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Mitigating Emerging Environmental Issues in the
Contemporary World: the Role of Faith-based organisations and Implications for their Growth in Nigeria
J. I. Offor1, J. E. Umunnakwe2
1Lecturer, Agric Sc. Dept., Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri
2Lecturer, Dept. of Environmental Management, Federal University of Technology Owerri [email protected]
I. Introduction
Emerging environmental problems in the last decades have been accumulated to the old ones, bringing new challenges to international and national environmental protection institutions (Valavanidis, 2019). At the outset it is important to point out that ‘emerging issues’ is a subjective concept. What qualifies as ‘emerging’ to one community may be yesterday’s news to another. Here emerging is meant to apply to those issues already recognized by the scientific community but thought to be insufficiently attended to by the policy community and the rest of the society (UNEP, 2012). The emerging issue must be critical to the global environment and must be environmental in nature or environmentally related. The issue has to be of a large spatial scale. It should either be global, continental or
“universal” in nature (by “universal” we mean an issue occurring in many places around the world). The recognition of an issue as ‘emerging’ is based on newness. Newness of an issue can be as a result of new scientific knowledge, new scales or accelerated rates of impact, a heightened level of awareness, and, or new ways to respond to the issue (UNEP, 2012).
Abstract
The world today is confronted with many different emerging environmental issues. The recognition of an issue as ‘emerging’ is based on newness. Newness of an issue can be as a result of new scientific knowledge, new scales or accelerated rates of impact, a heightened level of awareness, and, or new ways to respond to the issue. This paper highlighted major emerging environmental challenges, to include: climate change, ozone layer depletion, energy crisis, biodiversity loss, flooding, overpopulation, and pollution. Scientific/policy solutions to environmental issues were discussed. The paper revealed the difficulty of finding universal solutions to environmental problems. A new strategy is needed to inflict urgency of environmental protection that can relate to any person’s principles no matter their walk of life. For this reason, it was necessary to evaluate the legitimacy of the church, a veritable faith-based organisation as a possible motivation and tool to mitigate environmental challenges. Christianity with their large numbers in Nigeria was seen as having the potency to make people obey environmental laws; educate people on the need to be environmentally friendly in all their activities- the ‘green church’
was recommended in the paper. It was asserted that the green church will attract more worshippers, therefore leading to church growth in the 21st century.
Keywords
Emerging issues; green church;
faith-based; church growth, mitigation
Budapest International Research and Critics Institute-Journal (BIRCI-Journal) Volume 4, No 4, November 2021, Page: 13490-13497 e-ISSN: 2615-3076 (Online), p-ISSN: 2615-1715 (Print)
www.bircu-journal.com/index.php/birci email: [email protected]
The two most powerful forces ruling our world today are science and religion. Both attempt to explain our reality as humans as well as shape decision making in our everyday lives. Due to inconsistencies, mainly biological topics, the two have been separated as contradicting beliefs in other fields (Allen, 2018). However, one of history’s most awarded scientists was very vocal about the relationship of the two. In 1940, Albert Einstein declared “science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind”. Einstein is arguing that the two subjects do not make sense without the other. Continuing to keep the two separated may be prohibiting further progress to our world’s greatest issues. Currently environmental issues are growing worldwide, and are only expected to get worse. Clean air, resource availability, and bio-diversity are all decreasing. Despite an increased number of terrestrial and marine protected areas and their overall land coverage, bio-diversity continues to drop rapidly (IUCN and UNEP, 2012; Allen, 2018). Researchers propose the lack of progress on successful conservation is due to efforts focusing on technical solutions as opposed to resolutions that relate to people’s vision and values (Vucetich, 2010). A new strategy is needed to inflict urgency of environmental protection that can relate to any person’s principles no matter their walk of life.The Christain religion is growing in leaps and bounds in Nigeria with the congregations seeing their leaders as role models whose positions on issues of life are like laws that must be obeyed. For this reason, it is necessary to evaluate the legitimacy of the church as a possible motivation and tool to mitigate environmental challenges.
