Environmental and medical issues

Environmental and medical issues

1. Keywords

   • ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION: injecting semen into the uterus by artificial means
   • CONSERVATION: protecting and preserving natural resources and the environment
   • CREATION: the act of creating the universe or the universe which has been created
   • EMBRYO: a fertilised egg in the first eight weeks after contraception
   • ENVIRONMENT: the surroundings in which plants and animals live and on which they depend on
   • GLOBAL WARMING: the increase in the temperature of the Earths atmosphere (thought to be caused by the greenhouse effect)
   • INFERTILITY: not being able to have children
   • IN-VITRO FERTILISATION: the method of fertilising a human egg in a test-tube
   • NATURAL RESOURCES: naturally occurring materials, such as oil and fertile land, which can be used by humans
   • ORGAN DONATION: giving organs to be used in transplant surgery
   • STEWARDSHIP: looking after something so it can be passed on to the next generation
   • SURROGACY: an arrangement whereby a women bears a child on behalf of another women

2. Global warming

   • caused by the greenhouse effect
   • caused by nature climate change
   • caused by solar activity
   • One solution is using ways of making electricity which do not produce carbon dioxide: wind, hydroelectric and solar power
   • Another solution is for car manufacturers using ethanol, biodiesel, electric batteries and hydrogen to power cars without carbon emissions
   • Increased use of public transport (trains by far the lowest carbon emission form of transport) could greatly reduce carbon emissions

3. Forms of pollution and their possible solutions

   • Acid rain (burning fossil fuels change ph of the rainwater in colours)
   • Human waste
   • Eutrophication (lack of oxygen ink river due to fertilisers being washed into streams, and sewage pollution)
   • Radioactie pollution
   • The soloition to acid rain is to create electricity from wind, sun, tides and nuclear energy
   • the problem of waste cold be solved by a combination of recycling, using incinerators to produce electricity and sewage to produce methane gas
   • Better sewage treatment, fewer phosphates in detergents and fewer nitrates in farm fertilisers could stop eurotrophication
   • some nuclear waste can be processed (97%) and the other 3% can be stored

4. The scarcity of natural resources

   • resources are a problem as those which cannot be grown again (non renewable resources), like oil and natural gas will disappear. this will lead to major problems our lifestyles as, for example, oil is used in making road surfaces
   • 1 solution is that we cold use renewable resources to make electricity
   • car manufacturers are looking at water, sugar cane and electric batteries as a way of powering cars
   • recycling will enable a lifetime of many resources to be extended
   • scientists are working on using chemicals to make plastics

5. Christian teachings in stewardship

   • the Bible teaches that Christians...
     • were given the right to rule over the earth, but only as stewards (Genesis)
     • have a responsibility to leave the earth a better place than they found it (Jesus teaching in the parable of the Talents/Minas)
     • have a responsibility to ensure the earths resources are shared fairly (Jesus teaching in the Gospels)
     • will be judged whether they have been good stewards of Gods earth ( Jesus teaching in the Gospels)
   • how beliefs about stewardship affect Christian attitudes to the environment...
     • the responsibility to be Gods stewards and to leave the Earth a better place than they found it means that Christians should try to reduce pollution and preserve resources
     • Christians should show stewardship by working to share the earths resources more fairly and improve the standard of living in LEDC'S
     • The belief that they will be judged on their behaviour as stewards mean Christians should help the work of groups which try to reduce pollution and conserve resources
     • Christians should judge what they do in life by the standards of Christian stewardship, in order to become a good Christian
   • Islam and transplant surgery
     • Most muslims do not agree with transplant surgery because...
     • the Shari'ah teaches that nothing should be removed from the body after death
     • it is playing god which is the greatest sin of shirk
     • they believe they need all their organs for ressuretion on the last day
     • Some muslims allow transplants from close relatives because...
     • some Muslim lawyers have said it is allowed
     • The muslim law council of the UK says that Muslims can carry donor cards and have transplants
     • Islam aims to do good and help people

