FROM PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO COLLECTIVE ACTION: REFLECTIONS ON THE WCC ECO SCHOOL 2023
In the coastal village of Moawo, 5-year old Jefrin Zendrato (right) and his 10-year old brother Fajrin plant mangrove seedlings, part of a project on the Indonesian island of Nias to improve habitat for sea life and provide some protection from future tsunamis. The project is sponsored by the Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU), a member of the ACT Alliance. Parental consent obtained. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth
Students who recently completed the WCC Environmental School in Crete, Greece, shared their thoughts on how the experience helped them reinforce their messages and actions about climate justice and the transition to green energy. This is the second entry in a series of blog posts written by Eco School students.
In 2019, the use of plastic straws in the United States became a viral debate. Bans were issued by local and state governments, reusable straws ran out, and conservative media complained about "liberal hysteria." Its straw serves as a measure of environmental responsibility and care.
There's problem number one. How much impact does the use of plastic straws by one person have on the environment? Too often, issues like climate change are assumed to be the responsibility of individuals, and governments and industry ignore the fact that they have become a major cause of pollution and carbon emissions.
We discussed this issue very dynamically at the WCC Eco School on climate, water, food, and health justice in 2023. I quickly realized that, although the climate policies of the countries in the northern hemisphere are better than those of my home country, the USA, problems related to personal decisions exist in all of them.
We also recognize that greed is the cause of this disorder. We discuss how British Petroleum coined the term "carbon footprint" to look at individual impacts on climate change while committing to planetary destruction. When 125 billion dollars and their investments contribute an equivalent amount of emissions to the French state, it is increasingly difficult to describe individual choice as a problem.
greed that hoards wealth and resources while committing the worst carbon emissions, while asking the vast majority of the population to reduce their carbon footprint.
I still wonder what I can do to overcome my greed after finishing neighborhood school. Although making individual choices to reduce our impact is very good, my climate impact will be negligible if I disappear tomorrow. Systemic greed will emerge victorious.
Therefore, the question should be more than one. What should our churches, our denominations, our ecumenical organizations, and our interfaith organizations be able to do?
As a global society, what can we do to change our systems and our world? I believe that the main problem with eco-schools is this. What are we going to do after that?
This year, Eco School's environmental ambassadors are embarking on various local projects. Within the Michigan Conference of the Methodist Church, I am currently establishing an Environmental Justice Task Force in my community.
The Michigan Conference of the American Methodist Church has a strong history of advocating for justice through its work. However, no group has yet specifically concentrated on environmental justice.
However, our community has a huge need. Michigan is home to half the Earth's freshwater Great Lakes, abundant forests, and agriculture, and is perfect for serving as a beacon to protect the climate we've caused elsewhere around the world.
However, corporate snobbery jeopardizes this resource. While Nestle paid $200 a year from 2019 to 2021 to pump 1.1 million gallons of water per day for bottlers just 97 miles (156 km) from Flint, Michigan, there are those in areas where potable water is not available. By operating a dangerous and highly contested crude oil pipeline through the second-largest Great Lake, Canadian oil giant Enbridge threatens the region's freshwater resources for generations to come.
The church must be involved in the organizing and advocacy that is so important in our region, and I hope the Environmental Justice Task Force can repair the damage we have done as well as organize and push to end the ongoing damage.
The Eco School is still a weekly program, but the environmental campaign continues. I am proud to be part of a young generation committed to fighting greed and fighting for a healthy Earth. I am grateful to be in their company during the progress of the work, but we still have a long way to go.
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