Rev. Candace McKibben

Guest columnist

I was a junior in high school when the first World Environment Day (WED) was celebrated in 1972. Marked annually on June 5, it was established by the United Nations General Assembly and over the past 53 years has become one of the largest global platforms for environmental outreach. Tens of millions of people recognize WED either through participation online or through in-person activities, events, and actions around the world.

The first theme for a WED was set in 1974 when the United States was the host country for the celebration at the World’s Fair, or Universal Exposition as it is known in most of Europe and Asia, that was held in Spokane, Washington.

It was the first environmentally themed World’s Fair, and the theme was “Only One Earth,” a theme that was revisited in 1992 and 2022. Sadly, the only other time in its 53-year history that the United States has been the host country for WED was in 2005 when the theme was “Green Cities,” and the slogan, “Plant for the Planet.”

Beat Plastic Pollution, again

This year’s theme is “Beat Plastic Pollution,” and like other themes along the way is a repeat of an emphasis, first in 2018, and then, 2023, when WED celebrated its 50th Anniversary. The recurring theme of solving plastic pollution, and its selection for the 50th Anniversary, and now again just two years later, highlights its critical significance.

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In March 2022, the United Nations adopted a historic resolution to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. An Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) was tasked with developing “the instrument,” based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life-cycle of plastic, including its production, design, and disposal.

The hope was to complete the negotiations by the end of 2024.

Instead, the INC, which has certainly accomplished much, will be meeting this August in Stockholm, Sweden, to resume negotiations and, I pray, reach a legally binding agreement. The unique potential of a global, United Nations-led treaty is to hold all countries to a high common standard on plastic production and consumption.

It would create a level playing field that incentivizes and supports national actions in producing, designing and disposing of plastics. But the sticking point of contention for the committee seems to be whether the instrument should be legally binding or voluntary, with the voluntary option desired by a vocal minority of countries.

‘Climate anxiety’ rising

What I know from my own efforts to curb plastic consumption is, I would do better if there were some hard and fast rules. And I believe that nature would benefit from such clarity. Based on what I am re-learning about plastics and their impact on the environment, after a study last year of “Plastic Jesus: Real Faith in a Synthetic World,” is that time is running out to solve the problem.

According to the World Wildlife Federation, since the start of the treaty negotiations in March 2022, nearly 20 million tons of plastics have entered our oceans. And at the current rate of pollution, with the equivalent of over 2000 rubbish truck loads being dumped into oceans and rivers daily, as reported in a helpful and hopeful brief video by the BBC, at neither can we leave it to future generations to solve.

In fact, future generations are struggling now with what has been named “climate anxiety.” Climate change is a mental health issue, not just an environmental one, and according to a global survey published in “Lancet Planetary Health” in 2021, “among an international cohort of more than 10,000 people between the ages of 16 and 25, 60 percent described themselves as very worried about the climate and nearly half said the anxiety affects their daily functioning.”

The anxiety is not only from current climate events but from anticipated ones. It seems to me not only irresponsible to leave our mess to our children and grandchildren to solve, but also immoral and unkind.

Compassion training and mental health

Greater Good Magazine suggests that compassion training might be helpful for youth experiencing climate anxiety, and also references work by Jennifer L. Barkin, an epidemiologist at Mercer School of Medicine, with expertise on the intersection of climate change and mental health. As I read it, I wondered if it might be helpful for us all.

Compassion training includes developing tenderheartedness and an awareness of our common humanity, our interconnectedness, and our interdependency.

It involves practicing compassion and wisdom with oneself and others, all of which helps with the sense of helplessness and hopelessness that one can feel because of the overwhelming problem of climate change.

It involves developing compassion toward nature itself that is certainly adversely impacted by the ways in which we humans have not cared well for the earth.

Confession about convenience habit

The world produces more than 430 million tons of plastic annually, two-thirds of which are short-lived products that soon become waste, working their way into the soil, oceans, and stomachs of birds, mammals and fish.

Focusing on this one issue of reducing the production of single-use plastics would make a tremendous difference in the amount of plastic produced. A year ago, I committed to do this both personally and in the life of the church that I pastor.

But what I found feels uncomfortable to share.

In ways I am not proud to admit, I seem to value convenience more than the stewardship of the earth – opting for plastic cutlery, plates, and cups, rather than bringing my reusable dishes to functions, or taking a Styrofoam to-go box from a restaurant rather than bringing a container with me that is reusable for my leftovers.

I seem unable to get in the habit of bringing my own bags into a store rather than taking one of theirs to add to my enormous collection, and I still use plastic Ziplock bags in my kitchen for packaging food. I want to do better, to have more compassion toward nature, and I hope my confession to you will help me.

Recommitting to the 4 R’s

Only 9.1% of the 430 million tons of plastic that are produced annually are recycled and, because they take anywhere from 20-500 years to deteriorate depending on the type of plastic, the volume of waste is growing exponentially, which is yet another source of anxiety for future generations.

Creating more durable plastics that can be recycled and refusing plastics that cannot, are other forms of compassionate caring for the earth that can make a difference. One I hope to promote.

As this World Environment Day is celebrated, perhaps we all can recommit to acting on the four Rs of compassionate care for the earth – refuse, reuse, refill, and recycle.

And may we send our best prayers and good intentions to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, who will be meeting in August, that they might stand firm for the original intent of their work, to form a legally binding instrument to guide us for the sake of the earth and for us all.

Happy World Environment Day!

The Rev. Candace McKibben is an ordained minister and pastor of Tallahassee Fellowship.