Farmers are Called to Responsible Stewards of the Earth

As a Christian who farms, and has spent time working as a missionary in Africa, I strongly believe that farmers specifically and society at large need to work in harmony with the creation. Of particular concern to me personally are climate change skeptics who use their skepticism as an excuse for inaction when it comes to treading lightly on the earth.

After our last winter, the coldest in 50 years, and now a really cool summer, it is easy for people to question whether or not global warming is really happening. Many skeptics are also questioning whether climate change is really happening, or if it is really happening, is it something that is affected by humans or is it just a cycle that is natural and completely beyond us to control or truly impact.

I find it very distressing when someone says that there is no climate change problem. The source of my distress is not about whether they are right or wrong as each is entitled to their own opinion. Rather, my distress comes from the decision of skeptics to not make any effort to tread more lightly on the earth, and to believe that there is nothing they can do that could result in a better natural environment for future generations.

At the same time, I'm not calling for more green energy programs that end up using farmland to create energy. Rather, as a society, we need to adapt to a lifestyle which is friendlier to our environment. A lifestyle which uses less energy. From my point of view, we need to live closer to our places of employment. We need to drive more fuel-efficient cars. We need to reduce the footprint that we make both when we grow food and in the consumer goods that we purchase.

There is little doubt that weather patterns are becoming more erratic. If the earth is in fact slowly warming, how would this affect us here in Ontario?  I believe that Ontario farmers are well situated to deal with this problem here. But as Christian farmers I believe we are also required to think about what this will do in countries which are prone to drought.  A few degrees in many countries in Africa could lead to widespread famine, and possibly millions of deaths. From my perspective, everyone in the world is a neighbour that I need to care about.

Is climate change something that we can truly do anything about? I don't know the full answer. However, I think we can and should do something about the way we treat our environment, and the working landscape that we leave to future generations. As you go about your farming business this fall and into next year, please take time to consider great and small ways you can be a better caretaker of the creation.

Source: CFFO