6. Islam teachings on stewardship

   • Islam teachings...
     • that God created Adam as his Khalifah (someone who looks after things for you). This means all Muslims are Gods Khalifahs who have to keep the balance of creation and look after the earth in the way set out in the Qur'an nd Shari'ah
     • Islam also teaches that people will be judged by God on the way they have looked after the Earth and the life on Earth
     • Islam teaches that this life is a test from God. The main part of this test is looking after the environment in the way of Islam. Those who fail will be punished
   • How Islamic teachings about stewardship affect attitudes to environment...
     • The responsibility to be Gods Khalifah means that Muslims should try to reduce pollution and preserve resources.
     • the Shari'ah and ummah tell Muslims that Stewardship includes sharing earths resources, so Muslims should work to share the Earths resources more fairly and improve the standard of living in LEDCs
     • The belief that they will be judged on their behaviour as Khalifahs means Muslims have a duty to help the work of groups which try to reduce pollution and conserve resources
     • There is a unity and balance in creation so Muslims have a duty to preserve the environment

7. The nature and importance of medical treatments for infertility

   • Infertility treatments are important as infertility has become much more of a problem. As many as 12.5% of couples in the UK have fertility problems
   • Infertility treatments are important because n 2007, 12% of all births in the UK were as a result of fertility treatments
   • It is part of human nature to want to have children and raise a family, and if treatments can help people achieve this, then they must be important
   • Psychological problems are caused if couples are desperate to have children but cannot. Infertility can prevent these problems from becoming mental illnesses

8. Different attitudes to infertility treatments among Christians

   • Catholics want to help fertile couples, but day that all treatments involving medical technology are banned because
   • all forms of artificial insemination or surrogacy involve the sin of male masturbination
   • all forms of embryo technology involve fertilisation being separated from sex, but god intended procreation to be a part of sex
   • IVF involves fertilising several eggs, some of which are thrown away, which is the same as abortion in which the church bans
   • Other christian Churches allow IVF and AIH as one of the purposes of christian marriage is to have children, so infertility treatments must be good
   • In these treatments the baby will be the biological offspring of its mother and father
   • The discarded embryos are not foetuses and so life has not benen taken

9. Islam and infertility treatments

   • Islam accepts IVF and AIH because...
   • the egg and sperm are from the husband and wife
   • all muslims should have a family
   • The unused embryos are not foetuses do life is not being taken
   • Islam do not allow any other treatments because...
   • they deny a childs right to know its natural parents
   • egg or sperm donation is like adultery
   • they are the same as adoption which is banned in Islam

10. The nature and importance of transplant surgery

    • transplant surgery is important as it cures life threatening diseases (like kidneys not working) and improves peoples lives (like giving sight to bind people)
    • transplant saves over 3000 lives a year
    • more people need transplant surgery every year so transplants are essential
    • transplant surgery gives people a chance to help others after their death by using organs which would otherwise be buried or burned

11. Different attitudes to transplat surgey in christianality

    • Most christians agree with transplant surgery, but would disagree with organs being brought from poor people because...
      • those who believe in immortality of the soul believe the body is not needed after death
      • Leaving organs for others is a way of loving your neighbour
      • those who believe in resurrection believe that God will not need the organs to raise the body
      • leaving your organs is a way of treating others as you would want to be treated
      • The bible says the poor should not be exploited
    • Some Christians agree with transplants using organs from living people, but not the dead. They do not allow payment for organs either because...
      • transplanting organs from the dead to the living is playing god which is a great sin
      • organs such as the heart are an essential part f a person created by god
      • Donating your living organs is a way of loving your neighbour
      • Paying for organs is exploiting the boor, which is banned in the bible
    • some christians do not agree with transplants at all and do not carry donor cards because...
      • they believe it ignores the sanctity of life
      • they believe it is playing god which is a great sin
      • it raises the problem of when someone is dead, and whether the surgeon saves the life of an unknown accident victim or the patient they know who needs a transplant
      • it takes resources from less expensive cures which could help save far more people than a single transplant