Can Religion and Faith Combat

By William Bezanson

Scientists regularly study the ongoing degradation of Earth’s environment and track the changes wrought by a warming planet. Economists warn that intensifying disasters are harming people’s quality of life. And policymakers focus on crafting rules to diminish the health and environmental effects of humanity’s growing footprint.

What is the role of philosophers and people of faith in this bigger discussion about the environment and sustainability?

Rita D. Sherma is co-chair of a research initiative aimed at bringing the beliefs of religion, spirituality, and ethics to the study of sustainability.

Here she explains the core ideas behind “green spirituality,” how religion and environmental protection are closely intertwined, and the role faith can play in restoring hope amid the drumbeat of discouraging environmental news.

Green spirituality is an orientation to the divine, or supreme reality, that is grounded in our experience of life on planet Earth. It respects the miracle of life on this planet and recognizes our relationship with it.

oriented toward the Earth and its ecosystems for those outside of organized religion. It encourages a contemplative and harmonious relationship with the Earth. Green spirituality seeks to harness the world's spiritual traditions to energize the effort to restore planetary ecosystems and stop future harm.

Why do spiritual and religious teachings belong as part of the global conversation on the environment?

First, 80% of the world’s population practices an established religion or a spiritual tradition that offers community, support, and resources for resilience.

Second, as I have written in my new book on religion and sustainability, better technology will help human communities restore ecosystems.

Such a spirituality can have God or the divine as the focus or be

More and better data, such as computations to forecast disasters, will also be helpful. But both are inadequate in the face of human denial and recalcitrance.

In my book, I write: “Planetary survival is now predicated upon the alignment of our notions of both human and ecological rights with our highest principles.

As such, ways of knowing embedded in religion, philosophy, spiritual ethics, moral se traditions, and a culture that values the community and the commons – an essential resource for the transformation necessary for environmental regeneration and renewal – are indispensable.”

In other words, people on Earth need to tap into the ways of thinking from these faith traditions to address the current environmental crises.

Can faith and religion help counter rising eco-anxiety?

Catastrophic wildfires across the planet, extreme weather patterns that destroy homes and histories, degraded soil, toxic air, unsafe water and the desecrated beauty of places we have loved are causing climate trauma and eco-anxiety.

For those who are acutely aware of the cliff edge on which we stand as a species and as a planetary community, the despair evoked by the magnitude of the disaster is almost unbearable.

Religions, faiths, and spiritual practices can help in unique ways. In this space, people can find community, peaceful practices of meditation and prayer, embodied sacred actions that include rituals and liturgies, and a ‘long view’ informed by the tragedies and triumphs faced by spiritual ancestors.

Faith can provide hope and resilience in the midst of crises.

How do different faith traditions treat respect for nature?

Religions may disagree on many things, but each contains philosophical or theological orientations that can be interpreted and applied in ways that protect the Earth.

Some traditions, such as Hindu, Yogic, Indigenous, and others, see the self as a microcosm of macrocosm or a part of the greater whole. And profoundly sacred immanence, or integral divine presence, is woven through their philosophies.

For these spiritual traditions, religious practice integrates trees, flowers, sacred groves, sanctified terrains, rivers, mountains, and elements of the entire ecosphere into liturgical and personal practice.

Christian Eco theology focuses on stewardship and the ethics of Earth justice. A well-known Muslim Eco theologian speaks of the Earth as a mosque in reference to the prophet's saying (hadith) –which renders the entire Earth as sacrosanct. Jewish ecological thinkers have envisaged the idea of “Shomrei Adamah

“The good man is the friend of all living things.” — Gandhi

Keepers of the Earth, which connects humanity and the Earth through divine love.

Buddhism’s spiritual aim is the absolute awareness of interconnectedness and mutual causality.

Ahimsa or noninjury to living beings and the Earth, is the highest doctrinal principle in Hinduism and Buddhism, and it is intensely followed in Jainism.

How are organized religions putting environmental protection into practice?

Many initiatives and conversations are happening among religions, and among interreligious leadership and international bodies – most importantly, the United Nations initiatives.

Some important conversations include the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative which brings the dedication, impact, and moral authority of different faiths to restore the world’s rainforests and help empower the Indigenous peoples who view themselves as their protectors.

Greenfaith is a global, multireligious climate and environmental movement. I also serve on the advisory board of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology pioneering international interreligious project at Yale University started by scholars Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim that ignited the academic field of religion and ecology as a global engaged force for the greening of religion.

In 1985, the World Wildlife Fund established the U.K.- based Alliance of Religion and Conservation for developing partnerships with religious groups for collaborating on environmental protection.

