Consider the Forests

From Caring for Creation During this Season of Creation consider the forests. As acres of forests burn in the U.S. West and are deforested in the Amazon, those who dwell among forests cry out. Forests serve as the Earth’s lungs, purify water, prevent flooding, reduce air pollution, harbor some two-thirds of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, provide life-saving medicines, and create a space of beauty for spiritual renewal. Families that live in and around forests in developing countries derive, on average, more than one-fifth of their incomes from forest products. Many human cultures bind their spiritual traditions to nature, especially forests. And, recent research reveals that forests generate the rainfall that maintains agricultural productivity in landscapes thousands of miles from the forest edge. Mahatma Gandhi said:

“What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.”

He also said:

“The Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”

How can we have an influence on forests?

1. Lessen your need for paper.
2. Reduce emissions to increase opportunities to exercise outdoors and protect human communities from increased levels of air pollution that can lead to illnesses like asthma and lung disease, which are making already vulnerable communities more susceptible to COVID-19.
3. Protect existing trees; reforest responsibly.
4. Vote as a Faith Climate Justice Voter.