CHRISTIAN ECOLOGY LINK
A PRAYER GUIDE
for
THE CARE OF CREATION
November
2001
“Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and
worship other gods . . . Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you and he
will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no
produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you.”
(Deuteronomy
11.15-17)
“The man who says ‘I know him’ but does not do what he
commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word,
God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:
whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2.4-6)
“Coming before God in prayer is the central God-given
human task, the one by which, whether spectacularly or quietly, everything is
transformed.” (Canon
Tom Wright)
Thursday 1st November.
As the world’s media focus on the conflict
in
Friday 2nd November.
The Saudi people largely reject Western
values and lifestyles but, with its armed forces less than one-fifth those of
Iraq and Iran, Saudi Arabia is dependent on the USA for its defence, and on the
price of oil for its prosperity. The fact that similar conditions in Iran did
not stop the Iranian Revolution should lead the West to question its dependence
on oil and to seek urgently a simpler lifestyle based on renewable energy such
as wind, water and solar.
Saturday 3rd November.
A new report, “Solar Generation”, released
by the European Photovoltaic Industry Association and Greenpeace shows that solar
power could provide energy for more than 1 billion people, creating over 2
million jobs by 2020 and meeting 26% of global energy needs by 2040. A
Greenpeace spokesman comments: “This report shows that solar power . . could
supply the equivalent of 75 new coal or nuclear power stations. The solar
industry is saying it will invest $75 billion a year in new manufacturing over
the next 20 years. Sadly, the
Sunday 4th November.
Lord,
make us instruments of your peace;
Where
there is hatred, let us sow love;
Where
there is injury, pardon;
Where
there is discord, union;
Where
there is doubt, faith;
Where
there is despair, hope;
Where
there is darkness, light;
Where
there is sadness, joy;
For
the sake of your dear Son, Jesus Christ.
Monday 5th November.
“World Energy Assessment” is a joint report
from the UN development Programme, the UN Department of Economics & Social
Affairs and the World Energy Council. It claims that “there are no fundamental
technological, economic or resource limits constraining the world from enjoying
the benefits of high levels of energy services and a better environment.” Three
fundamental changes needed to achieve this are:
1. More efficient use of energy (about
two-thirds of global energy is wasted in conversion processes from raw
materials to useful energy)
2. A greater reliance on modern renewable
energy resources (which now account for just 2% of the global fuel mix)
3. Accelerated development and diffusion of
new energy technologies, including cleaner, safer ways of using fossil fuels.
Although, in its view, the private sector can play a
powerful role in bringing energy services to the world’s poor, government
guidance and regulations are crucial because without them the market will not
meet the needs of the poor, nor will it protect the environment.
Tuesday 6th November.
Since 1991 no nuclear reactor has been
ordered in any EU country. Seven of its fifteen members are non-nuclear, while
another four (
Wednesday 7th November.
The
Thursday 8th November.
Seventeen German companies have formed The
Club for Rural Electrification, an initiative for advancing solar power in the
developing world and improving living conditions for the 2 billion people
without electricity. (See www.tomorrow-web.com
for the full story) Meanwhile
Friday 9th November.
At the time of writing the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) is expected to meet in
·
Recognising
that the protection of the environment through international agreements such as
the Kyoto Protocol must take preference over narrow trade interests;
·
Incorporating
the precautionary principle into its decision-making;
·
Encouraging
eco-labelling that protects the environment such as dolphin-friendly fishing
practices and non-GM foods;
·
Outlawing
patents on life, and reforming the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights (TRIPS) to protect indigenous communities and farmers from
‘biopiracy’ and allowing poorer countries access to new technologies;
·
Including
NGOs and other stakeholders in negotiations and settlement procedures.
For further information e-mail: Charlie.kronick@uk.greenpeace.org
Saturday 10th November.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has
licensed its “terminator technology” to its partner Delta Pine & Land. This
technology allows seed to be sterilized, so forcing farmers to buy fresh seeds
each year instead of saving their own seed. USDA and Delta have applied for
patents in 87 countries, so giving them a monopoly in those countries under WTO
rules. The royalties will no doubt help US companies to develop new
technologies that will further destroy the independence of small farmers
throughout the world.
Sunday 11th November.
Father, we thank you for your great gifts
of wisdom and ingenuity. Help us to place them wholly at your service in the
quest for technologies to protect the world that you created, and all the
creatures that live in it.
Monday 12th November.
Both nuclear fuel reprocessing plants at
Sellafield were shut down in September when, because of frequent plant
breakdowns, the volume of high-level nuclear waste was increasing. BNFL had
been warned in August that regulators would close the plants unless it reduced
the amount of waste in the holding tanks. Meanwhile five Nordic countries have
written to Tony Blair formally protesting over continuing radioactive emissions
from the Sellafield plants.
Tuesday 13th November.
The Government’s Energy Review is expected
to recommend the building of new nuclear power stations, despite the ongoing
problem of the disposal of nuclear waste and the fact that it takes many years
to build a nuclear power station, whereas wind power can be quickly installed.
Wednesday 14th November.
The UN Food & Agriculture Organisation
has calculated that two breeds of farm animals go extinct every week. Over the
last 15 years 300 breeds out of a total of 6000 have been lost. The irony of
the situation is that scientists are trying to create GM animals with a range
of adaptations to disease and harsh environments while the same qualities are
being lost from existing animals. Pray for all who are dedicated to maintaining
the diversity of farm animals throughout the world.
