By Phil Shapley (White Wolf)

There is a pollution and environmental problem.  Rising levels of carbon dioxide and particulate matter, higher levels of pollutants, etc. are causing alarm:

1) global warming with all of its related effects, such as drought, storms, floods, destruction of habitat, species decline, etc.;

2) illness and death associated with pollution;

3) loss of food production, etc..

Science has built a strong case that these concerns are real and that there is a very evident association between increased pollution and the above effects.

Natives (Indians) and deeply aware Christians know that spiritual factors affect the amount of damage caused by pollutants and destructive acts. This paper examines these spiritual effects in two scenarios:

Scenario 1: With adequate protection and control, can Man continue to live on Earth in a pleasant and healthy environment?
Scenario 2: Christian and Indian (Native) Prophecy state that modern civilization will soon severely decline, the Earth will be cleansed of evil by the Creator, and there will be a thousand years of peace and beauty with plant and animal life re-established.

Scenario 1: With adequate protection, is a bright future possible?

To determine whether protection can bring a bright future, we must examine how spiritual factors affect pollution damage and the environment.

Everything is spiritual. On my web site (www.spiritualresourcemanagement.com), I  explain that everything from people to animals, plants, rocks, atoms, etc., possess a spirit, an awareness.  These spirits, awarenesses can decide to obey or not obey the Creator. The Creation is a delicate organization of these spirits or awareness's by the Creator to form atoms, rock, plants, Mother Earth, etc. These awarenesses have decided to obey the Creator because they love and respect Him. He organizes each spirit at the highest level it can function at and at the level where it can realize the greatest joy. Thus, the Creator was able to organize Mother Earth and everything on Her. More is said on this in my web papers on the Creation and the ones entitled:  Spiritual Resource Management and Spiritual Basics for Resource Managers.

The actions of Man greatly affect the well-being of these spirits or awarenesses. When Man is disrespectful, greedy, immoral, lies, cheats, etc. negative energy is generated which depresses everything, including inhibiting reproduction and growth. Good acts by Man, such as kindness, love, patience, living the commandments, etc., generates positive energy which buoys the spirits (awarenesses) in the Creation.

When there is negative energy, the effects of pollutants and destructive acts, are intensified. To understand how this works, we look at a few examples. When a pulp mill adds pollutants to a river or puts them into the air, there is damage directly caused by these pollutants. If the mill is an economically marginal one which could not afford the cost of pollution control, the damage can be considerable but we would not suffer additional destruction caused by greed. However, if the mill is profitable and resists pollution control to preserve a high rate of return, this produces negative energy that intensives the damage caused. Other examples are a forest industry or fishery in which there is over harvesting and destruction of the environment. If the people or firms involved resist corrective measures that are workable, negative energy is generated by the bad attitude that further inhibits reproduction and growth.

Again failure to stop pollution and environmental destruction when this is feasible and also when there are bad attitudes, causes damage over and above the considerable harm produced by the pollutants themselves and by over harvesting or neglect of the environment.  An example of this is when economic forces may necessitate that a person or firm over fish or not control its pollution in order to survive another year though considerable damage is done, there would not necessarily be the additional destruction caused by bad attitudes. With common property resources, such as ocean fisheries, the system encourages over harvesting-- if one doesn't catch the fish now, someone else will. In this case, greed does not necessarily intensify the already severe effect of over fishing.  But there would be an intensified effect if fishermen have a greedy attitude.

The above discussion dealt with the negative energy generated by those persons or firms whose actions directly affect a resource. But in addition, the negative energy from greater society caused by the violation of the Ten Commandments, immorality, etc., also depresses resources and affects the weather. These effects may not be limited to the area where the bad energy arises. Could negative energy from North America be affecting the weather in Africa?

Positive acts can buoy resources and the environment-- kindness, living the commandments, performing Native ceremonies for resources, praying for the environment, etc. As an example given in another paper, I tell of an Indian (Native) father and son who trapped beaver intensively in adjoining areas. The father had great respect for the beaver and performed ceremonies honoring them, the son did not. The beaver population severely declined in the son's area but remained high in the father's area. The love I gave to sick calves speeded their recovery. My wife's beautiful flower garden reflects her good living and her love for her plants.

To have a good future, we must not only control pollution and stop environmental destruction, but Man must greatly improve his behavior and purify his heart. Pollution control itself is desirable because it is an unselfish act which generates positive energy that helps the environment. Have you ever thought of matters in these contexts? Again, Mans behavior and heart must change if a good environment is to be maintained.

To summarize, the factors that intensify the adverse effects of pollutants and destructive acts, are:

1) the negative energy generated when parties resist pollution control when it is workable (including when it is affordable) and/or don't eliminate avoidable environmental destruction;

2) the moral decline, greed, ignoring the commandments, forgetting the Creator, etc. in greater society which generates a world wide cloud of negative energy;

3) the failure to generate positive energy: (a) by not living morally, (b) by the failure to perform Native ceremonies for and to pray for resources and the environment, (c) by the failure to respect resources and the Creator, and (d) by failing to live as the Creator advocates.

To have a bright future, Man must not only control pollution and stop environmental destruction, but must become moral, eliminate greed, live the commandments, etc.

Scenario 2: Natives and Christians have prophesied

Native and Christians have prophesied that soon civilization will severely decline, the Creator will remove evil from the Earth, and the Earth will be renewed with a thousand years of peace, beauty and joy and with animal and plant life re- established in a better environment.

If this is what you expect, some will ask why bother with pollution control and environmental protection everything will soon collapse and then the Creator will renew the Earth. Though in this Scenario the argument for pollution control and protection is weakened, they are still highly desirable:

1) how soon is soon when civilization will sharply decline and by how much?

2) control and protection will still improve the health of people and protect habitats and species in the remaining interval before the sharp decline, plus preserve beauty;

3) control and protection will increase the likely hood that food production can be maintained;

4) control and protection are positives acts which generate positive energy which helps the Creation.

5) the Creator expects Man to take care of His Creation,

6) we can look forward to healthy and happy plants and animals on the renewed Earth.

Conclusion: the need to live as the Creator advocates

This paper has raised issues in regard to the effects of the spiritual on the damage done by pollutants and on the damage done to the environment. Regardless of the future that you envision, Man will help the environment and himself by living as the Creator asks us to live--  honestly, caring for others, morally, etc. By controlling pollution and stopping environmental destruction, positive energy is generated. By living the right way, a person helps Nature and insures himself the best post-Earth life in the spirit world, can have help and guidance from the Creator in this often difficult Earth life, and if you are close to your Creator, you can experience an indescribable love and peace regardless of external circumstances. If Scenario 2 occurs, living close to the Creator will bring you the help and guidance that you will need (see the papers on The Coming Hard Times on my web).  And we can look forward to healthy and happy plants and animals in the thousand years of peace and beauty-- in today's dark world, many plants and animals are not healthy and are miserable.