1 July | Youth
«The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.» Isaiah 24:5
The world has six continents: Africa, America, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and Antarctica. However, in 1997, sail-or Charles Moore discovered another continent: a gigantic dump of plastic waste that floats in the Pacific Ocean, between California and Hawaii. This island of garbage, which looks like a huge soup of debris, is six times larger than France and is about thirty meters thick. Data indicates that this seventh continent measures around 3.4 million square kilometers and weighs approximately 3.5 million tons.
As it is an island composed primarily of plastic, it is difficult for satellites to detect it. Around 80% of this waste comes from seacoasts and was transported to the ocean through rivers and winds. The environ-mental impact of all this waste is gigantic. Estimations claim that a large size ship would take 27 years to clean the entire surface of the water.
In addition to this ecological problem, there are the issues of the greenhouse effect, deforestation, lack of drinking water and melting of the polar ice caps. Where are we going to stop? In the post-war period, Albert Einstein announced the possibility of the planet being destroyed, not by a third world war, but by the effects of pollution and the nuclear threat.
Looks like he was right. Our planet has become a huge time bomb.
According to today’s text, all this degradation is a consequence of human disobedience to God’s laws. The sin we cherish in our hearts has reached the ground beneath our feet and affected the water, food, air, and seas. The earth groans because of our greed. Instead of exercising responsible control over the planet, human beings have devastated their “common home.”
The current world scenario requires us to be environmentally responsible Christians. So, do not waste water. Throw the trash in the right place. Use renewable energy. Try to have a vegetarian diet. Take care of the animals. With these simple actions, you will demonstrate that you, too, are a suitable candidate for the new heaven and earth.