Why a Specifically Quaker Testimony on the Environment?

• The innate relatedness of all life, exemplified, perhaps most compellingly by the observations from science that all life is based on the very same code-DNA-which is shared by every plant, animal, virus, a bacterium on this planet.
• The profound complexity of the web of life. Our interrelatedness extends far beyond the genetic legacy of our DNA. Human society and economic activity interact with our biosphere in ways which humanity has barely begun to be aware of, much less understand. And as we increase in numbers and activity, our interactions become more overwhelming and hence more needful of our care.
• The enormously disproportionate effect of the actions of humanity. When we were few and powerless our actions had no more effect on our planet than those of opossums or anteaters. But now, with our burgeoning numbers and technological prowess, we have begun to have the dominant effect–overwhelming those of every other living creature. This power brings with it responsibility in proportion.
• The unpredictability of the effect of our actions on the environment. In the face of the complexity of ecological interactions, we must recognize our inability to understand what effects our actions may have. Witness the unpredictable effects of burning fossil fuels, which produce carbon dioxide and threaten climate change.
• The need for caution and modesty of action (“walking gently”). Since we are largely ignorant of the effects of our actions, and since these effects can be worldwide and long-lived, we are led to be modest in our actions, not just for our own sake but for the sake of our descendants–and for all living things.
• The finiteness of our biosphere and our planet. It has become obvious in the recent past that we live not in an unlimited volume of space but instead in a closed and relatively small sphere, only the very thin surface of which is able to support life.

1. When do I take time to deepen my appreciation of being a member of the wondrous community of life on Earth? How do I give thanks for the beauty of Creation and the gift of life?
2. Do my actions reflect concern for the environment?
3. Do I give voice to my concerns? Is my speech on these subjects honest, unpretentious, and open to mutual learning?
4. Do we work together to educate ourselves about the care of Creation, in order to make responsible choices?
5. Do we work to improve the sharing of resources with everyone, recognizing that our patterns as consumers in the industrialized world are a major factor in the declining health of the earth’s life support systems?
6. Am I careful to avoid spending and investing money in ways that result in others doing things to the earth that I would not do myself? (from Baltimore Yearly Meeting)
7. By sharing things we spread the world’s resources. Do I enjoy things without owning them and do I give things away for others to use?
8. Do I resist advertising and the broader forces of our culture that encourage unnecessary consumption?
9. Am I willing to know and pay the full and fair cost of the goods and services I use, including the future ecological and social costs?

-Strawberry Creek (Calif.) Monthly Meeting’s Deeper Ecology Study Group Illustrative activity