Religious group calls to respect Australia’s natural heritage …

… on the International Day of Monuments and sites

Faith-based environment organisation the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change has today called for Australians to reflect on the importance of protecting Australia’s World Heritage Sites. This includes ensuring large tracts of Tasmania’s forests are not opened for logging by the Federal Government.

April 18th is both Good Friday and the International Day for Monuments and Sites, which celebrates the values of World Heritage sites[1]. Australia has 18 such Sites, including the Great Barrier Reef, the Sydney Opera House and Kakadu.

“Today Christians pause to reflect on Jesus’ commitment to do what is right no matter what the cost. His example inspires us to do likewise. Today is also the International Day for Monuments and Sites, and in the Australia of 2014 this brings to mind a far less edifying picture,” said Thea Ormerod, President of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change.

“Our Federal Government is prepared to turn their back on international commitments to protect World Heritage sites. Thus we have witnessed decisions to allow dredging in a section of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and plans to remove 74,000 hectares of wild Tasmanian forest from the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area for logging.”

“Good Friday is a day we Christians contemplate God’s vision of power, seen on the cross. Power is used to serve others, especially the weak, even at great personal cost, rather than to protect one’s own interests and those of one’s allies. It is the kind of power known to 74-year-old American-born missionary Sister Dorothy Stang, who was assassinated on 12 February 2005 for defending the Amazon forest and rural workers in Brazil. She often wore a t-shirt that said ‘The death of the forest is the death of life’”.

“This is such a stark contrast to the way power is used by the Federal Government. Here power is being used to summarily dump an agreement between conservationists and the Tasmanian forestry industry which took years to build. On this important day, we ask the Australian Government to end its action to open World Heritage forests for logging.”

“The way of Jesus Christ is a way of taking care of the weak and vulnerable, and in today’s world this means our dwindling forests and the now precarious stability of the world’s climate systems. Old growth forests such as those in Tasmania are not only vital habitats for many unique but rapidly diminishing species, they are also important carbon sinks.”

“It is often asked, what would Jesus do? Would he stand by and do nothing when the capacity of earth’s eco-systems to sustain life is being so seriously compromised? Could it possibly be God’s will that Creation is mercilessly exploited for the short-term profits or political interests of the few?”
Thea Ormerod, President, Australian Religious Response to Climate Change