WWF’s [Sacred Earth: Faiths for Conservation program collaborates with faith groups and religious communities who are committed to the view that the Earth is a sacred charge that demands the commitment of our care.

In November 2017, the U.N. “Environment Program,” realizing the significance of religious communities as key actors, founded the Faith for Earth Initiative to engage with faith-based organizations as partners, at all levels, toward achieving sustainable development goals and realizing the 2030 agenda. The initiative affirms that “Spiritual values drive individual behaviors for more than 80 percent of people.

In the fall of 2020, the Parliament of the World’s Religions and the U.N. Environment Programme jointly published a book titled “Faith for Earth – A Call for Action, which provides an overview of the diversity of religious principles and practices that support action for the protection of the Earth.

Rita D. Sherma is affiliated with Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology. John Grim, Ph.D., and Mary Evelyn Tucker, Ph.D. has presented lectures at events convened by Rita D. Sherma.

The Ethical trend in fashion is a movement within the fashion industry that aims to create clothing and accessories made in an environmentally sustainable, socially responsible, and ethical way. It seeks to minimize the fashion industry's negative impact on people, animals, and the environment while promoting fair labor practices, animal welfare, and responsible production methods.

“Ethical fashion is the recognition that there are human beings behind the clothes that we wear”.

Sustainable sourcing: using ecofriendly materials, reducing waste, and minimizing the carbon footprint of production.

Fair labor practices: ensuring that workers involved in the production process are paid fair wages, work in safe conditions and are not exploited.

Social responsibility: promoting equality and respect for human rights and ensuring that the fashion industry does not contribute to human exploitation or environmental degradation.

Transparency: providing consumers with information about the materials, production methods, and working conditions involved in making their clothes.

Ethical fashion is often contrasted with "fast fashion," characterized by high-volume production, low prices, and a lack of transparency and accountability. The ethical fashion movement seeks to create an alternative to this model by promoting sustainable, responsible, and socially conscious fashion practices.

Animal welfare: avoiding the use of animal products and ensuring that any animal products used are ethically sourced and produced.

Despite all the potential good that a more conscious approach to clothing can bring to our environment and our world, there are many things that still suck about it, we listed some of these things.

Limited availability and high cost: Ethical fashion tends to be more expensive than fast fashion, making it inaccessible to many consumers. In addition, ethical fashion brands are often smaller. Their limited availability makes it difficult to find the styles and sizes that customers want.

Lack of variety: Ethical fashion brands often have a limited selection of styles and designs, making it difficult for consumers to find clothes that suit their tastes.

Slow production and delivery times: Ethical fashion brands typically prioritize sustainable production methods, which can result in longer production and delivery times. This can frustrate customers who are used to fast and convenient shopping experiences.

Limited size inclusivity: Many ethical fashion brands have a limited range of sizes, which can be exclusionary to customers who do not fit within their size range.

Inconsistent quality: Some customers have reported that ethical fashion brands sometimes meet different standards of quality than fast fashion brands. This can be particularly frustrating for customers who have invested in more expensive ethical clothing pieces.

Greenwashing: Some companies claim to be ethical or sustainable without actually making meaningful changes to their production processes. This can mislead customers and undermine the efforts of genuinely ethical fashion brands.

We must say that nowadays many ethical fashion brands are working to address these issues and provide high-quality, accessible, and sustainable fashion options.

“As consumers, we have so much power to change the world by just being careful in what we buy”

Emma Watson

“Fashion can be a universal player in protecting the planet” —Pharrell Williams- Musician and entrepreneur (National Geographic 2014)

“Clothes are not going to change the world, the women who wear them will”

Anne Klein- Fashion designer.

“There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness”

Mahatma Gandhi.

“Become an active citizen through your wardrobe”. —Livia Firth- Founder and Creative Director of Eco-Age.

“As a designer, I like to work with fabrics that do not bleed. That is why I avoid all animal skins”.

Stella McCartney- Fashion designer (Elle 2012).

“No one wants to wear clothes that were made from someone’s blood” —Amber Valetta- Model and entrepreneur (Vogue 2015).

“Ethical should be the new normal”.

“Call it eco-fashion if you like, I think it is just common sense”—Livia Firth.

“Sustainability is about the long run”.

“There is no such thing as “away”. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere”

Annie Leonard.

“Sustainable Fashion is not a trend but the future”

Antonia Böhlke.

“We only have two choices: do nothing or do something”

Tony Kirwan.

” Fashion shouldn’t cost the earth”— Environmental Audit Company.

“We can´t just consume our way to a more sustainable world”— Ecowarriorprincess.