Extending the life of the earth

On garbage day, do your empty cans, bundled newspapers, plastic containers and glass jars get sorted into the appropriate bins and left outside for the recycling truck?

If so, congratulations. But why are you doing this?

"I think most people in New York State recycle because it's the law and not a matter of choice," stated Fred Boehrer of Albany's Catholic Worker house, one of two people interviewed for a story on good stewardship of the earth in this week's issue (see page 3).

In the article, Mr. Boehrer and Dr. Richard Shirey of Siena College urge Catholics to take the "moral and ethical high ground" when it comes to caring for our world. Being good stewards of the earth, they say, involves much more than simply obeying the law and returning your soda cans for a five-cent refund instead of tossing them in the garbage.

As Mr. Boehrer said, "As Catholics, we have to be aware of the least of our brothers and sisters." That includes our lower-income brothers and sisters who are sweltering in the heat we're causing by contributing to global warming.

It includes, to borrow St. Francis of Assisi's philosophy, our "brother and sister" animals around us, who are often featured on the nightly news in stories of abuse and neglect rather than respected as fellow creatures of God.

And it includes future generations, our descendants, who will suffer from the destruction we have wrought on this planet.

As Catholics, we are responsible not just to obey the law, but also to go further. The law says abortion is acceptable, but we advocate for life. The law mandates the use of capital punishment, but we believe only God can decide a human being's time to die.

It's time to go further in our efforts to foster good stewardship of the earth, as well. We can investigate groups that protect our wildlife and our environment. We can write to our elected officials about practices that hurt farmworkers, the air we breathe and the health of the poorest among us. We urge you to look at the ideas listed on page 3 -- and incorporate them into your life.

Congratulations on recycling. But ask yourself: If it weren't the law, would I do it anyway?

(07-29-99)

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