As we approach Earth day which is on April 22, it is important that we assess the health of our Earth.
With the halting of many industrial activities and a drastic decrease in air and land travel with the Covid-19 crisis we have seen nature make some incredible recoveries due to the reduced pollution levels.
Jed Koball, mission co-worker with Joining Hands Peru, observed, “It really is blue! We are on day three of lockdown here in Lima, and we can see the sky. And it is blue! Anyone who has been to Lima knows we have pretty bad air quality. On a good day with regular traffic flow, I can see an outline of the first ridge of mountains facing due east from our balcony. Today I can see the second ridge. First time ever. While these are incredibly stressful times for us humans, it must feel like jubilee for the Earth.”
Covid-19 has made it clear that nature is out of balance because our relationship with nature is out of balance. Covid-19 is a zoonotic disease, a disease which is spread from animals to humans. The more humans exploit and destroy nature and the natural habitats of wild animals, the higher the risk of a virus spillover like Covid-19.
Unfortunately, the Trump administration continues to roll back environmental regulations that were meant to protect both the health of the environment and human health during this Covid-19 crisis.
Learn more on this issue by reading COVID-19 Overshadows Environmental Rollbacks, where Jessica Maudlin, the PHP Associate for Sustainable Living and Earth Care Concerns, provides an analysis of the environmental rollbacks and our call as people of faith. “Facing this ecological crisis as people of faith, we know that this disregard of the environment is a violation of our original vocation. Scripture is full of amazingly strong admonitions and commandments to protect animals and nature, charging us to practice thoughtful stewardship over God’s Creation.”
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