Globally, the environment has been an important point of discussion; key issues often debated are climate change, the effects of natural disasters, rising sea level, destruction of forests and global warming. 

Recently in Trinidad and Tobago the environment took centre stage in the aluminium smelter issue. What many of these discussions have highlighted is that the human being and his/her environment are inseparable.

Pope Paul VI in his papal message to the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment in 1972 said, “the environment essentially conditions man’s life and development, while man, in his turn, perfects and ennobles his environment through his presence, work, and contemplation.

But human creativeness will yield true and lasting fruit only to the extent to which man respects the laws that govern the vital impulse and nature’s capacity for regeneration.”

This perspective is biblical; it is therefore important for us to refer to the biblical references which set the framework of how we should relate to the environment.  

“The faith of Israel is lived out in the space and time of this world, perceived not as a hostile environment, nor as an evil from which one must be freed, but rather as the gift itself of God, as the place and plan that he entrusts to the responsible management and activity of man. Nature, the work of God's creative action, is not a dangerous adversary. It is God who made all things, and with regard to each created reality. ‘God saw that it was good’ (cfGen 1:4,10,12,18,21,25).

At the summit of this creation, which “was very good” (Gen1:31), God placed man. Only man and woman, among all creatures, were made by God “in his own image” (Gen 1: 27) The Lord entrusted all of creation to their responsibility, charging them to care for its harmony and development (cfGen 1:26-30). This special bond with God explains the privileged position of the first human couple in the order of creation.”

What this is telling us in a nutshell is that God created the earth and all it constituent parts; and everything made has a purpose which is meant to be good. God created human beings in his own image and likeness, which gave them a privileged position in the environment.

They were therefore given dominion over the environment. Human beings therefore must not destroy the environment but rather seek to improve it. They must seek to transform the world into a beautiful place to live successfully, not one of total confusion.

“The relationship of man with the world is a constitutive part of his human identity. This relationship is in turn the result of another still deeper relationship between man and God. The Lord has made the human person to be a partner with him in dialogue.

Only in dialogue with God does the human being find his truth, from which he draws inspiration and norms to make plans for the future of the world, which is the garden that God has given him to keep and till (cf Gen 2: 15). Not even sin could remove this duty, although it weighed down this exalted work with pain and suffering (cf Gen 3:17-19).”

Persons interested in purchasing the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, can contact the Justice Desk, Archbishop’s House – 622-6680. Also on sale at the Justice Desk are the Take a Bite Social Justice Programme on DVD and Responses to 101 Questions on Catholic Social Teaching.