The trip to St. Simons was beautiful, except for the oil patches all over the beach. The weekend destination wedding in Park City, Utah was glorious, except for the jet stream that blew in the air from the California wildfires to obstruct the otherwise majestic views.
Climate change is real, undeniable, and destroying the majesty of our country. Protecting our planet should not be a partisan argument: it should be a Jewish value. There’s simply no Jewish source I can think of which teaches that it is okay to destroy the majesty of God’s planet. We sing, Ladonai Haaretz Umeloah: the earth and all that it contains belongs to God. Yes, God commands humankind to “subdue the earth and to fill it.” But we cannot forget that Adam was also charged with “guarding and protecting” our garden, to make it a forever Eden.
The stories I began this blog post with are real ones from this past week. A member of our school faculty told me that she enjoyed her family vacation despite an oil spill having contaminated the water. Last Shabbat, I attended a wedding in Park City. Ordinarily, Park City is an oasis for skiing in the winter and a mecca for biking and hiking during the summer. Instead, the news reported countless residents of the area were calling 911 concerned about a surprising amount of smoke filling the air. I chose mostly to hang around the hotel.
With all of the green, lush environment, ample hiking, and wildlife trails that we enjoy in our bubble of Georgia, it might seem we are removed from this impending climate crisis. The closest beach is at least four hours away; rising sea levels wouldn’t concern us all that much.
Only if you ask people time and time again who grew up here, they will tell you that they absolutely recall a time when the weather wasn’t so darn hot (it was only very hot) in the summer. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look at any number of available graphs to see that the average temperatures today are several degrees higher than a few decades ago. What will they look like for our children?
I recognize that when it comes to being able to live comfortably on our planet, there has always been a common sense give and take when it comes to energy consumption. Yet, I am also aware that it has never been easier to start helping in small ways without having to live a “granola lifestyle.” Use reusable bags at the store. Turn down your HVAC units not to be in use when you are out of the house (this one will also save you money). Plant a garden outside, which I have been told that for some, is an enjoyable use of time. If you are feeling adventurous, make your next car purchase a hybrid, electric, or fuel-efficient vehicle.
Before the pandemic, I kayaked down the Nantahala River with a local priest (it’s not a bar, but we still enjoy our time together). We stopped for lunch on the side of this impressive river. We looked all around: nothing but water, trees, and deep forest. We smiled at each other. We couldn’t both help but share the moment that this was “God’s country.”
Reflecting on this moment has led me to realize that if all of this truly is God’s country then we need to start treating it that way. Enough may finally be enough. All of us must do our part of guarding and protecting our garden before man-made consumption makes it too late for our children to enjoy it in the future.
– Rabbi Dan Dorsch
