기후위기의 심각성과 한국교회의 실천 방안 - 지금 아니면 시간이 없다 -

Abstract

Catastrophic weather events occur continuously due to the climate crisis. According to the「Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5℃」, the Earth’s average temperature has risen by 1℃ since the Industrial Revolution when humanity started using fossil fuels. Should we fail to prevent the Earth’s average temperature from rising by 0.5℃ in the foreseeable future, the life and existence of humanity on the planet will be seriously threatened while simultaneously the Earth’s environment will suffer damaging consequences. The Earth has its own self-regulating system. James Lovelock’s Gaia theory states the Earth’s biosphere interacts with its surrounding inorganic environment in a way that its atmosphere, temperature and oxygen levels are conditioned to self-regulate for organisms or living things to survive. Nevertheless, the Earth’s environment has been damaged to the extent that the term ‘Anthropocene’ spreads widely with catastrophic weather events and natural disasters ensuing. The IPCC(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) says the rise in the Earth’s temperature by 1.5℃ since the Industrial Resolution will drive the Earth’s climate system to the limit, raising concerns over an inevitable sixth mass extinction or Anthropocene extinction facing the mankind. This paper explores some measures that we could take on a national level to prevent the mass extinction when we have only 0.5℃ left. The term Ecological Footprint (EF) is now used in lieu of GDP or GNP. The EF is a metric for calculating the cost of damage caused by environmental contamination. The EF is a signifiant indicator of the impacts on environment when the environmental disasters and catastrophic events are caused by the environmental contaminants which increase in proportion to economic development. The anthropocentric world view underlying the instrumentalization of nature is the biggest source of the problem. Moreover, the climate crisis has added a new dimension to inequality and injustice, in response to which legal and social systems are being formulated. In the same vein, efforts for eco-friendly energy development and government policies are being made, while at the same time investment companies espouse such newly emerging causes as ethical investing and sustainable investing by averting businesses that use fossil fuels. Now it is time to emphasize individual efforts and moral imperatives to address the challenges in the face of the climate crisis. In conclusion, this paper seeks for what Korean Church can do and implement, considering the fact that even religions have set to make practical efforts for overcoming the climate crisis. Korean Church has waged the Green Church campaign to inspire and influence church members to change their lifestyles in faith. In addition, the Christian Environmental Movement Solidarity’s ‘Way of Life, Green Footprints’ campaign pursues the carbon neutrality by encouraging the sustainable ways of life in terms of food, clothing, shelter, transport, culture and economy that not only Christians but also anyone can practise with ease. Korean Church’s commitment to such efforts will bring forth a determination that will be conducive to not only overcoming the climate crisis but also improving its public image.