Earth Care: Gulf Coast Prayer and Action

July 2010

“All Creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it.”

United Methodist Church Social Principles ¶160 – The Natural World

The ongoing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is a visible testament to our failure to serve as caretakers of God’s good creation. For many of us, the daily images of devastation to both the ecosystems and economies in the region leave us wondering what we can do.

We must reduce our use of the planet’s resources. Here are some simple facts:

• U.S. petroleum consumption: 19.5 million barrels/day (Source: Energy Information Administration (EIA))
• Annual consumption of bottled water in the U.S. requires the equivalent of between 32 and 54 million barrels of oil. (Source: Pacific Institute)
• 100 billion single-use bags — using 12 million barrels of oil — are used each year in the U.S (Source: Worldwatch Institute)

We all must consider ways to reduce our consumption. It could be driving less, eating less meat or eating more products grown or produced locally. It all will make a difference.

If you are on the web, check out “Looking in the mirror for fuel gluttony” from United Methodist News Service. Read more at www.umc-gbcs.org/gulfcoast