Last year, I took more than two dozen flights. In many cases I could have taken a bus, but for little extra cost, I opted to save time. A flight from Lima (on the Pacific coast) to Tarapoto (in the Amazon) takes a little over an hour. The bus takes more than 25 hours. So, for about $25 more per flight, it seems worth it to travel by air. I know my knees are grateful. But, like so many things in life, there are usually more costs than those that simply make a dent in our wallets. There are environmental costs, too.
This month, the 222nd General Assembly (2016) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will gather in Portland, Oregon. Commissioners will debate our denomination’s investment in fossil fuels and commitment to creation care, among many other issues. But the theme of environmental justice will hover over the entire assembly, going far beyond the overtures to be addressed in committees.