1. Religion and Planet Earth
Aim: To be able to recognise and create a good answer to a GCSE question.
a) Explain what is meant by global warming. ( 2 )
b) Explain two reasons why many religious believers are concerned about climate change. ( 4 )
c) “ Planet earth is God’s world.” What do you think? Explain your opinion ( 3 )
d) Explain actions religious people might take to look after the planet ( 3 )
e) “It’s more important to enjoy life than worry about using up the world’s resources.”(6)
Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have thought about more than one point of view. Refer to religious arguments in your answer ( 6 )

2. a)Explain what is meant by global warming. ( 2 )
Global warming is the term scientists use to describe the increase in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. This has been caused by the build up of greenhouse gases, such as CO2 from car exhausts and other pollution.

3. b) Explain two reasons why many religious believers are concerned about climate change. ( 4 )
Many religious believers are concerned about the effects climate change because it is causing severe weather particularly in poor countries where droughts, floods and famines are being made worse. Christians are concerned about this because they believe God has given them stewardship of the earth and all of it’s people so they have a responsibility for the planet. Buddhists are concerned because climate change causes loss of life and damage to crops and animal habitats, and they try to keep the first moral precept, do not harm any living thing.

4. c) “ Planet earth is God’s world. ” What do you think
c) “ Planet earth is God’s world.” What do you think? Explain your opinion ( 3 )
I don’t think that planet earth is God’s world because I am an atheist, so I don’t believe in God, or that he created the earth. I think the planet happened by chance and is the result of the “Big-bang” which is the scientific theory of how the earth was formed. Humans are the dominant species so I think the world belongs to us and we are responsible for it.

5. d) Explain actions religious people might take to look after the planet. ( 3 )
Christians might do a number of things to help look after the planet because they believe they are stewards of the earth. They could avoid causing pollution by using renewable energy, using energy saving light bulbs , recycling and reducing their carbon footprint. They could also support charities like Tearfund that campaign about environmental issues such as climate change.

6. e) “It’s more important to enjoy life than worry about using up the world’s resources.”
Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have thought about more than one point of view. Refer to religious arguments in your answer ( 6 )

7. e) “It’s more important to enjoy life than worry about using up the world’s resources.”(6)
I don’t agree because we need to think about future generations and the fact that natural resources such as coal and oil are running out. However others would agree because life is for living, you only live once and doing things like recycling probably won’t make any difference to things like global warming in the end.
Christians wouldn’t agree because they believe God gave them stewardship of the earth so they should look after the world’s resources by recycling and using products that are kind to the environment.