I attended the McBride Lectures at Oklahoma Christian University on Oct. 3, 2008. Author and speaker Bill McKibben spoke about creation, climate change, Scripture and community. He’s launched a viral movement called 350 in an attempt to draw global attention to the effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
McKibben made an argument which I’ve never heard from another Christian environmentalist (admittedly, my exposure to the growing number of Christian environmentalists is small). McKibben proposed that America’s over-dependence upon coal, gas, and oil has led to three things: 1) an overemphasis on wealth/consumerism (since our use of fossil fuels has allowed us to become very wealthy as a nation); 2) a de-creation of the environment (through carbon dioxide emissions); and 3) a hyper-individualized society.
It was his last point that was the most intriguing. Through our overdependence upon fossil fuels and the vehicles which burn them, we’ve created a suburban culture in which we can drive long distances to/from work and own large homes where we cocoon ourselves off from others. McKibben argues that if we depended less on the fuel which makes such suburban life possible, we would be forced to live, work, shop, and play closer together. Thus, we would experience far more community. Save the planet. And, experience community.
