Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
August 7, 2002
Lessons in living lightly on Earth
Earth is a gift to be valued, nun says
By Lisa M. Petsche
The day Sister Paula Gonzalez saw the first photo of Earth taken by orbiting astronauts, she became a global missionary: "I saw a new vision of our planet, as a small, finite place." It was the start of a spiritual transformation.
Ever since, the Ohio-based Sister of Charity and former biology teacher has been travelling around North America educating people of all ages about the critical state of our planet and teaching them how to live lighter on Earth. She participated in the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and has led passive solar building projects — including creation of an environmental learning center known as EarthConnection — to illustrate life-sustaining alternatives to predominant energy sources.
Recently I had an opportunity to attend one of her "Plug into the Sun" workshops. The energetic, 69-year-old environmentalist came equipped with overheads, videotapes, magazines, photo albums and an assortment of solar-powered items, including a cooking kit.
Sister Gonzalez described the ecological footprint, a powerful tool that measures the amount of biologically productive land and sea area needed to produce the resources we use and absorb the wastes we produce. It's used at an individual, community, national and global level to gauge the sustainability of our lifestyles.
Take the personal Ecological Footprint Quiz at www.earthday.net and prepare to be shocked. The conservative global average is 4.2 acres per capita, but only 3.8 are actually available, she said, confirming that current consumption exceeds Earth's regenerative capacity.
The United States has the biggest national footprint, an astounding 13.6 acres per person. (If everyone lived as North Americans do, it would take several planets to support humanity.) Contrast this with India's footprint — a mere .98 acre per capita. Alarmingly, one-quarter of Earth's population (the most affluent) is responsible for three-quarters of global consumption.
Sister Gonzalez made frequent reference to the Earth Charter, a set of global principles, values and objectives arising out of years of international dialogue and officially launched in June 2000. It aims to guide individuals, businesses, governments and international institutions "to help build a sustainable world based on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace." Global interdependence and universal responsibility are key concepts. (The document can be viewed and downloaded at www.earthcharter.org.)
Contrary to how we've been living for a long time, humans are not rulers, separate and above Earth, but rather an integral part of it, like other living creatures, Sister Gonzalez said. We need to re-connect with nature, developing a spirit of kinship with all life.
Sister Gonzalez referred to Earth as a sacred community and its natural resources as sacred treasures. Miraculously, it contains everything we need to live in abundance, provided that we respect its regenerative life cycles and mirror them in our human systems.
"When it comes to natural resources, we've maxed out our credit cards," Sister Gonzalez warned.
Yet she remains hopeful that Earth will heal, given its resilience and the fact that we already have the knowledge and technology to dramatically reduce our ecological footprint and provide for all of Earth's inhabitants.
What's lacking is the will.
Fundamental changes in our attitudes and behavior are required. Value-wise, this means placing life — people and the rest of nature — ahead of money, possessions and status. Sister Gonzalez pointed to each person's uniqueness and giftedness in the eyes of God as the ultimate status symbol. "What more affirmation do we need?" she asked.
We also must recognize that our individual lifestyle choices, including housing, transportation, food, and energy and water consumption, have a significant impact on the ecological footprint. (If you switch from an average-size car to a sport utility vehicle for one year, you waste more energy than if you were to keep your refrigerator door open for six years or your television on for 28 years.) Sister Gonzalez challenged us to be more honest about distinguishing our wants from our needs, and to resist manipulation by the advertising that bombards us at every turn. "Living beyond our means is a form of slavery," she said frankly. It's also outlandishly excessive. For example, we live in oversized houses full of possessions we don't have time to enjoy, and we drive everywhere in gas-guzzling vehicles. Think of Earth's resources as life support systems, Sister Gonzalez urged, and practice CPR — conservation, preservation and reservation. The time to act is now, and each of us can make a difference. We can choose to eat lower on the food chain; rely more on mass transit, bicycling and walking for transport; buy less; repair rather than replace; buy secondhand; avoid heavily packaged goods; recycle; and compost. We can educate ourselves about alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind power, and support their development and use. And we can demand ecological accountability from businesses and fair and eco-friendly policies from all levels of government. Clearly the days of our individualistic, materialistic, throwaway society are numbered. "We're in the midst of an environmental revolution that's comparable to the agricultural and industrial revolutions," Sister Gonzalez said. To quote the Earth Charter, all life will be strengthened when we learn to "live with reverence for the mystery of being, gratitude for the gift of life, and humility regarding the human place in nature." Lisa M. Petsche is a social worker and freelance writer.
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