Environmental Issues & Religious Teachings (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

Fossil Fuels

• Some natural resources are Non-renewable. These include vegetation, minerals, and fossil fuels

• Some resources are This includes wood, as planting of new trees replaces the felled trees

• Humans are overusing non-renewable The resources are finite and so will eventually run out

• Some natural resources have taken millions of years to form beneath the earth’s surface

• Used as energy sources these are fossil fuels - oil, gas and coal

• The burning of fossil fuels is one of the main causes of Global Warming

  • Since around 1950 there has been a dramatic increase in global temperatures

  • This is due to an increase in greenhouse gases trapping more heat in the earth’s atmosphere

  • The burning of fossil fuels produces the gases that enable this to happen

  • The increase in global temperatures causes extreme weather patterns

  • The consequences include floods, droughts, damage to animals’ habitats, ice caps melting, more deserts and a reduction in rainforest

  • Scientists believe that human activities over the last 100 years have increased the rate of temperature change

  • The change alters Eco Systems so plants and animals have to adapt or die out

• Many religious and non-religious people will work to repair and reduce the harm to the environment

• Using alternative sources of transport like electric cars, Renewable energy sources and using fewer fossil fuels are some ways of achieving this

Habitats

Destruction of habitats

• A habitat is somewhere where living Organisms exist

• Destruction of habitats may occur either due to pollution damage, or to clear space for development

  • Pollution is often caused by humans. This could be due to oil spills, or nuclear fallout

  • The destruction of forest habitats known as deforestation often occurs to provide grazing for cattle

  • The destruction of trees harms the environment as there are fewer trees to remove carbon from the atmosphere

  • Many species only live in rainforest areas and are becoming endangered. For example, the habitat of orangutans is being cleared to grow Palm Oil

• Many religious and non-religious people change their lifestyles to maintain and preserve the habitats of living creatures

• They might reduce the need for grazing space by reducing meat consumption or use wood from sustainable forests or alternative ingredients in food

Pollution

The problem of pollution

• Pollution is an excess of toxic substances in the air, land, or water and can destroy the environment

  • Fumes from cars and factories cause air pollution

  • Dumping waste into the sea, and the use of Pesticides, causes water pollution

  • Getting rid of human rubbish causes land pollution

• Factories and transport cause the most air pollution

  • Increased CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap more heat leading to global warming

  • Polluted air can lead to health conditions like asthma, lung cancer, and other diseases

  • Chemicals mix with water droplets in the atmosphere. This then falls in the form of acid rain, damaging the land, water, crops and buildings

• Factories and farming can also be a cause of water pollution

  • Factories empty their waste into rivers

  • Chemicals used in farming drain from the land into the water sources, killing fish and devastating marine life

• Farming can also be a cause of land pollution

  • Some farmers use harmful pesticides on crops which can contaminate soil, turf, and other vegetation

  • In addition to killing insects or weeds, pesticides and herbicides can be toxic to a host of other organisms including birds, fish, non-harmful insects, and plants

• Many religious and non-religious people try to limit the amount of pollution that exists within the environment

  • They may reduce the amount of transport which adds to air pollution

  • They might work to develop or use cleaner energy which helps the environment

  • Farmers might insist on using natural methods of pest control

  • People might recycle more or avoid unnecessary littering

Religious responses to environmental issues

• Christians believe that human dominion over the environment does not permit humans to abuse, spoil, or waste what God has created

  • Pope John Paul II taught that humans have a responsibility to future generations to preserve the world

  • Christians believe that this is central to how Christians should protect the environment

• God owns the world and the role of humans is to take care of it

• St. Basil taught that nature had value because it provided a physical point of contact between humans and God

• Since humans must face God on the Day of Judgement, all must carry out their given duties

• If humans did not look after the world, or did nothing to stop its destruction, they should expect to be punished by God

• This belief motivates many Christians to do environmental work

• Muslims believe they will be judged by Allah on how they have treated the world, his creation

  • In the Qur'an, God calls Adam his khalifah meaning that God entrusted Adam and all future generations of people to look after the world

  • Muslims believe they are all part of a global community, the ummah and they have a responsibility to others to care for the world

  • Mohammad (pbuh) taught that Muslims should think of the whole world as a place of worship

• Due to their beliefs, Muslims and Christians will try to live their lives in a way that will preserve the planet and those who live in it

• This may be through choices about how an individual lives their lives or by actively supporting charities that focus on environmental issues