Thursday 15th November.
The European Commission has published two
documents on the regulation of GM food and animal feed and the traceability and
labeling of food produced from GMOs. Businesses would be obliged to transmit
and retain for five years information on the origin and destination of GM
foods. All foods and animal feed produced from GMOs would be labelled, with a
maximum permitted contamination of 1%. The proposals are subject to co-decision
with the European Parliament and the Council; they should become law in 2003 at
the latest.
Friday 16th November.
Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser was found
guilty of infringing Monsanto’s patent on RoundupReady canola on the legal
principle that he knew, or should have known, that the seeds he was growing
were Roundup-tolerant. However, the producers of GM crops appear to have no
corresponding set of obligations over GM pollution of surrounding crops, though
this has never been tested in the courts. Moves are afoot to bring legal action
in
Saturday 17th November.
A poll in
Sunday 18th November.
Father, we pray for a vision of your world
as your love would make it:
A
world where the weak are protected and none go hungry or poor;
A
world where the benefits of life are shared;
A
world where nations, races, cultures and religions live with mutual respect;
A
world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love;
And
that we may have the courage and inspiration to play our part in building it.
Monday 19th November.
After six years of negotiations on a
strengthened Biological Weapons Convention, the
Tuesday 20th November.
A voluntary agreement between the
Government and the insurance industry has imposed a 5-year ban on disclosure to
insurance companies of the results of genetic tests – except for the 3% of life
policies above £500,000. But the financial limits will be reviewed after 3
years. GeneWatch comments: “Without legislation, people taking tests today will
not know whether they will be excluded from insurance and employment in future.
The Government has backtracked from an important principle under pressure from
insurers.”
Wednesday 21st November.
Recent events have led many to take a
closer look at Islam and its tenets. “The World of Islam – Tradition, Change
& Conflict”, just published, is one of a series of booklets called
“Understanding Global Issues” obtainable at £2-95 from The Runnings, Cheltenham
GL51 9PQ tel.01242 245252. It states the “five pillars of Islam” thus:
1. to accept that Allah is the only God and
that Muhammad is his Prophet;
2. to pray to God five times a day;
3. to undertake a pilgrimage to
4. to fast during daylight hours for one month
a year (Ramadan);
5. to give alms to the poor, typical rates
being 2.5% of savings and 10% of farm produce each year.
The last “pillar” ensures that even the poorest
families in the back streets of
Thursday 22nd November.
In
Friday 23rd November.
According to John Esposito in “The Islamic
Threat: Myth or Reality?” (OUP 1992) “Many in the Muslim world view the history
of dealings with the West as one of victimization and oppression at the hands
of an expansive imperial power, They counter that it is “militant Christianity”
and “militant Judaism” that are the root causes of failed Muslim societies: the
aggression and intolerance of the Crusades and the Inquisition; European
colonialism; the break-up of the Ottoman empire and the artificial creation of
modern states; the establishment of Israel, its occupation of the West Bank and
its invasion of Lebanon; and the extent to which oil interests have been the
determining factor in support for autocratic regimes.”
Others might say that the causes of failed Muslim
societies are their lack of democratic management, the restrictions placed on
innovation, the high proportion of national budgets spent on arms and the
tendency to rely on natural resources such as oil rather than investing in the
education of their future citizens.
Saturday 24th November.
The Muslim fellowship of ‘ummah’ – the
brotherhood of man – cuts no ice when it comes to political rivalry and wars in
Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Sudan and hostility between Libya, Egypt and Sudan,
all of which belie the Islamic ideal. Ruling elites in most Muslim countries
are afraid to open the door of democracy too wide for fear of what might be
unleashed. Islam, unlike Christianity, provides not just a religion, but a
complete system of law and government. Some say that Islamic rule is bound to
be authoritarian because it puts the unchangeable certainties of God’s law
above the will of the people. Yet Muslim intellectuals are increasingly calling
for a re-interpretation of the Qur’an that will make it more relevant to
developments in the modern world.
Sunday 25th November.
Give us, Father, we pray, a deeper
understanding of your purpose, that we may be steadfast amid the turmoil of our
times. May our faith never fail, nor our love grow cold, nor our hope become
faint. May we look up and lift up our heads as we look for the redemption of
your world, through Jesus Christ your Son and our Redeemer.
Monday 26th November.
Western societies have long separated
religion from government and economics, with negative results for the poor and
marginalized. Muslims argue that Islamic notions of personal morality and human
brotherhood offer the prospect of a better world order than either free market
capitalism or socialism. However, because of the ban in the Qur’an on charging
interest, Islamic banks can only invest directly in a business, and so must
share in its profits and losses instead of simply charging interest on a loan.
This makes banks naturally more cautious than their Western equivalents,
therefore it is less easy to obtain capital for business start-ups.
Tuesday 27th November.
Even remote Muslim households now have
access to television programmes, many of them imported from
Wednesday 28th November.
The Catholic church in
Thursday 29th November.
A 36-year old Brazilian activist, Dema
Federicci, was killed in August when a gunman invaded his house. He was a leader
in the campaign against the construction of dams on the
Friday 30th November
A million tones of sand eels are caught
each year in the
Additional Prayers:
Sources:
GREENPEACE BUSINESS
RENEW
RESURGENCE
SPLICE
UNDERSTANDING GLOBAL ISSUES
For further information and prayer request please
write to:
Philip Clarkson Webb
15 Valley View
Southborough
Tunbridge
Wells