老司机传媒

One of my earliest memories dates back to my fifth birthday, sprawled out on the couch of an extended-stay apartment as my family house-hunted in our new home state—for the time being—of Florida. Despite the heat, I managed to fall asleep and only awoke to a soft plump falling on my chest. Dazed, I peeped my eyes open to a plushy, cuddly, big polar bear. My mom faintly muttered happy birthday as I sat up, amused by the large silver polar bear stuffed animal with blue paws that I was just gifted. 

I promptly named her Polar Bear (not very creative with names as a 5-year-old), and she accompanied me on most of my adventures. For the rest of the summer, I spent my time hugging her as I watched the only channel my parents would leave on in the tiny apartment: the Discovery Channel. It really only showed documentaries, and many of them were about the melting sea ice in the Arctic, which, of course, featured polar bears. 

I was simultaneously so disheartened by the state of their habitat and smitten by their cuteness that I guess somewhere along the line I decided they were my favorite animal. From an early age, I became impassioned about “saving the polar bears,” and I knew that we had to take care of the earth if we wanted to keep these amazing apex predators alive. 

Despite the fact that God called all of his creation good in Genesis, there are still many people in the church who believe that we have no moral obligation to care for the Earth. Too often I hear the sentiment “it’s all gonna burn anyway,” which has convinced these people that we have no role in preserving creation. I challenge that stance with Genesis 2:15, which states, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” If God wanted Adam and Eve to care for a place as perfect as the Garden of Eden, why would he not commission us to take care of the earth now, as ravaged and abused as she is? The Lord knew, despite the physical abundance of the earth, that we would “defile it” (Isaiah 24:5), but nevertheless, our responsibility remains the same: We have been entrusted with the safekeeping of his creation. 

We are running out of time. There is no denying the effect of climate change on our planet. 2024 was the Earth’s warmest year on record. For the first time ever, temperatures rose above 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit), the number agreed upon by almost 200 nations ten years ago at the Paris Agreement as the limit on warming our planet. Global warming isn’t just melting the sea ice in the Arctic—it’s . It’s causing extinctions of hundreds of species and slowly ruining the familiar landscapes we live on and love. These next four years are predicted to be bleak for environmental efforts, with President Donald Trump’s new mantra for the supposed “energy crisis” being “drill, baby, drill.”

Regardless of your political beliefs, as Christians, we have no excuse to not care for what the Lord created for us and our well-being. You cannot enjoy the wonders of nature without caring for the places you visit. Although, arguably, the best way to target climate change is to curb carbon emissions of the most egregious polluters (mega corporations, the power sector, etc.), there are some measures you as an average citizen can take to reduce your carbon footprint. It can start in your mornings. Try taking shorter showers and turning off the water while you brush your teeth. Rethink your commute: If you can, walk or bike to class or work. Contemplate your consumption—do you really need that jacket in three different colors? Buy eco-friendly, natural and biodegradable fabrics, such as organic cotton and linen. 

The thing is, I’m well aware a lot of this stuff goes in one ear and out the other. I spoke with ecologist and Andrews biology professor Dr. Gonzalez about how we can collectively be a force for a change. He agreed that we have our own personal responsibilities as individuals and consumers, but it needs to be a “moral decision” for you, a sentiment he elaborates on in his article “.” “Caring about the environment is a moral issue,” he stated, “but you might feel despair in that even if I were to do all these things, what is the ultimate outcome if it’s just a drop in the bucket? It still doesn’t outdo all the damage done by corporations.” 

He continued, “Many times, institutions and corporations get a pass because they push the responsibility onto us. In reality, institutions should make the change, even if it’s not the most financially economic decision. As a university, what kinds of policies and structures should we be building? Well, even if it’s more costly, if we build a building or accept a donation for something, we should look at it through the lens of if it’s moral ecologically and employ our ethos towards God’s creation.” 

In terms of pushback, he commented, “There will always be faculty, staff, and students who don’t agree with this movement. That doesn’t mean the institution shouldn’t implement policies that point us in the right direction. We need to ask ourselves: What kind of leadership do we show during these times of difficulty?”

We discussed the church’s gradual shift towards complacency in regards to the environment, and in his final remarks, he implored our generation, saying, “If you want to see a better church, you have two options. Wait for it to become what you want it to become, or, if you’re a part of it and you don’t agree with how it’s becoming, make it better from the inside out. Don’t let people define you or your beliefs. No one should determine who you are or if you’re ‘Adventist enough.’ We need young people like you to stop the spiral. Find community, a group of people who have the same ideals as you. Don’t isolate yourself with those people, but it helps when it feels like you’re the only one who feels the way you do. That’s where the idea of church can come in and help you feel less alone.”

I might not be a climate specialist, but I am a (self-proclaimed) polar bear expert, and I know that we need to be mindful of this planet if we want the best animals on Earth to survive. Oh, and humans, too.