Rabbinical resolution on the environment

[Robert Kaiser]

This is a resolution recently passed by the Rabbinical Assembly,
the international body of Conservative and Masorti rabbis.

RESOLUTION ON GLOBAL POVERTY AND THE DETERIORATING GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

Whereas Judaism calls upon us to help the poor, to love the stranger, to
strive for justice and to respect the sanctity of human life

Whereas 15 to 150 species become extinct every day, and 70% of all bird
species are in danger; and

Whereas water aquifers throughout the world are being depleted; and

Whereas ever increasing levels of CO2 and methane are causing global
warming; and

Whereas there is continuing degradation of air, water, food and arable
soil; and hard won local improvements in water or air quality are
threatened by unremitting economic growth,

THEREFORE be it resolved that the Rabbinical Assembly call upon our
governments to scrutinize the dynamics and practices of their respective
economies with a view to encouraging those reforms, consistent with
democratic values, which would help humankind to live within the bounds of
the regenerative, absorptive, and carrying capacities of the earth and in
such a way that the needs of current and future generations can be met.

Therefore be it further resolved that the Rabbinical Assembly request
the Convention Committee to present a major educational forum on this
issue at the 1999 RA Convention

-- Passed by The Rabbinical Assembly Executive Council June 1997

[Joseph Hertzlinger]

In <343c3...@news.ic.sunysb.edu> kai...@pofvax.pnb.sunysb.edu.REMOVE

(Robert Kaiser) writes:
>
> This is a resolution recently passed by the Rabbinical Assembly,
>the international body of Conservative and Masorti rabbis.
>
>
>
>RESOLUTION ON GLOBAL POVERTY AND THE DETERIORATING GLOBAL
>ENVIRONMENT

Uh oh.

>Whereas Judaism calls upon us to help the poor, to love the stranger,
>to strive for justice and to respect the sanctity of human life

Does it also call for us to uncritically believe everything we read?

>Whereas 15 to 150 species become extinct every day, and 70% of all
>bird species are in danger; and

Are human beings better off in diverse ecosystems? Don't humans have
longer life expectancies in the relatively impoverished ecologies of
the neo-Europes than in rain forests?

Besides, those calculations are based on habitat-loss statistics.
Considering that the South American rain forests were nearly absent
during the last Ice Age (it was too cool in the highlands and too dry
in the lowlands), it looks like shrunken habitats don't do that much
damage.

>Whereas water aquifers throughout the world are being depleted; and

By how much?

How easily can the water be replaced?

>Whereas ever increasing levels of CO2 and methane are causing global
>warming; and

Are they? Is the Earth warming? If it is warming could it be a random
fluctuation? If it is non-random, could it be due to changes in
sunlight? If really is due to increased CO2, is it a bad thing?

If it is a real emergency, isn't that an argument for nuclear energy?

>Whereas there is continuing degradation of air, water, food and arable
>soil;

Is there?

Judging by increasing life expectancies, the air and water are cleaner
than ever.

What is meant by "continuing degradation of ... food"? Is this a
campaign against junk food? Or is it just a collection of cliches?

>and hard won local improvements in water or air quality are
>threatened by unremitting economic growth,

Do prosperous nations have dirtier environments than poor ones?

>THEREFORE be it resolved that the Rabbinical Assembly call upon our
>governments to scrutinize the dynamics and practices of their
>respective economies

... unless it disagrees with the above blather.

>with a view to encouraging those reforms, consistent with democratic
>values, which would help humankind to live within the bounds of the
>regenerative, absorptive, and carrying capacities of the earth

... which are vastly greater than currently used.

After Earth, we have the rest of the universe.

>and in such a way that the needs of current and future generations can
>be met.
>
>Therefore be it further resolved that the Rabbinical Assembly
>request the Convention Committee to present a major educational forum
>on this issue at the 1999 RA Convention

What if someone disagrees?

[Simcha Streltsov]

: Whereas Judaism calls upon us to help the poor, to love the stranger, to

: strive for justice and to respect the sanctity of human life

~~~~~~~~~~~
: Whereas 15 to 150 species become extinct every day, and 70% of all bird

: species are in danger; and

I was not aware that birds are human...

: THEREFORE be it resolved that the Rabbinical Assembly call upon our

: governments to scrutinize the dynamics and practices of their respective

: economies with a view to encouraging those reforms, consistent with

Aren't we afraid that such strict rules will prevent some from joining
C- movement and might drive them directly in NRA? I think we should allow
hunting and poluting at least on Shabbos on the way to shul.

Simcha, environmentalist - for Jewish environment

[DocForRox]

sim...@bu.edu (Simcha Streltsov) writes:

>: Whereas Judaism calls upon us to help the poor, to love the stranger, to
>: strive for justice and to respect the sanctity of human life
> ~~~~~~~~~~~
>: Whereas 15 to 150 species become extinct every day, and 70% of all bird
>: species are in danger; and

>I was not aware that birds are human...

>: THEREFORE be it resolved that the Rabbinical Assembly call upon our
>: governments to scrutinize the dynamics and practices of their respective
>: economies with a view to encouraging those reforms, consistent with

>Aren't we afraid that such strict rules will prevent some from joining

^^^

>C- movement and might drive them directly in NRA? I think we should allow

^^^

>hunting and poluting at least on Shabbos on the way to shul.

>Simcha, environmentalist - for Jewish environment

Simcha, I didn't realize that you were affiliated with the Conservative
movement! That's great! Allow me to welcome you to daven at an
egaliatrian shul anytime you wish! :)

I do agree with you on the poor logic of the resolution. Jewish tradition
demands acts that preserve our physical environment for the following
reasons:

1) the halakhic principle not to waste,

2) the halakhic pronciple against cruelty to animals (hunting animals to
extinction, or screwing up their habitat by development or compretion
from introduced species would qualitfy as "cruelty," I think.)

3) The halakhic principle of doing everything you can to protect your
health.

4) The basic Jewish principle that this world is on loan to us from G-d,
and that we respect G-d by not messing up His creation. Our wealth and
prosperity are due to G-d's mercy, and _not_ due solely to our actions.
Thus, our property does not really belong to us, but rather to G-d.

Perhaps you can come up with some other Jewsih reasons why Jews should be
concerned about their physical environment and work to preserve it. Sure,
we can't keep everything preserved "under glass" in some pristine state,
but there's also no resaon to trash up G-d's world for short-term profits
for a relatively small numer of investors or for a few short-term jobs,

Doc