wfn.org | Editorial: Church must be the Noah of climate change

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>3040 Edition

>May 31~June 6, 2010

Editorial: Church must be the Noah of climate change

>Translated by Lydia Ma

The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen that took place in  December 
last year

drew worldwide criticism from small and poor countries alike when  it failed to 
produce binding

agreements or strategies on capping carbon emissions.

Though it’s a disgrace that rich countries such as the US  were unwilling to 
take responsibility

and curb their carbon emissions, developing countries such as  Brazil, India, 
and China didn’t

fare much better by betraying poor countries and compromising the  future of 
our planet in

>exchange for economic aid and profits.

A look at environmental protection efforts in Taiwan reveals that  Taiwan isn’t 
doing much

better either. The Ma administration has given industries free  reign on the 
amount of

greenhouse gas emissions they spew out every year.

In spite of allocating funds toward projects promoting energy  efficiency, this 
administration is

simultaneously turning a blind eye to ever-increasing carbon  emissions from 
big industries

and has thus encouraged them to act irresponsibly.

The Ma administration further proved its disregard for  environmental 
protection and for

Taiwanese people’s welfare when it announced its plan to  reopen the 
controversial 4th nuclear

power plant before October 2010 as a present for the 100th  anniversary of the 
Republic of China.

Similar to genetic engineering policies, policies that promote  nuclear energy 
should be

rebuked by Christian churches because they contradict church  teachings on 
creation and

>promote disorder in the universe.

One could argue that though global warming is devastating, our  planet may 
still counteract its

effects as it has done previously through periods known as ice  ages, but the 
wastes left by

nuclear energy and the consequences wrought by genetic engineering  may never be

>reversible or swept out of existence.

The story of Noah and the ark, as well as the terrible flood, most  likely left 
a lasting impression

in our ancestors’ minds. But today’s society has  forgotten this lesson and has 
become even

more corrupt than people during Noah’s time.

As result, we can almost see this generation’s demise in the  recent string of 
natural disasters

and volcanic eruptions. These tragedies are eerily similar to  accounts of 
global destruction

>predicted in the book of Revelations.

We aren’t convinced that there’s nothing we can do to  save our planet from 
climate change,

however. As Christians in solidarity with oppressed people  everywhere, we pray 
for the God’s

judgment on this world as we near the end times – especially  when big nations 
become slaves

of mammon or claim reduction of carbon emissions or social justice  as covers 
for greater evil.

We don’t know if God will give humans another chance to  exercise authority 
over planet Earth

after natural disasters, but we can leave a legacy marked by  pursuit of 
justice and respect for

life for our descendants to model. This was Noah’s legacy and  we are called to 
follow in his

>footsteps.

Besides serving as prophetic voices in this generation and urging  all nations 
to actively and

justly deal with the fallouts of climate change, churches must  also warn 
against dangerous

technologies such as genetic engineering and nuclear energy.

Let us echo what Mark wrote: “The time has come. The kingdom  of God is near. 
Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15).

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