II. Review of Literature
2.1 Highlight of Some Emerging Environmental Issues
Environmental issues or challenges are enormous. Some may be localized, evident in some areas; while others are wide spread, global in nature (eg. climate change). It is pertinent to note that all these issues are related with each other by some or the other way, and hence, tackling them one by one has just become difficult. Highlights of major environmental concerns are made below:
2.2 Climate Change/Global Warming
Climate change has become more than obvious over the past decade, with nine years of the decade making it to the list of hottest years the planet has ever witnessed (Anand, 2013). The 2001 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates a rise of the average global surface temperature by 0.6±0.2℃ since 1861 and forecasts a further rise by 1.4℃ to 5.8℃ until 2100 and a rise of the sea level of between 9cm and 88cm. The observation by Japan Meteorological Agency indicates a rise of the average annual temperature by about 1.0℃ over the last 100 years and the most obvious signs of this include irregularities in weather, frequent storms, melting glaciers, rising levels of sea etc. Going by the prevailing conditions, it is not difficult to anticipate that the planet is heading for a dramatic climate change in near future.
2.3 Ozone Layer Depletion
Similarly, the accumulation of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other industrial chemicals in the atmosphere has degraded the stratospheric ozone layer, increasing levels of ultraviolet radiation – the major risk factor for developing skin cancers. CFCs, composed by chlorine, fluorine, and carbon, have a long lifecycle, which favours their accumulation. CFCs do not easily react with other substances. In fact, they break up only through sunlight, which divides their molecules, causing the release of chlorine (Cl). Once
the chlorine is released, it is able to react with ozone (O3), to form chlorine monoxide (ClO) and oxygen (O2) (Lifegate, 2015).
Cl + O3 = ClO + O2
When the molecule of chlorine monoxide (ClO) meets another molecule of oxygen (O) it breaks up, releasing chlorine (Cl), which can “destroy” another molecule of ozone (O3), creating the catalytic cycle of chlorine (Lifegate, 2015).
ClO + O = Cl + O2
2.4 Overpopulation
Yet another major global environmental issue is overpopulation. As the population of world continues to soar at an alarming rate, the pressure on the resources of the planet is increasing. These problems associated with overpopulation range from food and water crisis to lack of space for natural burial. Overpopulation also results in various other demographic hazards. Incessant population growth will not just result in depletion of natural resources, but will also put more pressure on the economy. After all sustaining a huge population requires quite a mammoth effort for a nation, as far as finance is concerned.
2.5 Pollution
This is perhaps the most obvious, yet most ignored global environmental issue in this list of environmental problems. The term 'pollution' in itself has several other aspects, prominent ones among which include air pollution, water pollution and land pollution.
Basically, mankind is to be blamed for this issue as our activities tend to hamper the environment at an alarming rate. If this trend continues, we will be very soon left without any fresh air to breathe, and clean water to drink. Land pollution, owing to human activities, and desertification, due to loss of vegetation has left the surface of the planet unsuitable for human use. Land degradation can be attributed to the fact that we have become too laid-back in terms of preservation of the nature.
2.6 Conservation of Species
Yet another global environmental issue, species conservation basically deals with conservation of flora and fauna, in order to curb the extinction of species. Extinction of a single species of plant or animal results in a dramatic imbalance in the ecosystem, as a number of other species dependent on it directly or indirectly are also affected. Over the last century or so, several plants and animal species have become extinct thus resulting in a major loss for the biodiversity of the planet (Anand, 2013).
2.7 Energy Crisis
The fact that we are largely dependent on fossil fuels for our energy requirements has made us significantly vulnerable to severe energy crisis. Though, quite a few renewable energy sources have been identified, none of them have been promising enough when it comes to replacement of fossil fuels as the major source of energy for mankind. Attempts to tap the full potential of these sources are in progress, and our future by and large depends on these attempts, as fossil fuels are on the verge of exhaustion (Anand, 2013).
2.8 Exploitation of Natural Resources
Our greed for more has left us empty handed in terms of natural resources in several parts of the world. Several human activities, including the likes of mining, agriculture, fishing etc., has resulted in drastic degradation of our natural resources. While mining and
agriculture have triggered large-scale deforestation, over fishing has only resulted in the reduction of population of marine creatures inhabiting the planet (Anand, 2013). If the trends continue, we are bound to exhaust those natural resources on which we are dependent, and thus dig our own graves.
2.9 Land Use
Global environmental problems pertaining to the land are not just restricted to haphazard waste disposal or large-scale deforestation, but also to improper use of land.
Natural environment is being destructed to make way for urban sprawl, which is indirectly resulting in loss of habitat for several species. Fragmentation of land owing to construction is also a major factor when it comes to improper land use. All these factors together result in several problems, including soil erosion, degradation of land and desertification (Anand, 2013).
