Richard
H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
The recent acrimonious presidential
campaign shows the great divisions in our nation.
It was not enough to just support President
Bush or Senator Kerry – the opposing candidate
was often considered as an epitome of evil,
someone whose electoral victory would have disastrous
consequences for the nation and possibly humanity.
Positions in the red (Republican supporting)
states and blue (Democratic supporting) states
on many issues were sharply different.
Jews were not exempt from these
sharp divisions. While a majority of Americans
voted for Bush, about three out of four Jews
supported Kerry. There were also sharp differences
among Jews, as about 70% of Orthodox Jews supported
Bush’s re-election, while Reform and Conservative
Jews and secular Jews overwhelmingly supported
Kerry.
Rather than continuing an often
contentious debate, I think it would be far
more valuable to seek common ground. One area
where cooperative efforts could be very helpful
is the environment.
My belief that non-partisan environmental
efforts are possible is greatly enhanced by
the existence of a group: "Republicans
for Environmental Protection" (REP America).
Among its many Republican leaders and supporters
are former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
directors under Republican administrations,
William Ruckleshaus and Russell Train.
While the group never endorses
Democratic candidates, this year they decided
not to endorse President Bush either, because
"… over the last four years, the
Bush administration has compiled a deliberately
anti-environmental, anti-conservation record
that will result in lasting damage to public
health and to America’s natural heritage.
In their letter of congratulations
to President Bush on his re-election, REP America
emphasized the importance of a major shift to
more environmentally friendly policies. Asserting
that "the environment’s importance
transcends traditional partisan divides,"
the group called for cooperative efforts to
preserve the land, "an endowment that will
yield a lasting bounty for us and for future
generations if we are wise enough to manage
it sustainably and conservatively."
Here are several reasons why Jews
(and others) should be involved in cooperative
efforts to improve the environment:
* All Jews – Democrats,
Republicans, Greens, Independents, and others
– are affected by air and water pollution,
destruction of tropical rain forests and other
valuable habitats, rapid species extinction,
water shortages, global warming, and other environmental
threats.
* There are no Republican mountains
or Democratic lakes. Whether one lives in a
blue state or a red state, there is a need for
clean air, drinkable water, and other environmental
essentials.
* There is an increasing consensus
among scientists that the planet is threatened
as perhaps never before. There have already
been many signs of the effects of global climate
change, including the increasing melting of
glaciers and ice caps and the increases in the
number and severity of hurricanes, tornadoes,
droughts, floods, and forest fires. Over 20,000
more people than normal died in Europe in August
2003 during an unprecedented heat wave. While
these effects are associated with an average
temperature increase of one degree Fahrenheit
in the last century, the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC), a group composed of
the world’s leading climate scientists,
predicts an average temperature increase of
2.5 to 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit in the next century,
a change that would have devastating effects
for humanity.
There are many additional severe
threats: Plants and animal species are becoming
extinct at perhaps the fastest rate in history;
tropical rain forests are disappearing at an
alarming rate; it is estimated that over half
of the world’s people will live in areas
short of clean water by the middle of this century;
these water shortages and global climate change
threaten future food security.
* Judaism commands us to respect
and care for and assume responsibility for the
world which G-d has created and entrusted to
us. We are not permitted to despoil and destroy
it, but are obligated to preserve and protect
it for future generations. Our tradition mandates
that Jews should work as partners of God, toward
tikkun olam, the healing and preservation of
the world. The daily prayers contain the statements:
"Blessed is the One (God) Who has compassion
on the Earth" and "Blessed is the
One Who has compassion on the creatures."
Many Jewish teachings, including
"bal tashchit" (the mandate not to
waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value)
can be used as the basis of efforts to move
our imperiled planet to a more sustainable path.
* Jews are to be a "light
onto the nations" and efforts by Jews,
who differ on many issues, to work cooperatively
for common causes has great potential for inspiring
other groups to similar efforts.
Based on these important concepts,
it is essential that environmental preservation
become a major focus for synagogues, Jewish
schools, and other Jewish institutions. I urge
everyone to check out the very strong environmental
statements at REP America’s web site (www.rep.org)
and other environmental web sites (an excellent
one is that of the Coalition on the Environment
and Jewish life (COEJL): www.coejl.org) and
to carry out a major kiddush Hashem (sanctification
of God’s name) by joining them and other
environmental groups in working to move our
precious, but imperiled, planet to a more sustainable
path. This would also help attract non-committed
Jews by showing that our eternal values can
be applied to the solution of current societal
problems.
Progress on working cooperatively
in responding to environmental threats would
be a valuable precedent for similar efforts
in responding to other important issues, including
moving toward energy self-sufficiency, responding
to global climate change, providing adequate
medical treatment to all Americans, and reducing
poverty and hunger.
