Article 2

Earth Activism

by Ruah Swennerfelt

There are overwhelming problems in the world today. We live in a very complex set of cultures which have to find some harmony to provide a safe place for future generations. There is a rampant amount of greed guiding our treatment of the living creatures on our planet. While there are too many problems to name them all, here are some examples which will help illustrate the need.

1. When I was a child I went camping each summer with my family in the High Sierras of California. I remember vividly the early morning “scoop” of water from the stream. How cold and delicious it was! My grandchildren cannot go camping today and drink the water from the streams without first filtering it. We are using the waters of the world faster than they can be replenished and we are polluting them as well.

2. In the 1930s a loaf of bread made from the flour grown in the mid-west was naturally full of vitamins. Today that same loaf of bread has to be fortified with vitamins because the soils are depleted of their nutrients from too much use of chemical fertilizers. The only naturally healthy loaf of bread today comes from flour grown organically (with natural fertilizers and no herbicides or pesticides).

3. Where I live in Vermont we have an abundance of deer. In the winter there is not enough food for such large herds and so they painfully starve to death. Humans have killed or driven out the natural predators of deer (such as wolves and mountain lions) and so the system is out of balance.

4. Today there are more malls than high schools! We live in a culture where the dominant voice comes from large corporations who take up much of television and radio air time (even with advertising in our schools) encouraging us to buy more and more and more. Many of these goods come from countries where people are not paid fair wages and even children are working long days. There is no justification for using children in this way, it’s just wrong. Many of the resources used to make the goods are depleting the natural resources of the planet.

5. Our love of the automobile has polluted our cities and making us demand more and more petroleum. This need for more oil has driven us to other countries to search for it, creating tensions and even leading us to war.

We must speak out

When we feel close to someone, say a friend or family member, we readily help them when they are in need. We care deeply for our pets and wouldn’t think of letting them suffer. So, if we practice the suggested activities below and begin to feel our interconnectedness with all creation, we may feel called to help wherever the needs may be. We must speak out on behalf of those who can’t. For our own survival (I don’t want to be too human centered, but this helps illustrate the point) we need the rich biodiversity of the planet. The trees produce oxygen, the animals and plants provide food, clothing, and shelter. Every living thing is part of a cycle of life where if you remove one part of the cycle, the rest suffers.

Many would like to act, but feel immobilized by the complexity and immensity of the problems. I often hear the following questions:

• What difference does it matter if I take the bus instead of my car? Or if I use cloth napkins instead of paper? Or if I conserve water or electricity?
• What can one person possibly do?
• Is this important enough that I must make do with less?
• What will I have to give up?

There is a fear of having to sacrifice for the good of the future. Can we continue this increasing use of the world’s resources? The resources are finite and we have to change. Yes, we will have to do with less. But we can work for a world where we have time for family and reflection. If we took our testimonies seriously, we would no longer feel afraid of change. We would have faith, as those Quakers before us, that with God’s help we can live full and rich lives without irreparable destruction of the earth’s natural resources.

It is important to keep aware of the issues of the day, not just “environmental issues,” because all the issues are interrelated.

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

—Matthew 5:19-20

In the next section are some suggested first steps towards a life of Earth activism. Start small. Don’t take on more than is possible for you or you’ll set yourself up for failure. But do take those first steps. God’s creation is depending on it.

Illustrative Activity

Practicing Earth activism

To become more active on behalf of the earth, start by making yourself aware of the issues. Learn from sources in addition to the conventional news reports. At the end of this book is a list of resources to help you begin.

Begin examining ways you can reduce your purchases, buy local, rather than transported, goods, walk or carpool or use public transportation more. Buy second hand clothing. Challenge your family to reduce energy consumption by installing compact fluorescent bulbs, turning the thermostat down, and replacing old appliances with “energy star” rated appliances. Be willing to talk about what you are doing. This is one of the most important steps. It will encourage others to take first steps so together we can really make a difference.

Try writing letters to your state and federal representatives. Friends Committee on National Legislation provides content for letters. Quaker Eco-Witness for National Legislation (QNL) publishes the bi-monthly Quaker Eco Bulletin on a variety of issues as well as periodic “Eco-action Alerts”. Work with members in your Church or Meeting to provide education classes on the issues of the day including steps for action. (A good resource for such a class is the Quaker Earthcare Witness pamphlet, Walking Gently on the Earth, an Earthcare Checklist.)Write letters to the editor of your local newspapers. Write articles for Quaker Life, Friends Journal, BeFriending Creation, or EarthLight Magazine.

Then, if you have made some personal changes, written some letters, made some phone calls, engaged others into action, and you still feel you are not doing enough, maybe you are being led to more actively demonstrate your concerns. Encourage others in your meeting or church to join together and participate in a vigil or march.. Search out neighborhood activities such as a plan to clean up a stream or lake, to preserve some land for wildlife habitat, create some bicycle paths, clean up a park or the roads, or some other worthwhile project. Working with others to make change can be an incredibly inspiring experience.

You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

—Matthew 5:14-16 

Questions for Reflection

• What do I do daily to remind myself of my connections with people, other creatures, and all that sustains life? How does this bring joy, thankfulness, and nourishment into my spiritual life?
• Do I treasure as sacred the whole of Creation?
• Do I honor the Life of all living things, the order of nature, the wildness of wilderness, the richness of the world? Do I seek the holiness which God has placed in these things, and the measure of Light which God has lent them?
• What actions am I taking to reverse the destruction of the earth’s ecosystems, and to promote the earth’s healing?
• Do I contribute ideas, effort, and resources to help heal and stabilize our ecosystem?
• As a member of my Friends’ community, as well as of my work and home communities, do I seek guidance in the Light for ways that I may lead and participate in actions which both heal the earth and inspire others regarding the urgency of this healing?

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