Cromey Online

The writings of author, therapist, and priest Robert Warren Cromey.

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Change Sermon
By The Rev. Robert Warren Cromey
March 16, 2019

Jesus is going to die, be crucified because he stood against the principalities and powers of his day. He called the Roman King Herod “that fox…” Jesus criticized the oppression of the Roman powers. Jesus criticized the religious leaders of his time. Jesus spoke especially against the government. We followers of Jesus also are called to question and criticize our government. We have plenty to rail on about – the wall, mistreatment of immigrants, the racism of our president and worship of wealth and armaments.

Today, I want to look at a life-threatening situation. Polar bears. In Churchill, Alaska carnivorous Polar bears are regular visitors to this small town. The bears are hungry, they are threatening the people and animals of Churchill. Citizen’s keep their car doors unlocked so people can jump in cars, if suddenly are attacked by the starving bears.

The Polar bears thrive on fish, which the they catch standing on glaciers and icy shores. Because of global warming the Arctic ice is melting, fish are scarce, fishing is dangerous and the bears are hungry. The bears invade towns in the far north of Alaska and even in Russian Siberia.  I saw a nature film recently with a dirty, skinny polar bear standing on a skateboard size ice patch. She was tired and hungry. She soon would weaken, fall off the ice flow and drown.

We see children in Yemen and other African countries, withering and starving because global warming is drying up the soil and blowing it away so no crops are being grown. Birds and animals, necessary for the crops and natural growth, are killed or chased away by fires.

We see here in California wild fires decimating and completely destroying Paradise, CA and other whole towns and suburbs. We see unprecedented flooding wasting farm lands and towns.  Hurricanes, fires, floods, tornadoes, tsunamis are becoming more intense and violent. 

The Scientists say Global warming will

1.    Reduce our ability to breath fresh air if Carbon Dioxide is radically reduced. Have you witnessed the tortuous death of someone who can’t breathe? I have.
2.    I saw my friend Michael Woodsmith die of a lung disease that slowly destroyed his ability to breath. He died months latter after much oxygen treatment with tubes and tanks and finally died not able to breathe.
3.    Global temperatures are rising and are the hottest on record.
4.    Glaciers are melting in the Arctic and in the Asian mountain chain with serious consequences for 2 billion people.
5.    Oceans are warming at a great rate killing fish, coral and fish habitats.

We are stewards of the planet, which God has given us. We are to take care of this great gift. Our best minds warn us that we are failing and are on a road to destruction

Our grandchildren

You and I will not live long enough to feel the worst of the devastation to come.  I have grandchildren, they will have children some day. I hope to live to see my grandchildren. I have held babies in my arms, my own, my grandchildren. I know how beautiful tender and helpless they are. I know those feelings of love and warmth, of a passionate desire to protect them. Can we look at those babies and children knowing they face hunger, bad air, a heated planet and no water?

You and I will not long enough to feel the pain, ravages of hunger and extreme heat, but our grandchildren and great grandchildren will.

Our children will suffer from unbreathable air or extreme heat.

Our children will suffer from violence and revolution but we won’t.

It is up to us to start now to prevent the desolation of fire, floods and tornadoes, but we won’t.

The government-Green New Deal-Rep. Alexandria Ocasio – Cortez is quoted as saying, “Genesis 1: God looked down on the world and called it good not once, not twice but seven times. Genesis 2: God commands all people to serve and protect creation.”

What we can do:

JOIIN THE CHILDREN in Europe calling for a green earth. Listen to our own school children who took a day off from school to protest to our legislators to lead on Climate control.

Urge congress to create a Green New Deal to safe guard the planet

Do all we can to fight climate warming and the destruction of the earth that God has given us.

Go out of this church and pressure our legislators

Go out of this church determined to fight global and climate warming

Go out of this church and write the letters, send the emails

Go out of this church to change our life styles to prevent waste and pollution of the air

Go out of this church to prevent the pollution of our water and oceans

Go out of this church thanking God for all the blessings of this life

Go out of this church putting pressure on government and business to save our planet earth our island home.

Some Ways to help Climate change.
These come from members and friends of St. John’s and mine.

Take public transit.
Combine errands into one trip for autos.
Avoid plastic packaging and single use plates and utensils.
Buy local produce and preferably in season fruits and vegetables.
When traveling choose eco-friendly lodging.
Don't eat at fast food restaurants - too much packaging and waste.

- I recycle everything I can
- I buy paper goods made from recycled paper as often as possible
- I donate to Friends of the Urban Forest, for them to plant more trees
- I offer to car pool for events with friends
- I turn off electric lights as much as possible (our power still comes from dirty sources in some cases)

Join Citizens Climate Lobby and work toward Bi-Partisan climate legislation.  There is a San Francisco Chapter.  H.R. 763 is only nominally bi-partisan at this point since Francis Rooney (R-FL 19) is the only Republican currently sponsoring the bill.  Nevertheless, Citizen's Climate Lobby is dedicated to bi-partisan.  In my opinion, Christians ought to be working to bridge political differences, not aggravating them and if ever there was a topic we should all be working together on, it would be climate change.  

.  Another advocacy that includes environmental concerns is Credo Action, https://credoaction.com . It sends email notices to participants to sign petitions to government legislators and executives to make favorable policy changes. There is more than enough writing and talking and meetings, etc., about environmental concerns. Action is wanted, and the essential action is to work to change government policy and laws by influencing legislators and administrative executives.

 I know that it is not politically correct to say this, but wouldn’t more vasectomies help dealing with the problem?   

1. Sign up at Climate Change advocacy web sites to receive email alerts with petitions to government agencies and legislators to change government policy and regulations.
2. Sign up with your federal and state legislators to receive notices of their newsletters and respond with policy requests.
3. Join the Sierra Club and other groups working to preserve the environment and participate in their advocacy.
4. Participate in public events protesting public and private activities that degrade the environment.
5. Practice conservation measures in one’s own life; consume less.

My recommended tactic is: Boycott the Stock Market!!!
The corporate oligarchs are not only largely responsible for the current crisis, they are doing everything they can to block attempts to fix it. The only thing they care about is preserving their wealth and power. Only if this wealth becomes threatened, will they ever be induced to change their behavior. For a good model, consider South Africa.
I recommend the works of Bill McKibben at the 
350.org website.
Our church offers resources at: 
and

Maybe you could focus on plastics. Here's a list of practical things we can do to help reduce plastic waste.  The good thing about it being so long is that there has to be a few things that each of us can do.


This list includes very concrete steps that a person/household can take.

RWC 


1 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Dear Robert,

Since I don't read or speak Arabic, I don't know what these comments are (but maybe that's good). Your thoughts are absolutely right on climate change and for a long time, I have also been trying to live a plastic-free life (but still challenging when super markets insist on packing vegetables in plastic...I try to choose the ones that aren't). I am saving empty jars to buy things from a bulk store...still despairing at toothpaste tubes, etc. and have to find a solution for that. Obviously, you haven't lost your voice which you always use for a good cause.
Love to you and Ann.

Love, Jean (Kroeber)

6:12 AM  

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