Environmental Issues & Religious Teachings | Religion, Philosophy & Ethics for GCSE/IGCSE - Year 11 PDF Download

Fossil Fuels

• Non-renewable resources, like vegetation, minerals, and fossil fuels, are finite.
• Renewable resources, such as wood, can be replenished by planting new trees.
• Overuse of non-renewable resources will deplete them.
• Some resources, formed over millions of years underground, include fossil fuels: oil, gas, and coal.
• Burning fossil fuels significantly contributes to global warming.
• Since 1950, global temperatures have risen sharply due to increased greenhouse gases trapping heat.
• Fossil fuel combustion produces these gases, leading to extreme weather.
• Consequences include floods, droughts, habitat loss, melting ice caps, desert expansion, and shrinking rainforests.
• Human activities over the past century have accelerated temperature changes.
• These changes disrupt ecosystems, forcing plants and animals to adapt or face extinction.
• Religious and non-religious people work to reduce environmental harm.
• Solutions include electric vehicles, renewable energy, and reducing fossil fuel use.

Habitats

Destruction of Habitats

• A habitat is where living organisms thrive.
• Habitat destruction results from pollution or land clearing for development.
• Human activities, like oil spills or nuclear fallout, cause pollution.
• Deforestation, often for cattle grazing, destroys forest habitats.
• Fewer trees reduce carbon absorption, harming the environment.
• Rainforest species, like orangutans, are endangered due to habitat loss from palm oil farming.
• Religious and non-religious people adopt sustainable lifestyles, such as reducing meat consumption, using wood from sustainable forests, or choosing alternative food ingredients to preserve habitats.

Pollution

The Problem of Pollution

• Pollution involves toxic substances in air, land, or water, damaging the environment.
• Car and factory emissions cause air pollution.
• Dumping waste in seas or using pesticides pollutes water.
• Human waste disposal leads to land pollution.
• Factories and transport are major air pollution sources.
• Increased CO₂ and greenhouse gases trap heat, causing global warming.
• Polluted air causes health issues like asthma and lung cancer.
• Chemicals in the atmosphere create acid rain, harming land, water, crops, and structures.
• Factories and farming pollute water by discharging waste into rivers.
• Agricultural chemicals drain into water sources, killing fish and marine life.
• Farming practices, including pesticide use, pollute land and harm birds, fish, and plants.
• Religious and non-religious people combat pollution by reducing transport emissions, using cleaner energy, employing natural pest control, recycling, and minimizing litter.

Religious Responses to Environmental Issues

• Christians believe humans must not abuse God’s creation, as dominion does not justify destruction.
  
• Pope John Paul II emphasized preserving the world for future generations.
  
• Christians view environmental protection as a core duty.
  
• Genesis 1:28 grants humans dominion over nature but requires stewardship.
  
• Psalms 23:1 states the Earth belongs to God, and humans must care for it.
  
• St. Basil taught that nature connects humans to God.
  
• Christians believe neglecting environmental care invites divine judgment.
  
• This motivates Christian environmental efforts.
  
• Muslims believe Allah will judge their treatment of the world.
  
• The Qur’an names Adam as khalifah, entrusting humans to care for creation.
  
• Muslims, as part of the ummah, have a global responsibility to protect the environment.
  
• Muhammad (pbuh) taught that the world is a place of worship.
  
• Both Muslims and Christians strive to preserve the planet through lifestyle choices or supporting environmental charities.