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Recycle paper, plastic containers, tins and bottles.

Reduce car use: travel by bicycle, bus, train or even

walk.

Save energy: use low energy

lightbulbs in the home.

Conservation

Which is the best solution and why?

Conservation involves protecting the planet’s resources and not wasting anything. Here are three ways to conserve resources:

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Which is the best solution and why?

Organize conservation and ecology groups to

protect the environment

Preserve sacred sites and trees, create gardens

and sanctuaries

Support conservation

groups such as Friends of the

Earth and Greenpeace

Stewardship

Stewardship is a religious idea which says we should protect the planet as God’s caretakers. Here are three ways of protecting the Earth:

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Summary

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Greenpeace A Rocha

Friends of the Earth Noah Project

WWF Chipko Movement

Your task is to work in a group and role play being an expert representing one of the organizations in the box below. You will have to talk about environmental solutions.

As you read about the organizations note down their main aims and beliefs, and see if you can find out about any achievements and limitations of each group.

Group task

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prevent pollution of oceans and riversprotect whales from extinction by monitoring and studying the activities of whaling groupspromote world peace and long term solutions to environmental problems.

Greenpeace – ‘A green and peaceful future’

campaigns to:

Greenpeace aims to bring environmental problems to the attention of the world using non-violent methods.

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Friends of the Earth ‘Press for change’

It aims to:

Friends of the Earth is a pressure group that campaigns for solutions to environmental problems and aims to make the world a cleaner, greener place to live.

educate people about recycling lobby governments to ban products and practices that harm the environment encourage use of cleaner technology.

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WWF ‘Taking action for a living planet’

WWF takes part in environmental action to protect the natural resources on which we depend, such as seas and rivers as well as wildlife.

It seeks to:conserve endangered speciesprotect rivers, forests and oceansfind solutions that will benefit both people and nature.

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link its activities with Jewish festivals which remind Jews of how God looks after them preserve animal and plant life on earthpractise Jewish ideas about stewardship.

Noah Project – Jews and the environment

It aims to:

The Noah project was set up by British Jews who chosethe name because of the story in the Bible about Noah’sark in which he saved the animals and birds. It workswith other organizations such as Friends of the Earth.

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educate people about caring for the environmentpractise the Christian idea of stewardship in practical projectsestablish study centres and local groups.

A Rocha – Christians and the environment

A Rocha is a Christian conservation organization that first set up a field study centre in Portugal. Now there are A Rocha projects throughout the world, including the UK. Christians also support many environmental organizations, such as WWF and Greenpeace.

A Rocha aims to:

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prevent trees being cut down protest against the destruction of the forestspractise Hindu beliefs in non-violence and the unity and oneness of life.

It aims to:

The forests of India provide a vital resource for food and keep the soil and water levels stable. In 1973 Indian village women started the Chipko movement by throwing their arms around trees to prevent them being cut down by loggers. The word chipko means embrace.

Chipko movement – Hindus and the environment

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