Thought for the weekend

Allen Sleith

'Eco Congregation Ireland is one of numerous agencies trying to play their part in addressing the multiple aspects of care for creation and our shared well-being.'

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'Eco Congregation Ireland is one of numerous agencies trying to play their part in addressing the multiple aspects of care for creation and our shared well-being.'

April 17 2021 08:36 AM

Among many major changes that have happened over the past several decades, not to mention centuries, has been in human communication.

The advent of newspapers vastly extended the reach of sharing news and views between people near and far, but recent years have seen IT, satellite and social media accelerate that communicative outreach on an unprecedented scale.

The worldwide web is associated in most minds with the internet, but is, in fact, as old as the planet itself and it is both meanings that I dwell on briefly.

Next Thursday, April 22, is designated as Earth Day, the 51st such event. Click on earthday.org and you will find background information about this year's theme, "Restore Our Earth", featuring a three-day event, April 20-22 aimed at raising consciousness about the wonder of our planet and the challenges it faces, largely, if not entirely, as the cumulative consequence of human activity.

There will be a variety of activities to virtually participate in, learn from and be inspired by in an increasingly concerted effort to change attitudes and actions, and not least policies, away from the destructive and towards the restorative and constructive.

Its final day on Thursday also runs in parallel with the Biden administration's global climate summit.

Some may say these are just talking shops, of which the world has no shortage, but while I agree that talking is far from the be all and end all, conversation and communication have crucial roles to play in our search for well-being, however that be defined.

Just before writing this piece, I read an article in another paper entitled "Just 3% of world's ecosystems remain intact, study suggests." The previous day, the local BBC news reported that Northern Ireland faces an enormous aspirational challenge in the planting of new trees, if we wish to increase our 8% tree coverage (the lowest in the UK, which averages 13%) to anything like the sort of levels that could help combat harmful climate change.

Eco Congregation Ireland is one of numerous agencies trying to play their part in addressing the multiple aspects of care for creation and our shared well-being.

In common with others, but rooted in the core realities of faith in God as Creator and Redeemer, it appreciates God's good earth and our responsibility for it.

Thought for the weekend

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