My son turned 15 not too long ago. He’s on the “road” to becoming a responsible driver. The other day we were making some “back of the envelope” calculations regarding what it actually costs to operate a motor vehicle. One of our vehicles is a 2008 Honda Pilot with about 270,000 miles. It gets about 18 mpg, a little below the US average.
I was sort of astonished to discover that it’s cost about $37,000 to fuel our Honda since it first hit the road! That’s a lot of money and its added “fuel” to the fire of a burning question … how much does this dependence on fossil fuels actually cost and how does this knowledge intersect with my calling as a follower of Jesus Christ?
The Gospel of Luke has sometimes been called “the Gospel of the Upside Down Kingdom.” Jesus turns everything upside down – from the commonly held expectations of the Messiah, to the religious and social norms of the day. He ate with sinners, he touched lepers, he loved the “unlovable,” and he said the last shall be first and the first shall be last.
To the nobodies, he said you are somebody, and he made sure the somebodies who would follow him understood that part of their calling was to lift up the nobodies. Jesus clearly called his followers to faith in Him for their salvation from sin and death, but He also expected them to care for “the least of these” – the downtrodden, the poor, the hungry, the sick and the marginalized.
So I did a little research. It seems that fossil fuel extraction, transportation, refining, and combustion has a hugely negative impact on all of us, but especially on “the least of these.”
One estimate placed a global price tag of $2.76 trillion per year – the “hidden cost” of fossil fuels. It includes the cost of black lung disease to miners in Appalachia, the economic hit of oil spills on shrimp fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico, the health cost of mercury- contaminated fish from coal-fired power plants in the Midwest, and increased asthma incidence among kids living close to refineries.
Around the world, nearly 20,000 people die prematurely annually as a direct result of pollution from fossil fuels. These hidden costs will climb even higher as Pacific Islanders, Bangladeshis, and others abandon their homes to rising sea levels due to climate change. Most scientists tie climate change directly to CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels.
Meanwhile, the US government continues to subsidize coal, oil, and natural gas to the tune of $14.7 billion per year. In my back of the envelope exercise with my son, I realized just how complicit I am in this whole state of affairs. My use of fossil fuels helps perpetuate the injustice done to “the least of these.” Yet, as a Christian I’ve been called to make a difference for good – even if it means turning the status quo upside down like Jesus did.
So what can I do about it? First I can more intentionally conserve energy. “Nothing is more conservative than conservation,” (Russell Kirk).
Second, I can urge my elected representatives in Washington to stop subsidizing fossil fuel companies. My tax money shouldn’t be a handout to some of the richest companies in the world.
Third, I can think about an electric vehicle for my next vehicle purchase. There are models out now with impressive 200+ mile ranges. There are even some AWD pickup trucks with 400+ mile ranges coming out soon. EVs are more expensive up front but remember that lifetime cost of $37,000 in gasoline? I won’t have to pay for anymore of it!
Sure, an EV doesn’t automatically eliminate my contribution to fossil fuel combustion since the electricity that I use is generated in part by coal. But Minnesota’s supply of electricity has been getting greener every year. Renewables now make up 25 percent of the mix, up from 6 percent just a decade ago.
In fact, Minnesota has lots more potential for solar and wind. Arrowhead electric has a program in which I can invest in renewables directly. Some churches have even taken on solar projects.
The prophet Micah asked the question “What does the Lord demand of you?” Then he answered simply, “Seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly.” There are a lot of good reasons to rethink fossil fuels.
Justice for the “least of these” is one.
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This week our contributor is Daren Blanck, pastor of Zoar Church in Tofte, a teacher at William Kelley High School and a student of Beyond the River Academy, a ministry program of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ.
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