Pollution
The biggest form of pollution is the pollution of our minds. Or maybe I should say believing the rubbish and the LIE that satan has planted in our minds. The LIE that God is a liar and that we are not like God. The lie to Eve and Adam that if you eat of the fruit you will become like God! Mankind has always been like God, created in His Image and Likeness.
But the pollution of our minds has manifested as pollution in the world as the introduction of harmful materials into the environment, or should we say the introduction of materials into the wrong environment with often detrimental consequences. Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic ash. They can also be created by human activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories. When we can see that there are materials that are dumped into the environment, which create a toxic problem, should it not be more beneficial to reuse or recycle those materials! Pollution is one of the results of mismanaging the resources that God has made available to and for us, often creating waste. This waste can be the result of improper management, or the result of tardiness in our management, where there is no proper care of the outcome of our actions. The problem of pollution is huge, and quite obviously too extensive for us to address as a single issue, but there are different spheres of pollution which, like eating an elephant, we can ‘chew over’ in smaller bites.
Air Pollution can be the result of man-made releases of toxic gases which come from factories, refineries, power stations, transport vehicles, etc. On the other side of the equation, there is air pollution that stems from natural causes: volcanic eruptions, natural fires, dust storms, etc. Natural pollution is unavoidable whereas manmade pollution should be preventable. Some of these measures can be with filtration systems for factories, different applications of transport systems, and even different production methods for factories. The question then rises, what are we doing with the pollution that is captured and which parts of the pollution can we actually capture? Can we recycle and if so why not? Maybe there can be a different approach in manufacturing without having a single-mindedness on profit. The consequences on a personal level that flow forth from this pollution are numerous health problems like risk of respiratory infections, including asthma, heart disease and lung cancer, and it can also cause long-term damage to people’s nerves, brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs. On a bigger level, air pollution can be destructive by becoming acid rain, soot,etc. and as such become a health hazard for all living creatures, including plant life. All of this in contrast to being good stewards as directed in Genesis 2:15.
Soil pollution is defined as the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or contaminants) in the soil, in high enough concentrations to pose a risk to human health and/or the ecosystem. There is soil pollution as the result of natural leaching of elements, and indirectly as the result of air pollution which settles down and mixes in with the soil, and then there is the soil pollution that is the result of human intervention by releasing pollutants. This again is in contrast to being good stewards as directed in Genesis 2:15 and which we can help alleviate.
Water pollution which can be the result of runoff from the soil, the result of air pollution by precipitation or directly dumping pollutants into waterways.
Noise pollution is different from previously mentioned pollutants. There is the spiritual noise pollution and the physical noise pollution. The spiritual pollution comes from the enemy who still tries to convince humanity that they are not like God. When we believe this lie, we still are not walking in our authority that was restored by Christ on the cross and therefore we are not as effective as we should be in our daily walk with God.This spiritual pollution is promoted through the media, social events, etc and can be blocking our effective communication and understanding with our Creator. Whereas physical noise pollution is disturbing for humans, causing hearing loss, high blood pressure resulting in possible heart diseases, sleep deprivation, stress and much more. In animals and other creatures this noise pollution is also disturbing by interfering and altering prey detection (food), interfering in navigation as is experienced by birds and whales. Even invertebrates like crabs are affected with this type of pollution. In general terms we can clearly state that Noise pollution affects and disrupts all communications in a negative way.
Media pollution, or should we say, ‘mental noise pollution’, is something that we experience in our daily life. In today’s society there is a tendency of neglecting, or should I say disobeying God and His will for us (Matt 22:37-39). The media in general is anti-Christian in their publications and is promoting that whatever makes you feel good should be the standards by which to live. We only have to look at the lack of Godly standards in regard to human life as portrayed in the media.
Light pollution is a side-effect of our industrial civilization. Its sources include building exterior and interior lighting, advertising, outdoor area lighting (such as car parks), offices, factories, streetlights, and illuminated sporting venues. There is evidence that this pollution is disturbing the nocturnal life cycles of species of other creatures. We are by God appointed to be the managers for creation. What are we allowing with our authority to happen within this God-given creation? This brings us to the physical and spiritual perspective of light pollution. In the natural it is affecting the physical health of all creatures, but in the spiritual there is the understanding, or lack thereof, of walking in the true light. What Light are we following? Jesus spoke, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). Unfortunately there is a false spiritual light which states that you should follow your own desires (eat the fruit if it looks good!). What light are we walking in, the TRUE LIGHT, or the light pollution that was created in the garden by satan?
