Earth Speaks On 4th October

Recently we asked some youths what they did to protect the Earth. Some said they "recycled" plastic bags. What they actually meant was they reused plastic bags. Some had some kind of recyle bin at home and all the recyclable stuff go into that bin and a waste management company collects the stuff once a fortnight. Others shared that they tried to cut down their use of electricity in their homes. Use less air-con... but how about use less computer? how about not using the water heater? uhhh... silence

We asked if they were aware of the kinds of detergents/soaps/shampoos that harm the environment. Most replied "NO". To those who were aware, we asked if they then used detergents/soaps/shampoos that did not harm the environment. The youths said, "I'm not the one buying the stuff so I don't have a say."

We asked the youths if they used a grocery bag instead of plastic bags at supermarkets. Most of their families didn't use grocery bags. Most said they needed to collect plastic bags to throw rubbish in. When asked if there was any other way to dispose their rubbish other than with a plastic bag, no one knew.

Then we asked them a really tough question... What can you say about nuclear energy? If given a choice, should we tap on nuclear energy? The youths who knew about nuclear energy were neutral. They had heard that nuclear energy could be harmful... but that nuclear energy would mean not using up oil... and to them "that's ok". Many are not sure if the harmful effects of nuclear energy are myths or truth. Many also do not know much about uranium mines.

When asked if they had ever thought of alternative technology/energy, they look lost. To many, solar energy is something that can tapped on to but it seems troublesome cos the technology does not seem easily accessible.

So i can safely say that 1 in 5 young people in Singapore seem clueless about our Earth's crisis. They know about it from the papers and the internet but it has yet to become a reality to them. And they will not relook at how they can live Earth-friendly lives.

So how seriously battered is our home, Earth? To what extent have we destroyed our Home? And why should we bother about the state of the Earth? Shouldn't this be the responsibility of governments, world leaders and MNCs? Why should we ordinary folks bother?

This October 18th, the Church celebrates World Mission Sunday and acts29 would like to invite everyone to come listen to our Earth. Just as we are called to make disciples of all nations, we are also called to be stewards of the Earth. Responsible Christian disciples care about creation. We are a family of 6.721 billion people and our Earth connects us to each other.


This session will make us more aware of the state of our Earth and of our mission to make a difference. We'll also look at how we can work towards being responsible stewards and co-creators.

See you there!