2.10 Nuclear Issues
Nuclear power does have high potential, but the problems associated with it are no less. Radioactive waste from nuclear power plants is one of the major problems we are likely to face, especially if safety regulations are not followed properly. Chernobyl tragedy has set an example of how nuclear waste can lead to disaster for mankind, and no one would like to see another Chernobyl happening. It does not end here as the threat of some nation diverting its nuclear power to produce nuclear arsenal is always looming over the mankind (Anand, 2013).
III. Results and Discussion
3.1 What are Human/scientific Solutions to these Emerging Environmental Challenges?
Society has already confronted a host of global environmental challenges including loss of biodiversity, climate change, water and land degradation among others, and, through persistence and ingenuity, has found many solutions to these challenges. Now the question is whether society has the right capabilities to implement these solutions? Many commentators believe that the answer to the capabilities question is simply “no”, and that a huge effort is needed on all fronts before society is adequately equipped to deal with the sustainability challenge of the 21st century. ‘Capabilities’, in this sense, means the necessary job skills, modes of learning, management approaches and research efforts. As put by the International Council of Science (2010) ‘…the global scientific community must take on the challenge of delivering knowledge required to support efforts to achieve sustainable development in the context of global environmental change…’
Presently, more than 900 intergovernmental agreements with provisions on environmental protection are in force. Major environmental summits – such as the Conferences of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – regularly draw several thousand participants and observers. Global environmental policy has become a core item on the agenda of the UN system and of regional organizations alike (UNEP, 2012). Despite the size of the effort, it is not clear that the current system of global governance is adequate for the necessary transition to sustainability. In an October 2011 report, Biermann and many other social scientists argue that a core challenge for environmental policy is to align and revitalize governance, at all levels, to the pressing needs of global environmental change and the possible disruption of the earth system (UNEP, 2012).
Accordingly, the Kyoto global warming agreement reveals the difficulty of finding universal solutions to environmental problems. Developing nations would not consider even voluntary participation in emission reduction, arguing that such measures would impede their efforts to improve their economies and industries. Even within developed nations, the response to the treaty has varied. In June 1998, the European Union reached an agreement that will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 8%. However, many people in the United States have more negative attitudes toward the agreement; they assert that achieving the reduced emission levels could hurt the nation’s economy (Anand, 2013). For example, some American analysts contend, companies might move their plants to developing nations, causing job losses in the United States. Moreover, they argue, emission controls could cause U.S. oil and gas prices to rise. Although the Clinton administration played a key role in reaching an agreement in Kyoto, President Bill Clinton is among those who believe developing countries need to limit their own greenhouse gases before the United States can ratify the treaty. Donald Trump’s administration did not do much in this regards either. Without the participation of the United States-the world’s leading polluter- the treaty might not succeed. As the Kyoto controversy suggests, international agreement over solutions to global environmental problems is not easily attained (Anand, 2013).
3.2 The Role of Christianity amidst Emerging Global Environmental Challenges After God created man and woman, the first thing he says to them was “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28).
Argument has sparked over what the word “subdue” means in this passage, and has given room for a number of interpretations. The definition of “subdue” is “to overcome, to quiet, or bring under control”. Many Christians believe this means “to take control in order to protect”, and supports a need to protect the environment. Yet, throughout history this verse has been used for proving human’s status over the rest of wildlife and permission to use it however we wish (Grasse, 2016). A few verses following the scripture reads “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
(Genesis 2:15). While it is possible one could interpret “work” as another indicator to manipulate the earth or harvest resources, which would be contradictory of the second command to “take care” of the creation (Ottuh, 2018; Allen, 2018). The truth remains that man is to care for the environment, not to destroy the environment. This is the truth Christianity should convey to Christian faithful.
Evidently, the government cannot do it alone and as such, Christianity has its role to play in this enterprise as well. First, the church should take a scientific and practical approach. The scientific approach to be taken by the Church is a simple study of the environment in their daily interaction with it. For instance, religious groups can set up committees to study the environment from time to time, get information from government institution and educate their followers on the need to care for the environment (Ottuh, 2018). Religious institutions should educate their followers not to pollute the environment by burning of refuse indiscriminately or dumping of human waste on the road. They can also be educated not to dump refuse on water channels. Apart from setting up a committee to help get information on environmental protection, religious institutions can invite environmental experts from time to time to talk to their congregation during meetings.
