by Martie – Marthea Daling Jager
I have a life-long passion for Creation Care and Earth-keeping. Recently, I have discovered the online site called Green America and its wealth of resources on how to live in harmony with our Earth, including on how to advocate divesting.
Basically, divesting means refusing to invest in or use companies, products and processes that damage people and pollute our planet, or if you already own products or stock in those companies, it means shifting your dollars and purchasing power to protest their continuing actions that abuse our planet and ultimately us, the people who live here.
Green America has a long history of exposing harmful fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas carbon) extraction as well as consumption. For me, Creation Care includes divesting from fossil fuel companies and reducing consumptive lifestyles and use of their products and processes. This also includes divesting from big banks, multinational corporations and associated credit cards intertwined with fossil fuels that pollute and exploit the disenfranchised, the marginalized and the planet.
It further involves reinvesting into clean renewable energy (NOT nuclear) and into life and community-building alternatives.
Green advocacy groups, such as Green America and others, have long been concerned over the devastation and pollution from fossil fuels, including their extraction, consumptive use and end-products. At the present rate of escalating use, fossil fuel emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere are causing catastrophic and irreversible man-made global warming and climate change. The results are grave effects on our planet’s health (human and animal) and human rights.
I agree with Bill McKibben of 350.org that in order to preserve our planet, carbon dioxide formed by extraction and consumption of fossil fuels, MUST be reduced from current levels in the atmosphere to below 350 parts per million. Advocates, including Green America, urge this reduction, and for us to make clean-energy economy a reality by refusing to invest in companies that are destroying our planet. They further urge the shifting of investment and purchase dollars into alternative, clean, renewable energy such as solar, wind and hydro. These sources prove to be more life and community enhancing. This can also be achieved by supporting public policies and lifestyles that move us away from fossil fuels.
To me, divesting and reinvesting are crucial for the common good! My identity is in life-long, deep soul-searching passion for Biblical Christian faith and discipleship to Jesus Christ. My passion flows with the mission of Creation Care: stewardship, equality, solution-focused global and local justice for people and the planet; in other words, living simply so that others may simply live.
Note: Martie Jager recently presented at the series Our Changing Climate & Positive Earthkeeping Responses presented by Hope Reformed Church at Burton St. and 2210 Kalamazoo Ave in Grand Rapids. The sessions run 11:15 a.m. until noon every Sunday through May 3 (except Easter). The schedule for the remaining sessions is below:
Part II: The Church
Sunday, March 8 Caretakers of the Earth – Steve Bouma-Prediger
Sunday, March 15 What’s Happened at Hope Church, Holland? Peter Boogaart
Part III: Local/Regional Issues & Efforts
Sunday, March 22 Grand Rapids and its Environment – GR Mayor George Heartwell
