The purpose of the Earthcare Subcommittee of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) is to provide a focus for Friends’ desire to discern a spiritual approach to preserving the bounty of God’s creation, and promote the just and equal distribution of resources we all need for our daily lives, work, and recreation.
The Committee will be a resource of materials for individual Friends and their Meetings with emphasis on sharing the work and ideas that have already been developed by Friends. The Committee might also serve as the Yearly Meeting’s contact with other organizations dealing with environmental issues.
As Quaker process clarifies either concerns or responses to issues, these will be shared with Friends, Meetings and, perhaps the Yearly Meeting, as seems appropriate.
Earthcare Minute approved by Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) 8/2/2008
There has been an
unspoken assumption that it is acceptable for developed countries to use a
disproportionate amount of resources compared to underdeveloped countries. As
oil supplies dwindle and prices soar, there is a growing potential for conflict
to arise worldwide over remaining oil supplies. Vast resources are
required, not only to produce personal automobiles, but for the infrastructure
to support them, including highway systems, parking, car washes, supply stores,
repair shops, auto insurance, licenses, sales lots, highway patrol, and gas
stations. Exhaust from all types of vehicles contributes to greenhouse
gases and global warming.
Our communities are
built on the assumption that we all have the means to travel great distances to
get food, go to school, work, and meeting. This has an enormous impact on oil
supplies.
Friends could help
provide leadership by redesigning our communities and lifestyles in such a way
that we can forego automobiles. Improved systems of inter- and intra-city
mass transportation will be one key to this. There are organizations
working to expand and improve rail passenger transportation. Creating more
bicycle trails and encouraging the use of bicycles is important.
The challenge of
giving up automobiles is much greater in rural than urban areas, but the factors
at work are the same. If those who do have alternatives to personal
automobiles would use them, it would help those who need more time and resources
to develop their own alternatives.
The ease and
relatively low cost of long distance travel by air has led to a sense that rapid
travel over long distances is normal and acceptable. This has made the air
travel industry a major contributor to global climate change. Friends are
encouraged to avoid air travel and to work to reduce the need for long distance
travel. We need to explore ways to do business remotely. This is a
new area that will require trial and error to see what does and does not work
for us.
Our eating habits
also should be considered. It is estimated that the food for an average
American meal travels 1,500 miles from the farm to the consumer. Studies
have shown that the livestock industry contributes more to greenhouse gas
emissions than transportation does. We need to eat locally grown food
whenever possible. Community garden plots, community-supported
agriculture, and re-learning how to preserve foods will help, as will reducing
meat consumption.
Friends are
encouraged to work with the Friends Committee on National Legislation, and their
local, state, and national representatives to help pass environmentally
responsible legislation, including government support for improved mass
transportation, and blocking construction of new coal and nuclear fission power
plants. We have seen the unintended side effects of legislation promoting
the increased use of ethanol.
We encourage Friends
to be examples as we explore creative ways to promote renewable energy, reduce
energy consumption, recycle, and facilitate the use of local foods and products.
There is an urgent need to curb oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions
dramatically, right now. Until some of these physical and social changes
occur, it may be difficult for some Friends to give up their cars. Doing
so as soon as possible is our goal, and could be a catalyst for change of the
magnitude needed to reduce the current rate of environmental damage.