Second, the religious institutions should take it as a duty help create awareness on the policies of Government and the advice of climate and environmental expert as to how people should relate with their environment. Imagine the impact this will make if successfully done in religious institutions (Ottuh, 2018; Allen, 2018). Third, apart from the
prevention and prevention campaign, the need for adaptation is equally very important. As such, one of the preventive measures that should be included in the campaign of religious institutions is the need for adaptation (Smit, et al 2000; Burton 1997). While the people are being taught how to prevent environmental disasters, they also need to know that sometimes it can happen despite efforts to prevent it and when it happens, there must be need for adaptation. This is probably the thought of Lorenzoni et al (2000); Sharma and Kumar (1998) when they pointed out that disproportionately greater attention has been paid to climate change mitigation than to adaptation measures. This implies that no matter how hard scientist might work to prevent climate change caused by natural and anthropogenic perturbation of the atmosphere, there is still the possibility of climate change oriented disaster on human environment and as such, the need for the Church to prepare the mind of their followers becomes very pertinent. Fourth, the Church needs to collaborate with the government in the campaign for tree planting especially in replacement of the once being cut down and the preservation of animal species (Ottuh, 2018). This is where ecology theology comes in. Religious adherents should be encouraged to plant trees in their private landed properties.
It is on this premise that this paper argues that Christianity is pivotal to addressing the human environmental problem. Moral deficit on the part of humans living in the environment also needs to be addressed. This can only be addressed by Christianity. The right to set agendas and develop governance frameworks based (in part) on cultural and religious knowledge should extend to all people. The development of meaningful interdisciplinary frameworks includes not only scholars from various disciplines, but also those who bring worldviews and insights which are traditionally unrecognized (King, 2015). People easily break laws especially when they know that no one is watching them.
Breaking of environmental laws is not exceptional. People dump refuse on the drainages and on the road. Many burn refuse indiscriminately. Even multinationals in Nigeria are also guilty of this moral deficit. Religious institutions must be involved in addressing their members to see dumping of refuse on drainage and environmental depletion as a proof of moral deficit. This idea should be coded in the societal and religious values. When such moral values are created in religious adherents, they will do what is right even when no one is there to watch them. Moral values so created by religion will drive the society towards doing things right even if there is no law binding them to do so (Ottuh, 2018).
Piers Forster, a professor of physical climate change at the University of Leeds, England agreed with the importance of religion in this dimension when he suggests that “by supporting the scientific consensus, the [Pope’s encyclical] could help convince some of the conservative element in the U.S. that has been skeptical” (Naik 2015). This moral dimension of preventing our environment from destruction is what Pope Francis is equally advocating. The Pope linked environmental degradation to cultural, political and social decline and as such religion must come in at this point to redirect its adherents to collaborate with scientist to prevent this looming doom of environmental impacts caused by human activities (Allen, 2018; Ottuh, 2018). Religious institutions should discourage negative use of science and technology and influence the government on exploring an all inclusive approach to the solution of ecological problems. One question that comes to mind here is: can science and technology alone solve human environmental problem? The answer is no. It is no because governments need to formulate policies that will protect the environment. The negative use of science and technology must also be addressed by all religious institutions. Kudos must be given to the USA for fighting against the invention of weapon of mass destruction like nuclear weapons (Allen, 2018; Ottuh, 2018).
Conclusively, Christian bodies should stress the importance of “keeping Eden healthy” and ensure their congregations participate. Imaging a situation where Christian bodies undertake projects like tree planting in cities and communities, collaborate in waste disposal, involve in campaigns against pollution etc. This way, the Church is partnering with the government to build a “green environment” – this should be a social cooperate responsibility churches must undertake. The above will imply:
a. having good reputation before the government and other authorities b. Attracting more worshippers, all things being equal.
c. Having good will from the society d. Ensuring good health of worshippers
e. Help worshippers adapt to climate change issues f. Creating healthy communities/ society
IV. Conclusion
As earlier on remarked, faith based organisations and Christianity (church) in our context is about the people. It is about their God. It is about sustainability. It is about fear of God. It is about giving accounts of what transpired on earth, later in the world beyond. It therefore behooves humankind to remember that Christianity reminds him about that sooner or later, he will give an account of all such things as greed, corruption, violence and other forms of injustice, he perpetrates in the environment, before the Almighty God, who created him and gave him dominion over the environment entrusted to him to nurture and sustain till Christ comes. Humankind will account before his Creator, the extent to which he has nurtured and sustain the environment of the planet earth and how responsibly he has exercised the dominion conferred on him, and how he cohabited with other creatures in the environment.
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