Faith Meets Life: Global warming desensitization

A couple of weeks ago the “top story headlines” on the CBC website read, “Arctic warming threatening caribou, northern wildlife.” The article contained a number of alarming statements, and the threats were not only to wildlife.

Among them: “Largest declines of caribou in Canada, Alaska, Yukon expert says.”

“Sea ice cover this year has been 23 per cent smaller than the past record low set in 2005 and 39 per cent less than average. . .”

The comments are made by reputable people, one of them, Richard Spinrad, was identified as the “assistant administrator for oceanic and atmospheric research at the U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.” (I know there's a lot of repetition there but that's honestly how it's written.)

Disturbing as these statements are, I doubt that Fanshawe students and faculty will be taking to the hallways and the streets in marches of protest against the ills that cause climate change. One of the features of post-modern life is that alarming news doesn't seem to alarm enough people. Disturbing revelations about global warming no longer disturb.

One of the reasons may be that we've heard so many alarms about pollution that we've become desensitized. But another one, I think, is obvious from the web page itself that displays the news story. Right in the middle of this article about Arctic warming is an ad for Direct Buy, “Click here for your free Insider's Guide. The # 1 way to buy direct for your home.”

Perhaps this captures the problem in a nutshell. The news about climate change demands strong responses from us. But for most of us, desire to respond is subverted by the desire to maintain our comfortable lives. We (pardon me for using this expression) blather on about changing light bulbs and not idling our cars, but we continue to plan and build ever-bigger homes, more highways, car plants and big box stores.

We're not yet making the changes that are needed. In fact, we can't seem to imagine an economy that isn't built on the foundations of rapid resource consumption, global competition and the lowest cost for the largest products. While we're reading about the destruction of the Arctic, we're thinking about replacing our six-year-old sofa with a new one from Direct Buy.

The problem, as the Christian community has been saying for a long time about this and many other conundrums, is not the lack of science or knowledge, or the absence of good economic or social policies. It's a problem of the heart. Many identify greed as the core issue. I won't argue with that here, but perhaps a related problem is the failure to be grateful for small things.

In the film, Stranger than Fiction, fiction writer Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson) says, “Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction.”

My point in quoting this film is that one of the things we can do to alleviate climate change is to be thankful for the small things, to appreciate the wonder of a lesson well taught, a small garden, an email from a friend or Mom and Dad, a table crafted by someone you know or an orange and blue sky. If we can find some measure of fulfillment in small things and neighbourly relations, our need forever-bigger homes and exquisitely designed cars will grow weaker. Perhaps a college course could be taught on loving what you have rather than trying to consume our way to happiness.

Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.