According to the IUCN Red List, 70% of the plant species that we know about are under threat of extinction. 32% of fish and 21% of mammals face a similar threat. Are we responsible? Should we care?
Whether you are a Darwinian or a creationist or somewhere in between there are good reasons to be concerned. Individual species are dying out all the time and new species are constantly being discovered. What is of concern is the net loss of diversity. Our environment is a finely balanced interplay between plants, animals and environmental processes. We have no idea what the impact of losing so many forms of life will be on the overall system.
How does God feel about it? Genesis 24 says "God spoke: 'Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind: cattle and reptiles and wild animals - all kinds.' And there it was: wild animals of every kind, cattle of all kinds, every sort of bug. God saw that it was good." (The Message) Pretty clear isn't it?
The UN has declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity to celebrate and protect the huge range of life on our planet. Could you do something in your garden or churchyard to create a place for wildlife to flourish or even get involved in a bigger project run by the council or the local Wildlife Trust?
To find out more about the subject and why Christians should be involved, come along to the Ecocongregation conference "Growing Organically" in Birmingham on 18 September. Contact kajsa.brittso@arocha.org for more details.
