Network of Earthkeeping Christian Communities in South Africa
NECCSA Update: March 2004
A monthly newsletter on Church and Environment in South Africa
1. Environmental Sunday 2004: 30 May or 6 June
Many Christian communities in South Africa are celebrating Environmental Sunday on an annual basis. This is usually scheduled for the Sunday before or after 5 June - World Environment Day. This year Environmental Sunday may therefore be celebrated on either 30 May (Pentecost) or 6 June (Trinity Sunday). It would be appropriate to focus on environmental issues on both these occasions. The Holy Spirit is traditionally regarded as the Creator Spirit, the Giver of Life (Nicea).
'n Eksegetiese studie oor Genesis 11 (die toring van Babel) in Afrikaans is beskikbaar by die NECCSA webblad. Dit is die voorgeskrewe teks vir 30 Mei volgens die Algemene Leesrooster. Die bespreking sluit voorstelle vir die inkleding van die erediens vir Omgewingsondag in.
A liturgy for Environmental Sunday 2004 in English will be available at the NECCSA website by mid-May.
2. Environmental issues
a) R300 Toll Road to Strandfontein
The planned extension of the road in the Cape Metropolitan area is causing resistance from various environmental organizations because the proposed sector 1 ("greenfields" section) would dissect the Strandfontein bird sanctuary and surrounding wetlands. The draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the planned R300 Toll Road is available for review from 15 April until 28 May, at the following website:
www.peninsula-expressway.org.za
b) South Africa Political Parties and the Environment
The Environmental Monitoring Group has produced an analysis of the political parties environmental policies. It makes for interesting reading. The guide may be accessed at their website: www.emg.org.za
3. Resources
a) Seeds of Deception
With the proposed introduction of GM wheat from the USA into South Africa the debate about the merits of biodiversity has been gaining ground in South Africa, and also amongst the religious community. A recently published USA book, Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies about the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You're Eating, by Jeffrey Smith, gives a good overview of GMO technology in relation to food production and focuses on the issue of food safety in particular. The book traces the influence biotechnology companies have had on governments in getting them to approve the commercialization of GM food. It also chronicles the suppression of research which has pointed to the dangers of GM technology. Further information about the book and reviews of it may be found at www.seedsofdeception.com
b) Property for people, not for profit: Alternatives to the global tyranny of capital
This important new book (2004) on the global economic order by Ulrich Duchrow and Franz J. Hinkelammert has been published by Zed Books. For more information, see www.zedbooks.demon.co.uk. Pb ISBN 1 84277 479 4 $25.00
4. The Pacific Churches' Consultation on Climate Change
We include part of a statement made by churches from small islands. The full declaration may be found at the WCC Website:
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/otin_taai_declaration.html
THE OTIN TAAI DECLARATION: The Pacific Churches' Consultation on Climate Change. A Statement and Recommendations from the World Council of Churches and WCC Member Churches in the Pacific, 6-11 March, 2004, Tarawa, Kiribati
Here on the small island atoll of Kiribati, the impacts of human-induced climate change are already visible. The sea level is rising. People's homes are vulnerable to the increasingly high tides and storm surges. Shores are eroding and the coral reefs are becoming bleached. The water supplies and soil fertility are being threatened by the intrusion of salt water. Weather patterns are less predictable posing risks to fisher-folk and farmers.
Kiribati is not alone in its plight. Many other island nations in the Pacific are experiencing similar impacts of human-induced climate change. Our peoples, who number about 7 million, are already suffering and are vulnerable to more impacts in the future.
We, participants in the Pacific Churches' Consultation on Climate Change, feel called by God to:
a.. Affirm our commitment to care for the earth as our response to God's love for creation;
b.. Declare as forcefully as we can the urgency of the threat of human-induced climate change to the lives, livelihoods, societies, cultures and eco-systems of the Pacific Islands;
c.. Dedicate ourselves to engaging our churches in education and action on climate change;
d.. Commit ourselves to ecumenical collaboration among our churches and with other religious and secular bodies in the Pacific and beyond that will increase the effectiveness of our national and regional efforts;
e.. Call on our sisters and brothers in Christ throughout the world to act in solidarity with us to reduce the causes of human-induced climate change. We issue this call particularly to churches in the highly-industrialized nations whose societies are historically responsible for the majority of polluting emissions. We further urge these countries to take responsibility for the ecological damage that they have caused by paying for the costs of adaptation to the impacts that can be anticipated;
f.. Invite church-related specialized ministries for emergency-response, development and advocacy to integrate climate change and adaptation projects into their policy-development, education and advocacy;
g.. Express appreciation to the World Council of Churches for its support of the Pacific churches on the issue of climate change and request that the voices of the Pacific become increasingly reflected in the WCC Climate Change Programme and in the next WCC Assembly in 2006;
h.. Pressure all countries to ratify and implement the Kyoto Protocol*, especially highly-industrialized nations such as the United Sates of America, Australia and the Russian Federation which to date have not ratified the Protocol;
i.. Encourage companies that are major producers or consumers of fossil fuels to support a transition toward less carbon-intensive economies, reduced energy usage and the development of cleaner, renewable energy sources.
NECCSA website address: HYPERLINK "http:www.neccsa.org.za where membership details could also be found. You are invited to accept ownership of this website in order to use it to share information on Christianity and earthkeeping practices. Please send any information to the email address below.
You are welcome to distribute this NECCSA Update electronically to any other interested person. You are also welcome to send news to be included in the next NECCSA update to HYPERLINK "mailto:%20andrew.war emcemp@iafrica.com by 18 May. You may send such contributions in the language of your choice.
Distributed by EM Conradie 26/04/2004