Comments on: Going Beyond Green

By: Didabera

Didabera — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 07:56:00 +0000

On my tour for Environment, I have observed the impacts Plastic bottles, bags, and packaging materials made of PVC have been imposing on mother, earth.

By: omari omarov

omari omarov — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:34:00 +0000

Помогите улучшить экологию Дагестана, Борец за экологию Дагестана и города Махачкала это мэр Амиров Саид Джапарович — дай бог ему здоровья.

By: omari omarov

omari omarov — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:29:00 +0000

Очень повезло людям живущим вне Российской федерации,такого глумления над природой как здесь наверное нет ни где! Я живу в республике Дагестан г. Махачкала,здесь часть городской канализации идет в воду которую мы пьем, а другая часть нечисто тов в Каспийское море где официально летом нельзя купаться ,но все купаются.Часть предприятий находиться не посредственной близости от моря, военную часть разместили на берегу морского побережья а как наши вояки относятся к экологии мы знаем.Больше 40 кирпичных заводов вокруг города, вот такая жизнь в демократической россии.

By: Humbleforest

Humbleforest — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 14:44:00 +0000

Dear Global Friends,

Not only going green, but what we consume the foods and drinks are now full of chemical preservatives, colourings, artificial sugar, foodstuffs, etc that are detrimental to our health
in the long run.

Some coffee-shop owners use soft plastic spoons onto the hot drinks, instead of metal spoons.

By: Phu_caregiver

Phu_caregiver — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:11:00 +0000

learning to be green give a big and numerous advantage as of now . We experience different global changes , it will help to some global problem like typhoons, earthquake, floods, landslides.getting green will solve this kind of calamity.

By: Amy

Amy — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 06:00:59 +0000

Thank you for the Green Kampong page for its information and education of what’s green.I think being green is very relevant in our society, and esp.children need to learn not to take our earth for granted, pitch in to make an effort at being green, and learn the importance of conservation of nature and our resources through being green.Through being hands on and proper green education for the next generation, i.e., our children, then we can be able to drastically reduce any i.e. CFC damages and any enviornmental damages made through the lack of such education or through carelessness in our attitudes and treating of our enviornments, and preserve the life of the earth, our dwelling place, for the next generations to come.Every effort counts?Regards.

By: anthony gathambiri waiganjo

anthony gathambiri waiganjo — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:09:01 +0000

CHRISTIANS SHOULD BEFRIEND THE EARTH
Our earth is a mother who nourishes us. It is from her that we eat, drink, sleep and even breathe. We therefore need to be friends with this mother, lest we hunger, thirst and die of fatigue.
Befriending the earth would be possible if only we are in touch with it. I deeply recall my early childhood memories of those times that we used to compete in climbing trees ,making samp ( ‘Ugali’) from mud, constructing grass houses, we swam in small rivers etc. Today, fewer children are climbing trees, sprawling on the grass. They are climbing on chairs, sprawling on carpets. Their parents fear that they may dirty their clothes or be bitten by insects. The grass lawn that we once enjoyed playing hide and seek on is said to harbor snakes. The contact with the mother earth is diminishing. It’s high time that we demolished the blocks that are hindering our contacts with Mother Nature.
The earth is like a wife: if one constantly mistreats her she resists. If we continue mishandling the earth it will mishandle us too. Mother earth will retaliate. By burning fossil fuels we continue emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This sends 7 billion tons of carbon dioxide that covers the earth. It causes global warming. Our “don’t care” attitudes are recipes for the lurking giant tsunami. The whole earth is groaning and will groan more when this phenomenon comes. Last year, in our province of KwaZulu-Natal, we experienced extreme weather conditions. It rained in buckets. Killer floods and thunderstorms claimed many lives. People drowned in overflowing rivers. Many ‘Mandela shacks’ were swept away. Families wept buckets, moaning their dead. As if that was not enough, this year there is a huge upsurge in temperature. We drink litres and litres of water to replenish the water we lose after the scorching heat of the day. The food prices have climbed hugely.
All are to blame for this climate change. In this regard, we have to cooperate to faithfully steward the earth. I have never heard of a Catholic lake, a Protestant mountain, a Buddhist forest, a Muslim river and so forth. Irrespective of our faith, language, colour, language, we drink water from the same water bodies, fetch firewood and enjoy game hunting from the same forests. Since we all share the same resources, we should join hands to look after the earth. No one can step aside and say that they are off the hook. What the world needs are engineers, town planners, technicians, architects and a host of experts from other fields who have a wide vision of what is required to reduce the climate change. The question of which faith is best equipped in the matter shouldn’t arise. Put in the words of Sean Mc Donagh (1990:192), a renowned Catholic theologian, “we should forget which institution should have precedence, and other ecclesial niceties.”
Above all, a change of heart is inevitable if we want to curb the climate change. A change of heart would mean changing our lifestyle. It’s crystal clear that consumerist habits are spiraling upwards since houses are becoming fancier, buying things you don’t need to look smarter than the other. Diets are becoming more animal based. It takes a man of courage to challenge himself on the consumerist habits. Besides pointing fingers at polluters when they litter our unkempt compounds, we need to work on our habits too. Prof Susan Rakoczy, a lecturer at Kwa-Zulu Natal University, says that a new kind of ascetism, and self denial is needed (Grace &Truth 2008:41).
I am not sure of the last time I heard a Christian pray for our sick mother earth, neither did I hear any single homily where a pastor stressed on the need to look after the earth. They pray for the church, families, the nation, and so forth. We forget the fact that there is no heaven without the earth. Methinks issues like global warming, climate change and environment should make part of our prayers in the liturgy or in our private devotions. Some hymns reflecting the wonders of creation need to be used in our worship. Consolata missionaries deserve a pat on the back for crafting a prayer for inter-culturality which is environmental friendly. It says “creator of the universe, teach us to respect the earth, mother and nurse…”.The people of God need to be conscientized about their responsibilities toward the earth. Evangelization is about the whole human person .It’s not only about saving souls as it used to be in pre-Vatican II era. Without good air, drinkable water, favorable weather condition, priests would only be preaching to sick people. We don’t want this to happen.
Last but not least, there are little things that Christians can do to make a difference in caring for the earth. We need to share lifts to conserve power, switch off electrical appliances at the socket, make use of natural light as much as possible, using public means etcetera. Let us form sodalities that will conscientize this wasteful generation on the need to care for the wounded Mother Nature. (Abalimi Bazekaya -A Zulu word to mean planters of earth) is one of the movements that are Roman Catholic by origin, here in South Africa. It plants trees, hence turning some ugly scenarios of townships into beguiling ones. The Church could be the greatest instruments of healing this sick earth if only there is a will. I admire Prof Wangarî Maathai and her movement in their untiring efforts of befriending the earth through greening it.
Let us be in touch with our mother nature like Francis who would coin names like Brother Sun, Sister Moon etc. We need to say with martin Luther king that even if I were certain that the world would end tomorrow, I would plant a tree every day.

Anthony Gathambĩri,from kwazulunatal