Earth Day 2021
The ECO Focus for April 2021, based on 22 April 2021 being Earth Day, is the prevention of the contamination of our environment. As the world commemorates this day we look into what the Bible says about the importance of caring for the environment. As part of our Christian walk we should be the concerned for the environment that God created and entrusted us to protect. As the creator of the world, God has brought into existence all of its interconnected processes, animate and inanimate, which means that even the smallest pebble is the work of his design. “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:3)
It does not take much research to know that we are failing dismally in protecting our world. The latest Resource Magazine (the official journal of the Institute of Waste Management of SA) highlights that in SA we generate 108 million tonnes of waste per year – of which only 10% is recycled. The rest ends up on our landfill sites or it finds its way to our rivers and oceans through incorrect disposal. Our 826 landfill sites are quickly nearing critical capacity. COVID-19 is also beginning to add to this negative impact on the disposal of waste through an increase in the incorrect disposal of protective equipment particularly masks, visors and gloves.
To put things into our daily context and to understand how some items that we are consuming daily can impact negatively on our environment, we will be featuring a weekly link to a short video on this global problem of how our unconscious and / or ignorant actions impact negatively on our environment. We will also be giving some guidelines on what we can do to reduce this negative impact.
4 April 2021: “They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:9
ECO Video One: The impact of single-use plastic on our oceans:
The USA 1 News programme is talking about the fact that 200 billion single-use masks are being disposed of monthly and the impact that this is having on the environment. Single-use COVID-19 masks and gloves are made of plastic and when added to other single-use plastic items that are incorrectly disposed of are finding their way onto our beaches, and into waterways and oceans.
ECO Tip: look for alternatives to plastic. Reduce your use of plastics by using reusable items such as cloth masks and cloth bags when shopping. Don’t use single-use plastic gloves unless absolutely necessary and dispose of responsibly.
11 April 2021: “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:7-10)
ECO Video Two: The negative impact of COVID-19 on our environment.
This video highlights the negative impact of the pandemic on our environment.
Eco Tip: Wherever possible reduce the use of single-use plastics. (plastic straws, stirrers, food packaging etc). Disposal of these items can be into the ECO-Bricks. COVID-19 Masks can be left in a container for 4-5 days (the virus dies in that time) after which the masks and the elastics can cut and placed into an ECO Brick together with other single-use plastic that cannot be recycled.
18 April 2021: “I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable.” Jeremiah 2:7
ECO Video Three: In the Bible, God commands man to be a steward of the environment. Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesy about the dire consequences that occur when man disobeys God and fails to take care of the Earth. This video reinforces some actions that we can take.
25 April 2021: “The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish. The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left.” Isaiah 24:4-6
Eco Video Four: Continues with the message that we can and must make some changes.https://www.kfyrtv.com/video/2020/12/30/ppe-litter-potentially-dangerous-wildlife/
