upper room daily devotions

Monday, July 16, 2007

solar power, politics, and funding

There is an article in the New York Times today about the struggle that solar power faces in securing necessary funds to advance technological advances needed for it to become a major energy source.

Some people have commented to me that this blog seems more environmentally focused than religiously focused. It is my deep conviction that as a Christian it is part of my call and obligation to be a faithful steward of God's good creation. Further, it is also my belief that our dwindling resources and flailing environment are symptoms of a spiritual problem. We use too much, consume too much, demand too much. Do we do so because we are trying to fill a spiritual void? Have we lost sight that we and all of the earth belongs to God and not to humankind?

This article brings to relief the challenges that exist in moving Americans beyond the reliance on any single supplier of energy. It also shows how the power of the dollar influences this process. Currently, the funding for technological advances in solar power are outpaced by nuclear, biofuel, and coal by substantial amounts, up to three times the amount. How do we want to make stewardship choices...by the power of the lobby?

2 comments:

Mystical Seeker said...

I don't see how you can separate environmental issues from faith. Concern for the environment naturally flows from one's concern for the creation that we are a part of and that God participated in the creation of. It also relates to how we can make sure that subsequent generations can live in a sustainable world that doesn't choke under its own environmental stupidity. We can't build the Kingdom of God if our worldly civilization collapses because of environmental damage.

This lack of funds for solar energy shows how screwed up we as a culture. We have the resources and the ability to create a sustainable world if we wanted to. We can find plenty of money for the pointless carnage in Iraq, but not enough for solar power. Something is wrong with this picture.

Rev Katie M Ladd said...

Naturally, I quite agree!

Blog Archive