Christian leaders in their messages during the Easter Triduum mention the environment as part of the arenas where faith should make an impact.
In his Urbi et Orbi, or message to and prayer for the city of Rome and to the world, Pope Francis called the attention of the world to “the immense wastefulness for which we are often responsible.”
Speaking from Constantinople, Patriarch Bartholomew of the Orthodox Church said, “We convey to the world the message of the resurrection. We preach knowingly that death must not have a place in our life for it offers no benefit to humanity.”
We cannot let a fearful paralysis grip us by the prospect of a sea rise resulting from Climate Change as we view maps that show scenarios of how the world as we know it would be redrawn when the last of the polar ice caps melt and the seas rise and engulf whole countries.
The Pope’s message of life must permeate our attitude so that we make choices that favor sustainability rather than wastefulness, and to fight global warming.
This is why we support the move of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to prosecute to the full extent of the law whosoever was responsible for uprooting nearly 80 trees from Cebu City’s North Reclamation Area.
We hear in citizens’ calls for more greenbelts and parks, the longing for a world that is not graying and old but a livable garden and home for our children.
The destruction of trees planted by the Cebu city government should not be swept under the rug.
When the culprits are brought to light, they must be ready to show remorse for their deed and make up for it be replanting what was lost –- tenfold the number of trees uprooted.
We see hope in the future approval of a draft Cebu City ordinance allocating space in roads for priority bike lanes that allow pedestrians and commuters more mobility without releasing poisonous exhaust into the air.
We support City Hall’s intensified campaign for residents to segregate trash, the better to facilitate recycling and to ease the pressure on the Inayawan dumpsite that is still being used beyond its capacity.
We laud the efforts of grocery stores, fast-food chains and shops that set aside plastic bags and containers. Don’t just limit the practice to Saturdays. Do it everyday. This will help the public make it a habit to bring their own bags when they shop. If Makati City can do it, why not Cebu City?
Earth Day is celebrated tomorrow. It falls within the first week or the Octave of Easter, an occasion to deepen one’s commitment to restoring a healthy balance in the way we use the limited resources of a wonderful world, in gratefulness to the Creator who made it.
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