The Environment and Why Fasting Matters Now More than Ever
13 March 2009
[This is a blog that I'm re-posting here, in case anyone is interested in the link between fasting and fighting global climate change.]The emergency meeting on climate change in Copenhagen, Denmark, concluded yesterday (12 March 2009) with the remarks of Lord Nicholas Stern of the U.K. He announced that climate change projections need to be revised for the worse. Instead of an increase in global temperature of 2 degrees Centigrade (2oC) by the end of this century, it now seems increasingly likely there will be a 5oC change by the end of the century. If that happens, the results would be catastrophic for water supplies and agriculture in many parts of the world. And that, in turn, would produce widespread migrations, conflicts and wars over resources. See
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7940532.stm and
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ikFSc0q2sZRrKdSEhsjQctJt-oJA for more information.
The problem behind all of this is a consumption mindset. We are consuming too much --more than we need-- without trying to stay in equilibrium with our natural resources.
The solution, I suggest, is fasting. Fasting teaches us the discipline of self-denial and the benefits too: better health, slimmer waistlines, more self-control (which can be applied in a variety of settings) and, for the spiritually inclined, more awareness of and closeness to God.
Fasting also has an economic effect which, in turn, could affect climate change for the better. If people are not consuming as much food --especially if they are not consuming as much meat-- there is less economic demand for producing more meat.
Much of the present climate change is caused by our (human) production of carbon into the atmosphere. The carbon in the air absorbs heat from sunshine. That heat, in turn heats upon the world. It is the greenhouse effect, and it results in global warming. Primarily, out production of carbon into the atmosphere is caused by burning fossil fuels: such coal and gasoline and diesel.
However, climate change is also caused by cutting down the forests which remove carbon from the air. The trees "eat" the carbon in the air, turning it into wood. The result is less carbon in the air, which means less heat is stores in the air, which means less global warming. But, when the trees are cut down, the opposite occurs, and there ism more global warming. And that, in turn, results in more climate change.
The biggest reason for cutting down more trees is to produce more farm and ranch land for more food -- especially for more meat.
Hence, by cutting down on the demand for more food --especially cutting down on the demand for more meat-- we could reduce the demand for increased farm and ranch land. And that, in turn, would mean leaving more of the forests alone. That would mean more trees would remain to clean the air of excess carbon. And that, in turn, would result in less or slower climate change. For more information, see
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bloom/actions/eatinglessbeef.shtml For example, let's look at the results of fasting on beef production. More fasting means from beef would mean less pressure to produce more grazing lands for cattle. And that means fewer forests will be cut down. And that means more trees will be left to remove carbon from the atmosphere.
For another example, look at the results of fasting on chicken production. Most of chicken feed is made of grains. Less demand for chicken means less demand for grains. That, in turn, means less demand for converting forest lands into farms for producing grains. And, again, that means leaving more of Nature's mechanism for cleaning the air of excess carbon --the trees-- in place.
(By the way, where is this conversion of land from forest into farms or ranches occurring? It is occurring primarily in the rainforests of South America and Africa. The results, though, are poor farm and ranch land because the top soil is thin in rain forests. And that, ironically, can lead to increased pressure for more deforestation -- to make more marginally land available because the profit margins on the poor land are themselves so thin.)
Fasting also has a social effect that could be more powerful than any other benefit. Those who share the experience of fasting for a common cause find it to be a socially bonding experience. It creates solidarity. Imagine, then, the consciousness-raising solidarity that could come from fasting for the purpose of preserving the planet for future generations. Just by skipping meat for Lent, Advent, and on every Wednesday and Friday, Christians could help their souls and help the planet: just by keeping their ancient spiritual tradition.
Fasting would also likely produce a mindset that embraces penance, self-discipline, and self control as virtues -- instead of self-indulgence.
And that switch in mindset would mean a switch in economy. Instead of a consumption based mindset and economy, there could come an investment based mindset and economy. And *that* would do the most benefit overall in changing human behavior from climate destroying to climate preserving.
So often, environmentalism is dismissed as just another goofy liberal cause or just another toy of intellectual and social dilettantes. But climate change is real.
Climate change is a part of life.
And, we are making it worse by our own behavior: by our own lack of self-control.
With the cause identified, the solution can also be identified.
And the solution is to change our behavior through rediscovering self-control, starting with fasting.
These are the Four Noble Truths of climate change and how we --as individual, ordinary people-- can make a difference. We consume too much, because we give in to self-indulgence too much, by eating too much. So, to solve this problem, we need to cultivate self-control again. And the perfect place to start is by moderate fasting. After all, we all need to eat. And, in this part of the world, we all need to eat *less* -- especially less meat.
And so, if we who are Christians would revive our ancient tradition of moderate fasting --at least no meat during Lent, Advent, and on every Wednesday and Friday-- we would learn again by experience that penance saves. It not only would save our planet's ability to support civilization, but it would also help to save our souls: because it is self-denial for the purpose of self-control.
And that means, for Christians, at least no meat during Lent, Advent, and Wednesdays and Fridays. No, that isn't listed specifically in the Bible. But, it is what the Church figured out as workable by trial and error over the centuries. It was the norm for all Christians by the end of the first millennium. It remains officially the norm --although it is widely disregarded in practice-- in the Orthodox Church. The point is that fasting is part of the Christian heritage (going back all the way to Jesus: see Matthew 6: 16-23), and all Christians need to revive it today: to help save our souls as well as the planet.
We are not punished for our sins; we are punished by our sins. And if we do not learn to control ourselves and our choices, we will be controlled by the consequences. Regarding over-eating, that doesn't "just" mean diabetes and heart disease and other illnesses. It also means a very realistic possibility of a 5oC increase in global temperature by the end of this century -- and all the catastrophes that would produce. That is likely to happen *unless* we slow and stop that process now, by changing our behavior now, beginning by practicing moderate fasting.
Happy Fasting !
-- John
