Toward A Green Revolution: The Choice is Ours, The Time is Now

It is commonplace these days to apply a label to every groundswell in society. Think, for instance, of the number of revolutions in the past 25 years. Lebanon had a Cedar Revolution. In Czechoslovakia the revolution was velvet. Iran's was purple, while Georgia's revolution was of a decidedly lighter hue--rose. Such labels attempt to capture the essence of each particular movement with a concrete and tangible image for public consumption. Quite a different social revolution is underway before our very eyes and is only beginning to gain the attention of the media: in the quest for a tangible image, it is being called the Green Revolution.

This week the Green Revolution gained yet another ally when the world's single largest corporation, General Electric, publicly pledged to work toward greater efficiency in all of their products. On Monday General Electric's chairman and chief executive officer, Jeff Immelt, invited the press to witness an historic announcement to double GE's spending on environmentally responsive technologies to the tune of $1.5 billion. This movement, Mr. Immelt stated, is aimed to create a new line of "green" products--GE makes everything from light bulbs to airplane engines--while simultaneously boosting the profits of the corporation. In a mere 5 years GE aims to sell environmentally responsive products--like lower-emission aircraft engines and hybrid locomotives--worth $20 billion to consumers around the globe.

Re-Imagining Big Business

For years environmentalists and eco-friendly organizations have lambasted corporations like GE with claims they produce inefficient products that pollute the environment, contribute little to renewable energy research, and use their market size to squeeze out environmentally responsive competition. Monday's announcement, in concert with GE's commitment to develop improved forms of water purification, cleaner burning coal-power stations, and to foster research around wind turbines, is beginning to get the attention of environmental groups. Jonathan Lash, President of the Washington-based World Resources Institute, joined Mr. Immelt at Monday's press briefing and called this decision a "hugely important step." (Note: World Resources Institute receives corporate support from the GE Fund.)

Others within the investment community are taking a more cautious "wait-and-see" approach. National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" recently aired a segment on this topic which featured an interview with Timothy Smith, Senior Vice President Walden Asset Management, a company which is committed to socially-responsible investing. In the course of the segment Mr. Smith said, "I think that General Electric's decision is going to really make a lot of socially-concerned and environmentally-concerned investors take note." However, Mr. Smith warned, "General Electric is still involved in nuclear power...for some investors who don't want to invest in nuclear power companies that will be a concern and there's still a great deal of concern about GE and its pollution of the Hudson with PCBs." Balancing these concerns with the potential benefits, Mr. Smith concluded, "I think this new leadership step is going to raise their visibility and credibility with environmentally-concerned investors."

Re-imagining Revolts

One hoped for outcome of GE's decision is to raise the level of public and private interest in environmentally-responsive technologies. Based on the international reaction to the Bush Administration's decision to abandon the Kyoto Treaty in 2001, there is certainly widespread international support for radical system-wide change. This leaves you and I with a question, "What shall we do?" In the United States radical change might take the form of a lobbying campaign for major policy changes at the federal, state, and local levels of government. Or it might also take the form of increased scrutiny for United States owned corporations on their environmental record. We could also reinforce our support for non-violent revolution by purchasing products that are minimally evasive on our own bodies, on those around us, and on the environment. And, while revolutions like those in Lebanon, Iran, Georgia, and Czechoslovakia continue to dominate the media, we too could become more activate in support of efforts like those now underway at General Electric and other corporations attempting to address the most pressing environmental challenges in our time. The choice is ours...the time to act is now.

Catholic Connections

The Bishops of the Philippines have led the way in speaking out for a serious rethinking of how we have exploited the Earth's bountiful resources. Steering the Roman Catholic Church toward a new approach that values stewardship of the environment and covenant binding all of creation together. Their hope is to encourage people to reinvestigate their core beliefs when it comes to the way natural resources are understood, used, and distributed. In other words, environmental issues are social justice issues.

In their pastoral letter "What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land," the bishops write, "More and more we must recognize that the commitment to work for justice and to preserve the integrity of creation are two inseparable dimensions of our Christian vocation to work for the coming of the kingdom of God in our times."

This vision is not that of any particular political party or world leader; rather, it emerges from the visionary approach of a marginal Jew from Galilee, Jesus, who "lived lightly on the earth and warned his disciples against hoarding material possessions and allowing their hearts to be enticed by the lure of wealth and power."



Reflection Questions

In what ways are you active in issues surrounding social justice? Are there ways you might invite others in your parish, school, or community to join you in these activities?

In what ways do you understand your social justice activities to relate to your faith in Jesus Christ?

Join us in to discuss these questions!