From Darrell's Desk
By Rev. Darrell Maguire
I will for the record admit that I was quite frightened on June 7th to 10th as I spent three days in Mississauga for our annual assembly of our Baptist family. My disturbed spirit had nothing to do with conference itself but by what was going on in the environment around me as I travelled to the assembly and went out a couple of times for meals. My anxiety grew even more when reports from other delegates began to filter in of their own experiences and the posted videos on social media of what was transpiring.
I am sure you have guessed by now that I am referring to the smoke that blew down from the northern Ontario and western Quebec forest fires. The sky was an eerie yellowy brown. The smell was so intense that I could taste smoke even long after I had entered the hotel where the conference was. As bad as the air was where I was, the news was full of reports and videos of New York City which had the worst air quality on the planet.
It was only after some rain moved through and the winds shifted that Toronto, and the area, got some relief but this only meant the smoke had moved east to Ottawa and environs. As I write this article, the news is still bad for our nation's forests and our fire fighting crews. Forest fires still number over 400. Many of these are out of control, threatening thousands of hectares of bush and whole towns and cities.
I have heard it said that the forest fire season got off to an early start due to the extremely dry and hot weather we had in May. The condition is further exasperated by a shortage of fire crews, both Canadian and imported crews from other countries. Not to mention a limitation of water bombers and there seems to be no end in sight as we haven't even got to the hottest two months of the year.
Scientists are telling us that what we are seeing is just the beginning of the effects of global warming. They warn us that along with severe forest fires we can expect more intense hurricanes, rising ocean levels, and droughts causing food shortages, or flooding displacing large numbers of people.
I am not sure what it takes to compel serious actions from elected officials or even from average persons. Many of the initiatives to protect our environment are quite laudable, like recycling and habitat restoration. However, I still wonder if it is too little and maybe too late as permanent changes to our environment are already in force in the world we live. As someone who enjoys the outdoors from a fishing boat, it is scary how much further north you must go to find undisturbed lakes and forests. I have gone into remote lakes only to discover someone's garbage strewn on or near the water.
Are electric vehicles the answer? It depends on how you think about it. Yes, EVs do not cause greenhouse gases, but the manufacturing of the batteries depends on significant mining and then processing. Not to mention disposing of the batteries afterwards.
As proclaimed followers of Jesus, who worship a God who sees even one sparrow fall, it is imperative that we begin to see our interaction with the environment as a spiritual discipline. How I handle my garbage, treat my lawn, what I buy or how and where it is manufactured, all matter. Do I see my pro-environmental activities as an aligning with the love God has for all His creatures and the world He created or are we content to watch the world burn?
