Climate Justice in action
As we know, the climate changes now gripping our earth are most devastating to the poor. “Developing” nations such as India have long contended that wealthier nations are not taking full responsibility for their contributions to rising CO2 levels and thus penalize poorer nations who contribute proportionately less to climate change. In 2015, these claims threatened to derail the Paris agreement.
We saw conflicting scenarios in India relating to pollution control and conservation of resources. On the one hand, traffic congestion in the urban areas was chaotic and unremitting. Motorcycles are notoriously fuel inefficient, and with an estimated 37 million two-wheeled vehicles on the road, India is home to the largest number of motorcycles in the world. Even the means of speed control utilized on the roads must reduce gas mileage, even in smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.
On the other hand, we saw more media campaigns for reducing individual consumption of plastics and water. Some cities and states have banned the use of plastic bags, and one of the Bethania homes is using the production of newspaper shopping bags as skills training for its disabled residents. Cloth bags are given out at stores for carrying away purchases.
The monsoon rains failed to develop this fall, and in October, the city of Chennai (population: 10.6 million) ran out of water. Water is scarce, and actions are being taken to preserve this resource. Toilets all have dual flush systems. “Indian showers” (read: “Navy showers”) were common. In the rural areas, terraced fields that serve to conserve water through erosion control.
Our personal experience with poor air quality in India came as six of us traveled to New Delhi and Agra for some sightseeing. As has been reported in the international media, agricultural burning west of New Delhi and lack of wind to disperse the resulting pollution had pushed the air quality into the “extremely hazardous” range. The visibility was very poor and the air smelled smoky. We spent three days wearing face masks, almost the only people wearing them in the enormous crowds we encountered at the tourist sites.
As we returned to this country, with it’s seeming lack of commitment to climate justice, we are more aware of how the rest of the world is coping with, and suffering from, our lack of care for all God’s creation. We pray for the courage and wisdom to turn our thoughts and spirits to healing these wounds.
We saw conflicting scenarios in India relating to pollution control and conservation of resources. On the one hand, traffic congestion in the urban areas was chaotic and unremitting. Motorcycles are notoriously fuel inefficient, and with an estimated 37 million two-wheeled vehicles on the road, India is home to the largest number of motorcycles in the world. Even the means of speed control utilized on the roads must reduce gas mileage, even in smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.
On the other hand, we saw more media campaigns for reducing individual consumption of plastics and water. Some cities and states have banned the use of plastic bags, and one of the Bethania homes is using the production of newspaper shopping bags as skills training for its disabled residents. Cloth bags are given out at stores for carrying away purchases.
The monsoon rains failed to develop this fall, and in October, the city of Chennai (population: 10.6 million) ran out of water. Water is scarce, and actions are being taken to preserve this resource. Toilets all have dual flush systems. “Indian showers” (read: “Navy showers”) were common. In the rural areas, terraced fields that serve to conserve water through erosion control.
Our personal experience with poor air quality in India came as six of us traveled to New Delhi and Agra for some sightseeing. As has been reported in the international media, agricultural burning west of New Delhi and lack of wind to disperse the resulting pollution had pushed the air quality into the “extremely hazardous” range. The visibility was very poor and the air smelled smoky. We spent three days wearing face masks, almost the only people wearing them in the enormous crowds we encountered at the tourist sites.
As we returned to this country, with it’s seeming lack of commitment to climate justice, we are more aware of how the rest of the world is coping with, and suffering from, our lack of care for all God’s creation. We pray for the courage and wisdom to turn our thoughts and spirits to healing these wounds.
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