I got up this morning in my Atlanta hotel and grabbed a newspaper as I got my blog together. As I flipped through it with my coffee and cereal, I was very heartened to read a
column written by a self identified evangelical Christian about the necessity of Christians working to save the environment, especially water.
The writer, Tom Krattenmaker, started his column talking about the “exceptional drought” in California and the ruining of drinking water in Toledo, Ohio, because of excess algae precipitated by warmer water.
Krattenmaker says, “The issue is the life-threatening impact on human beings as parts of our habitat become less able to support human life… Warmer ocean waters, in tandem with overfishing and seawater acidification, threaten this important source of food. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that the changes will likely ‘increase the vulnerability of human societies, by affecting income, employment and food security.’”
We know that global climate change threatens the earth’s supply of water. We know that natural gas fracking threatens our aquifers and surface water. The Coast Guard is protecting our surface water now by preventing the fracking, gas, and oil industry from transporting fracking waste by barge on our rivers.
We also know that water supplies are threatened by corporate industries trying to buy up water supplies to sell, and trying to privatize water and sewer systems.
It is so critical that we develop and win support for those issues, which once were progressive issues. We need a larger and more active base. We need to keep telling the truth, reaching out to all, agitating, organizing, and mobilizing.
Social change in America is a long fight. We win if we stay in the game and keep pounding on the truth and fundamental human values.
When you get tired, think of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony who fought for abolition before they fought for women’s suffrage. Think of A. Philip Randolph, who built the first African-American national union, and laid the foundation for the Civil Rights Movement of the 50′s and 60′s.
Photo source: www.justenoughlight.com