The Most Beautiful Wasteland

I was thinking about a previous post I wrote about the beauty of the South and I had a raised concern for land that we inhabit and use as if it were our own and as if it came in an endless supply. We have learned to exploit our land with little to no regard of the effects of what we are doing. Let me admit first that I know very little about environmental ethics so this post is written somewhat ignorantly. I know that there are countless laws concerning the use of our and air, and I don't doubt that there are many businesses and companies that are aware of the way they use the land. However, I don't think that the average American is aware of the profound affect he has on the land.

Our nation consists of only about 6% of the world land mass and yet we have one of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes. We have numerous mountain chains, including one of the world's youngest (highest). We have deserts and fertile soil lands. We have forests and even jungles. We have breathtaking coastlines, and flat plains as far as the eye can see. Despite all of this beauty I am afraid that most of us take it and the resource it provides for granted. I wonder how many people could eat off of the food that I throw out or don't finish eating in just one day. I wonder how much energy is used by my leaving my computer on all night when it's not in use, and by the lights that I don't bother turning off because my electricity bill is always a flat rate. I've seen how much trash I throw out in a week and I wonder how much the world would benefit if I recycled my paper and plastic. I also wonder how much I'd help the environment if I would take an extra five minutes to walk to work instead of sleeping another five minutes.

Though I've thought about this before, I've never really been convicted of it before. I realize that it takes a little more effort on my part and I don't like the idea of putting even more energy out in my daily routine, but I think that this land is worth it. I could be fooling myself in thinking that I alone can make an impact, but I think I will try anyway. I know that I will not live perfectly to my own standards, but I am going to try to be a little more aware of the way that I use the land and its resources. I believe that God calls us to be mindful of this world. We are responsible for taking care of this land while we inhabit it. I would like to hear other’s thoughts on this.