Chapter 13: Creation in Crisis?

Loss of biodiversity Biodiversity plays a key role in the health of ecosystems. Some extinction and loss of biodiversity is normal and natural, but extinctions are occurring at least one thousand times that natural rate. We are therefore on the verge of a major extinction event rivaling the one that wiped out the dinosaurs—only the sixth such event in the history of life on earth. Much of the biodiversity loss is occurring in the global south, so we need to ask how we can support those who live there.

Loss of natural habitats This is the primary reason for loss of biodiversity. It is a product of the recent exponential increase in human population, who now directly influence 83% of the ice-free land on earth. This influence and modification is not necessarily a problem, but we need to make sure our influence is good and honoring to God.

Loss of the world’s forests This is particularly a concern in the tropics, where the loss is accelerating. While several factors influence this, the greatest influence has come from the large-scale forestry and agriculture that has arisen to meet our consumption habits. In addition to leading to biodiversity loss, loss of forests leaves communities exposed to other environmental changes and accelerates the process of climate change and ocean acidification.

Decline of the world’s oceans Pollution, overfishing, warming seas, and acidification have all put tremendous stress on the marine life. There are two ways we can help: Only eat seafood that has been caught sustainably. Advocate for sustainable management of fisheries. While policies that require sustainable management of fisheries will be somewhat disruptive to those who make their livelihood fishing, there will be far more dramatic and harmful disruption the longer we wait.

Harm to ecosystems from agricultural practices Fertilization has enabled far more food to be grown, but its overuse and misapplication has some very negative effects on ecosystems. Intensive agricultural practices have resulted in the degradation and loss of topsoil. There are three ways we can help: We can be careful not to waste food. We can shift our diets away from beef in particular. We can advocate for sustainable agricultural practices.

Climate change Climate and weather fluctuations are normal, but two things are different now: The planet is warming at an accelerating rate: it is significantly warmer than it was 150 years ago, and most of this warming has happened in the last 50 years. We are the cause of the warming of the planet: The burning of fossil fuels has released an immense amount of carbon into the atmosphere. Scientists have known for two centuries that these gases trap heat. We are as confident of the link between burning fossil fuels and global warming as we are of the link between smoking and lung cancer.

Climate change This will have several effects: Warmer air holds more moisture, and this leads to a change in weather patterns and an increase in potentially-destructive high-precipitation events. This will also cause sea-levels to rise, resulting in catastrophe for the millions who live in low-lying coastal lands. As oceans absorb more carbon dioxide they will become far more acidic, threatening marine life. As changing climates adversely affect agriculture, our food supply will become far less secure.

Our Reaction? The “planetary boundaries” approach can help us take seriously the global scope of the effect we are having on earth. We are called not to despair but, even in the midst of mourning, to work to care for creation with a “love and joy and hope” that will be “beacons of the new creation in Christ, overcoming the darkness of despair by our trust in the God who will never abandon us or his groaning creation” (220).