Topical issues of the day sometimes find their way into the pulpit, and I expect this is because speakers watch the same TV as the rest of us. They see as do we, worried people talking about climate change and that each of us has something called a carbon footprint. We are all then warned that, unless our carbon footprint is reduced, we shall be personally responsible for destroying the world for future generations.
What is surprising however is when God is prayerfully brought in to support, “those striving to help people see the need to protect the planet.” I hope the speaker did not have me in mind, because I was brought up during the years when everything was scarce, and so people of my age do not generally need to be urged to save this, or use less of that!
Indeed during our early years together, my wife and I saved up the week’s newspapers and on the Saturday morning took them to the local Chippie. In return we received two portions of fish and chips free of charge. This was barter of a wondrous kind, but I suspect that today’s environmentalists would not approve of recyling in this way, and there are probably laws against it. (I also don’t suppose they would approve of an even earlier practice, when old newspaper was cut into squares and threaded onto string for an all together less decorous use)
There are however, many other ways to save resources and an easy one comes to mind: One morning in March my wife realised that we had been married for forty-four years. Neither of us had bought a card and so after feeding the animals, we popped over to ‘Labels’ at Ross for coffee and a bun. Whilst there, we visited the stationery section and carefully read the card that we would have sent to each other had we sent one. By this simple action we no-doubt, went a good way towards reducing our carbon footprint, and in so doing also saved ourselves the price of the coffee.
Others may know of even more innovative ways, such as the clergyman who re-cycles his sermons. Indeed, I was fortunate on one occasion to hear the same sermon twice in one day. This meant that the second time round I did not really have to listen and so my brain, which burns massive numbers of calories when thinking, did not need as much energy as if the sermon had been fresh. Because I burnt fewer calories I needed less food, and so who knows how many hot dinners could be saved as a result of re-cycling sermons?
If, as the anxious experts say the issue is serious, we should not shy away from taking tough decisive action. To help reduce my own carbon footprint, I have asked the people who send me letters about saving the planet to take me off their mailing list, in this way I hope to save a tree every month or so. However, readers of this column will have to decide for themselves what can be saved.
View from the Pew 