Manufacturing Industry in Transformation to a More Sustainable World George Thomas, Copenhagen Preamble As human beings, we are part of God’s creation. We have a responsibility to love and care for what God has entrusted to us as its stewards. Our primary task as Christians is to become partners in God’s mission towards establishing the values of His kingdom on this earth. It is high time that we as followers of Christ look at what is happening around us through the eyes of Jesus. The exploitation of earth’s resources, uncontrolled consumerism, continuing dependence on fossil fuels, and reckless economic expansions undermine the very basis of sustainability. We cannot ignore the manufacturing industry’s contribution to the increase of carbon footprint, which, in turn, is contributing to global warming. In our quest for efficiency, speed and comfort, have we disregarded the value of Nature in its own right? High levels of consumption of commodities produced by manufacturing industries (such as cement, concrete, steel, etc.) are responsible for the degradation of the environment and rapidly diminishing natural resources. Today, second only to water, concrete is the most consumed material, with three tonnes per year used for every person in the world. Air pollution, water scarcity, soil degradation, poor rehabilitation of raw material quarries, disturbed biodiversity, unfair displacement of communities and livelihoods, and unfair compensation to landowners (mostly farmers) are just some of the issues stemming from growing industrial development. This paper attempts to: (i) reflect on the need for a new ecological ethic based on spirituality, (ii) examine the linkage between Christian spirituality and sustainability, (iii) explore the contours of the three pillars of sustainability, (iv) probe the sustainability frame from the stance of manufacturing industries, (v) highlight the impact of the cement industry – a major polluter (with which the author has been closely associate for more than five decades) on sustainability, and (vi) look ahead beyond the deliberations of the recently concluded UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. Nature and Spirituality One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between Man and Nature shall not be broken. Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer. There is a growing concern and argument that our alienation from Nature is at its peak and that we face a
crisis of spirituality regarding our relationship with Nature. Therefore, we need a spiritual awakening that promotes a profound sense of earth stewardship that can form the foundation of a new ecological ethic. While mainstream discourse on sustainable development seems to focus on areas such as renewable energy, climate change, ecological economics, sustainable agriculture, and urban design and planning, an acknowledgment of the spiritual dimension of our lives seems lacking within this discourse. There are a number of possible reasons for this including the fact that rational, scientific thinking still dominates the worldview. Spirituality is understood and practiced by people in different ways. It is generally regarded as something personal and private. Hallmarks of Christian Spirituality First, Christian spirituality is biblically defined as the practice o the beliefs of the Christian faith. It includes both knowledge and action. James 1:25 notes, “But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and preservers, being no hearer that forget gut a doer that act, he shall be blessed in his doing.” From the earliest writings of the New Testament, the principle of integrated and authentic faith and action has been taught as essential to Christian spirituality. Second, Christian spirituality relies on the power of the Holy Spirit to live according to God’s will. The Holy Spirit serves to lead us into all truth (John 16:13), gives joy (Ephesians 5:1*), and convicts when we sin (Ephesians $:30). True spirituality depends on the supernatural power God gives through the Holy Spirit rather than dependence on human strength. Finally, the pursuit of Christian spirituality will result in what the Bible calls the fruits of the Spirit: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control,: against such things there is no law (Galatians 5: 22-23). Thus Christian spirituality is for the honor of God, personal maturity, and serves as a blessing to others, thus ensuring sustainable living for all on this planet. Third, Christian spirituality is concerned for all of a person’s life. Rather, than separating spiritual, physical, financial, social, and other life components into distinct areas, Christian spirituality is concerned with how all of
37 | P a g e F O C U S , J a n u a r y , 2 0 2 2 , V o l . 1 0 , P a r t 1
