Mind map

Global Concerns

-Nick- English

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Global Concerns

Christian beliefs about the world
- To be used responsibly
  - Resources enhance and enrich our lives
  - We should take care not to damage or destroy things God made
- Made by God and precious
- The story of Creation
- To be good stewards
- Natural things have goodness
- To be taken care of
- Care for the environment
  - Protect
  - Sustainability
  - Share fairly
  - Preserve
Environmental problems
- Serious and increasing problems
  - Pollution
    - Factories
    - Incinerators
    - Nuclear plants
    - Cars
    - Power plants
    - Chemical plants
    - Rivers
    - Soil
  - Habitat destruction
    - Soil erosion
    - Silting
    - Landslides
    - Tropical Rainforest deforestation
      - Plants and wildlife destroyed
      - Trees are the lungs of the earth and remove CO2
      - Lost opportunity
        Species
        Medical cures
        Indigenous tribes
      - Lost landscapes
  - Abuse of natural resources
    - Limited supplies quickly drained
    - Resources become scarce
      - Countries fight
    - Technology destroys grasslands, forests and oceans
    - Extinction of species
      - Less variety
Climate change
- Atmosphere affected
  - Long term changes in "average weather"
    - Science says "The planet is changing... due to human activity"
    - Storms
      - Flooding
    - Drought
      - Wild fires
    - Increase temperatures
    - Increase wind
    - Melting of polar ice caps
      - Increased sea levels
- Serious and increasing problems
- We can't stop it
- Poorest countries hit hardest
  - Poor quality of life
  - Water shortage
- Reduced crop yield
- Gases from burning = increase greenhouse gasses = increased gobal temperature = climate change
- Increased death rate of elderly and sick due to heat
National and international responses
- National responses
  - Stern Report (2006)
    - Climate change is/was real
    - 1% of GDP to be spent to avoid effects of climate change
      - Failure to do so will cause world economic hardship
    - Humans are making things worse
  - UK Government policies
    - Encourage energy conservation and recycling
    - Increasing tighter building regulations
      - New builds to have loft and cavity wall insulation
    - Support development of new greener car fuels
    - Find non-carbon producing alternative energy
      - Renewable
      - Nucear
- International responses
  - EU 2020 targets
    - Reduce carbon emissions to 20% below 1990 levels
    - Have 20% of energy from renewable rescources
      - Wind farms
      - Solar power
      - Greenhouse gas-friendly power stations
    - Denmark achieves 20% of energy from windfarms
  - Kyoto Protocol (1997)
    - International Framework Convention on Climate Change
    - The aim is to reduce greenhouse gasses by 5%
    - Adopted on 11 December 1997. Came into force 2005
    - 182 states had signed by 2008
    - UK and Germany have reduced emissions
    - USA, China and India have increased their emissions
      - These countries have not signed the agreement
      - Unless these countries agree to reduce emissions, little anyone else will help
  - Earth Summits
    - Rio de Janeiro (1992)
    - To halt destruction of irreplaceable natural resources and pollution
  - Christian attitudes to Earth Summits
    - Joining ecological 'green' Christian organisations
    - Own report
      - Encouraging Christian and Church response
    - The Pope had 2700 solar panels on the Vatican roof
    - Cut personal carbon during lent
Christian responses to environmental problems
- Simple living, respect life
  - Don't waste rescources
  - 1971: Anglican Church declares environmental abuse "blasphemy"
- Be good stewards
  - Don't just see the problem as better management but as a moral crisis
- Look after creation
- Change lifestyle
  - Be less greedy
- Earth Charter Movement
  - Supported by over 2500 organisations
  - 13 principals
- Evangelical views
  - God's punishment of humanity for sin
    - Noah
  - Christians should prepare for the second coming of Jesus and final judgement, not stop climate problems
  - The end of the world is coming
    - Book of Apocalypse
  - Environmental catastrophe = God's plan
Christian beliefs about respect for each other
- Love
  - Compassion for others
  - Parables
- People are important
