Migration of Creation and the Call to Responsible Stewardship
As a global community, many of us have continued to hear and read about the on-going events related to the Deepwater Horizon explosion and ongoing oil being released into the Gulf of Mexico extending into other parts of the United States and beyond. This is certainly not the first tragic event related to the extraction of resources, nor will it be the last. While this unfortunate series of events began with the loss of human life, it is now including the loss of wildlife and the migration of God’s creation to more nurturing areas of life whenever possible. One might say this is typical the world over where extraction occurs.
The oil spill has caught nesting birds and has stretched into many wildlife refuge areas where thousands of birds stop during migration. Is the migration of non-persons equally important and/or more/less significant than the migration of persons? While the answer to this question differs from person to person, as followers of Christ, we are called to be responsible stewards of all life no matter where we reside. Pope Benedict XVI states in his World Peace Day message in January 2010, “Protecting the natural environment in order to build a world of peace is thus a duty incumbent upon each and all.” Additionally, this message emphasizes the fact that humans can no longer afford to be indifferent about what we are doing to Earth (our home). Individuals are invited to critique environmental policies and reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible.
Now is the time to renew a promise made to “care of Earth” that the SCN Family commits to in the mission statement and 2008 General Assembly Directives. After all, not one of us in the global community is “oil free.” Each of us has use of oil and products of oil on a daily basis such as the fuel used in vehicles for transportation, heating fuel, curtains, detergents, plant fertilizers, plastics of all types, pain relievers, penicillin, clothes, ink dyes in pens, camera film, shoes, CD’s and cassettes, tires, asphalt, roofing, food additives to prolong shelf life, candles, milk cartons, polishes, crayons, deodorant, and the list goes on. Additionally, the St. Francis Pledge calls us to pray, learn, assess, act, and advocate to “care for creation and to share Earth’s resources in solidarity.”
So, what are the practicalities in what seems like an “ocean of bad news?”
- Live simply and resist consumerism as much as possible to reduce dependence on “oil products.”
- Look for environmentally sensitive specifications on goods and services we purchase.
- Examine environmental policies and advocate for policies that protect all creation.
- Support those directly affected in any way through prayer and monetary support.
- Eliminate, whenever possible, products that are only good for one-time use.
- Nurture the adaptation of alternative energy and fuels.
- Hold governments and corporations accountable in caring for Earth.
- Conduct a periodic environmental audit both personally and as a group.
- Challenge groups to deepen their ecological commitment to more sustainable living.
Reflection/Action: “The environment is God's gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole." Charity in Truth by Pope Benedict XVI, paragraph 48
Reflecting on the above practicalities, what recent sacrifice have I made to reduce my use of oil and the petrochemicals that are derived from oil remembering that no effort is too small and all efforts are important to future generations and the human family?
Purchasing a product that contains a fair trade logo (pictures of some of these) means that:
- Forced and exploitative child labor is prohibited (thus avoiding further exploitation of trafficked children)
- Guaranteed set prices that provide a living wage for those who have produced them (thus empowering women and others to dignified work)
- Sustainable farming is promoted (thus promoting care of Earth)
Additionally, the winds of change are stirring individuals and groups to purchase more local. According to Stacy Mitchell in an article from YES! Magazine, “there are now 5,274 active farmers markets in the United States. … Food co-ops and neighborhood greengrocers are likewise on the rise. … Neighborhood hardware stores are on the rise. …Driving in the U.S. is down in the last two years. … Local business alliances have now formed in over 130 cities and collectively count some 30,000 businesses as members. … Corporations desperately want to turn the local economy movement into nothing more than a cheap marketing trick they can appropriate for their own ends.” Buyer beware!
Action: Look for these labels (personally and corporately) and shop with local merchants whom you can ask about where their products come from.
Responsible Estate Tax in the United States
A century ago this summer, Theodore Roosevelt called on Congress to address the dangerous concentration of wealth and power by instituting a “graduated inheritance tax.” On June 24, members of the U.S. Senate introduced legislation to establish a progressive estate tax with graduated rates. The legislation would:
- Exempt the first $3.5 million of wealth in an estate from federal taxation ($7 million for couples)
- Institute a progressive graduated rate structure so that the super wealthy pay more
- Include a billionaire’s surtax of 10 percent
- Closes all of the Estate and Gift Tax Loopholes requested in FY 2011 budget by Obama
- Protects family farmers by allowing them to lower value of farmland by up to #3 million for estate tax purposes
- Benefits farmers and landowners by providing estate tax relief for conservation easements
Revenue potential ranges from $25 to $40 billion/year. The estate tax, as Bill Gates Sr. has written, “is a means by which wealthy people pay back the society and the commonwealth that has made their wealth possible.” According to Wealth for the Common Good, “eliminating the estate tax — or gutting it with irresponsible reforms — would shift our nation’s revenue obligations onto lower-income taxpayers and future generations. This legislation would exempt over 99.75 percent of Americans from paying any estate tax whatsoever, while ensuring that the wealthiest Americans in our country pay their fair share.” The non-partisan Tax Policy Center estimates that “only 80 small businesses and farm estates throughout the country paid an estate tax in 2009- representing 0.003 percent of all estates.”
