good news for conservation in the congo

Yesterday while walking Greenlake with a church member, she said to me, "I think that I have to stop listening to NPR." I asked, "Because it makes you depressed?" She replied, "Yes. It makes me feel so powerless." This conversation was in particular response to a story on NPR about Japan's current humpback whale hunt, which purposes to kill 50 humpback whales along with other whale species. My church member is right; it can be very disempowering.

As a Christian, I believe that it is part of my inheritance as a child of God to care for and protect the environment. I do better some days that others. As a result of my commitment to making the world better, I often post articles about the environment on this blog. Like NPR, however, most of what I post can be overwhelming. Indeed, the environmental crisis is an Earth-sized crisis; it is overwhelming.

Today some good news has been announced about conservation efforts in the Congo. Since I tend to post quite a bit about the Congo, I thought it my duty to share this article from the New York Times about a new reserve larger than the state of Massachusetts that is being established as a joint project between Congolese and American conservation groups as well as the Congolese and American governments. Its aim? To preserve the bonobo (only a distant relation to the U2 singer), one of two closest ape relatives for humans.

For the whole article, read the New York Times.

Humans are in a unique position in affecting real and significant change on our planet. We have the ability - even regular people like you and me - to be creative in how we live, mindful in what we buy, intentional in what we know, and willful about what we do, and thus change the course of the planet. It is, after all, our actions to date that have set it upon its current course. If you, like me, consider yourself to be a child of God, stewardship of the Earth is not just a good idea, it is central to our identity in the Divine. So, here is a little good news to go with your NPR.