  - The Bible teaches us to love our neighbours as ourselves
- Respect
  - The glory of God is a person fully alive
  - The human person is sacred, unique, created by God in his own image
- Justice
  - Respect others
- Christian teachings
  - Human beings have a moral responsibility to help those in need
  - God takes human actions really seriously
  - Love for Jesus is shown through love and service to those less fortunate
  - Loving your neighbour is an essential part of being a Christian
  - Christianity is a religion where love for God is shown through deeds of practical, loving kindness
- Christians should
  - Respect others
  - Visit those who are sick or in prison
  - Care for strangers
  - Clothe and respect those who have lost everything
  - Provide for the hungry and thirsty
  - Follow Christian teachings to show love of God, obedience to Jesus and respect for human beings
Christians response to the need of the poor overseas
- Donate to charity
  - CAFOD
  - Christian Aid
  - Trocaire
  - Tearfund
  - Periods of fasting or giving up something
- Campaign against exploitation
  - Help others that are less fortunate
  - Help those who are being exploited
- Support FAIRTRADE
  - Oxfam
  - Traidcraft
The causes of world poverty
- Trade barriers
  - Unfair rules
- Bad government
  - Corruption and mismanagment = poor decisions
- Health care
  - Increased child mortality
- Environmental
  - Natural disasters, crop destruction and disease
- Greed
  - Rich countries abuse their positions and take more
- HIV/AIDS
  - People die young, countries can't develop
- Conflict or War
  - People flee, services suffer and War takes the resources
- Debt
  - Increased borrowing and difficulties in repayment
- Poverty Cycle
  - This is a cycle of decline
    - Hunger
    - Ill health
    - Less food
    - Less work
A world divided
- Poverty
  - 40,000 children starve to death daily
  - Extreme poverty means living on less than 1 dollar a day
  - 1 in 5 of the worlds population live in extreme poverty
  - Extreme poverty means not meeting basic needs for survival such as: food, water, clothing, shelter, sanitation, education and health care
  - Those born into poverty have reduced life expectancy
- Resource distribution
  - World resources are not evenly shared
  - Poor countries are known as LEDC's
  - The richest 1% of people own 40% of the world's wealth
  - 50% of the world's adults own 1% of world wealth
- Basic needs of the rich (R) and poor (P)
  - These differ greatly
  - Education
    - P = Illiterate
    - R = Free access to schools
  - Food
    - P = Food is scarce, expensive and malnutrition and disease exist
    - R = Food is cheap, plentiful and people overeat and are obese
  - Water
    - P = Unsafe, scarce supplies = child deaths and collecting of water
    - R = Good clean water easily avaible, taken for granted and are angry when the use of it is restricted
  - Health
    - P = Increased death rate before the age of 1. No drugs and no hospitals
    - R = Free GP's/hospitals. Subsidised medicines
  - Work
    - P = Unsafe employment, low pay, low skill, no opportunities
    - R = High income, job opportunities, safe working conditions, health and safety regulations and help for the unemployed
Individual and community responses
- Individual responses
  - Reduce, recycle and reuse
  - Stop using plastic bags
  - Say no to products with unnecessary packaging
  - Turn appliances off
  - Only turn taps on when you need water
  - Insulate lofts and walls
  - Use energy efficient bulbs
  - Make less car journeys
  - Buy local produce
  - Walk or cycle
  - No plane journeys
- Community responses
  - Buy local produce
  - No plane journeys
  - Walk or cycle
- Christian responses
  - Making church premises and gardens energy efficient
  - Autumn workshops
  - Radio discussions on climate change
  - Raising money for solar pannels
  - Make allotments
    - Distribute fresh vegetables to neighbours
  - Alternative services highlighting green issues
  - Solar panels on roofs
    - Contribute to the national grid
- There is only a short time left to do something
Aid agencies
- Faith in action
  - Support
  - Educate
    - Raise awareness
      - Poster, leaflets, videos...
    - Campaign to promote justice
  - Provide emergency relief
    - Shelters and food
  - Long term aid for development
    - Start-up investment
      - Communities to help themselves
- Trocaire
- Christian Aid
- Tearfund
- CAFOD