Embracing Kingdom Hope for a Broken World
Definitions
Definitions: Carbon Footprint
Feb 12th
A series that seeks to clarify the jargon, terminology, ideas, and any other confusing whatnots that separate us and keep us from understanding important things related to creation care.
Carbon Footprint
We often hear this “carbon footprint” term thrown about as if we should all know what it means, what our footprint is, and what the footprints of our products, businesses, etc are. I feel like I hear it all the time without explanation. So, say goodbye to the jargon. Today we are going to clarify what the heck a carbon footprint is and why you should care. At least that’s my goal. (I at least get credit for trying, right?)
According to Encyclopedia of Earth, “a carbon footprint is the measure of the amount of greenhouse gases, measured in units of carbon dioxide, produced by human activities.” I’m not sure how much that helps clear up confusion. Basically, much of what we do in our lives (heat our homes, cook our food, drive to work, construct buildings, make clothes, etc) comes at a cost to the environment. This cost is often measured in terms of these greenhouse gases (or GHGs). Greenhouse gases basically wind up trapping heat within the earth’s atmosphere. Of course, if no heat were trapped, we would be quite cold to say the least. However, when these build up in excess, the earth heats up too much causing problems. Now, carbon footprint measures how much of these gases are emitted for different things. So a car can have a carbon footprint as can a banana that has traveled from Ecuador or clothes from China or your computer. Also, you can have a carbon footprint. This is the measure of your impact on the environment. Of course, it gets much more complex than this with primary and secondary footprints and more.
One of the confusing things about all this is that although carbon footprint measures greenhouse gases (GHGs) produced, it is most often measured in terms of carbon dioxide. But for starters, simply consider the footprint of an item it’s score. The lower the score, the less of an impact you are making on the environment. So fewer emissions are the better option. Ultimately, the value of knowing your carbon footprint is in being able to benchmark where you are and seek to reduce that number. In the same way you can compare the footprint or emissions of various products (i.e. cars) to determine which will have the lesser impact.
If you would like to determine what you carbon footprint is, there are plenty of calculators online which can help you with this. Here is one that I like to help you get started (carbon footprint calculator).
Did this help clear things up for you? Do you still have questions? Comment and we will do our best to help clear the air.
Are there other terms you need defined? Let us know and we will obliterate the confusion in an upcoming post.
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Definitions: Creation Care
Jan 29th
A series that seeks to clarify the jargon, terminology, ideas, and any other confusing whatnots that separate us and keep us from understanding important things related to creation care.
Creation Care
As you read around our site as well as other Christian blogs, books, etc you will find yourself continually coming across this term creation care. So, what exactly is creation care? How is it different from environmentalism? What do you call a creation care person?
So, before I get sidetracked… the term creation care reflects our efforts to care for God’s creation. As Christians we know that some of the first commands we were given had to do with taking care of creation (Genesis 1:28; 2:15). Furthermore, the Bible is filled with descriptions of the majesty of God’s creation, how we are to care for it, it’s brokenness, and God’s work to redeem it. Creation care, then, considers our role in this. It seeks to respond to the call that God has put on us.
Now, you may notice a unique part of our creation care here at Creation Hope: hope. Whereas the world and (unfortunately) many of us Christians despair of the impending destruction of the environment, we at Creation Hope embrace hope in the face of the challenges. Because of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, God is already working to restore His creation. Therefore, we believe that creation care is more than a command; rather, it is an opportunity to join the great work of redemption. Because of who God is we may find hope even when there’s no hope to be found.
Now, you might be wondering why we don’t just stick with environmentalism. People know it, understand it, use it. Well… the first reason is that environment has to do with what surrounds us. It is centered on people. Creation care, meanwhile, focuses on the Creator and His creation. The second reason is that creation care reflects our uniquely Christian perspective that we bring to the issue. While the actions of creation care and environmentalism often overlap, the motivation and heart of the matter are incredibly different. It is imperative that we keep our distinct perspective and the Good News in mind.
Unlike in environmentalism where you have an environmentalist, we do not (yet?) have a term for a person who engages in creation care. Perhaps we could call them tillers or gardeners a la Genesis 2:15 but those don’t carry much meaning, do they? Perhaps, creation caregiver? That just sounds odd. Perhaps an eschatological ecologist? Of course, as I write this in a series seeking to rid us of jargon this might not be appropriate. Besides, even having written it myself I’m not really sure what that means. Let me offer one final alternative. Perhaps someone who engages in creation care should simply be called a Christian. You see, as Christians we are called to follow our Lord; the same Lord who has commanded us to care for His creation and who is working to redeem it. So, to be a Christian should mean that we care for God’s creation.
Does this dispel any confusion about creation care? Need further clarity? Post your questions in the comments section and we will try to clear them up for you.
Are there other terms you need defined? Let us know and we will incorporate them into this series.
Also consider:
