Op 15 September word Internasionale Kusskoonmaakdag gevier. Wêreldwyd neem gemeenskappe aan skoonmaakaksies langs strande, riviere of plekke wat besoedel is deel. Vrywilligers in minstens 100 lande maak op daardie dag ’n verskil deur veral plastiek te verwyder.

In ’n onlangse brief aan A Rocha (http://www.arocha.org.za/) sê ds. Nelis van Rensburg: Die verwoesting van ons oseane en die lewe daarin verdien egter nou ons ernstige aandag. Plastiek en ander besoedeling in ons oseane word egter nou by die dag ‘n groter bedreiging vir die ekosisteme van ons oseane. Na raming, in 2014 gedoen, was daar meer as 15-51 triljoen mikro plastiek deeltjies in die oseane teenwoordig. Dit weeg tussen 93 000 en 236 000 ton.

Ons word nou op nuwe maniere uitgedaag met die mens se opdrag om te bewoon, bewerk en bewaar.

Dit is die taak van die mens, en in besonder gelowiges wat verantwoordbaar is teenoor God, om nou ons roeping in oënskou te neem en daadwerklike stappe te neem om die besoedeling van ons oseane en lugruim te verminder en te stop. Die taak is reusagtig groot. Bewusmaking en maatreëls om besoedeling te verhoed, saam met toegespitste pogings om die plastiek uit die oseane te verwyder, is nou dringend nodig. Dit is ‘n kwessie van lewe en dood, vir klein en groot.

Die NG Kerk wil graag hande vat met organisasies en inisiatiewe soos dié van A Rocha SA.

Gemeentes word genooi om vanjaar aan hierdie besondere dag deel te neem. A Rocha het ’n riglyn geskryf wat gebruik kan word vir die reël van ’n skoonmaak geleentheid. Besoek http://www.arocha.org.za/.

A Rocha wil graag weet watter gemeentes neem deel. Voltooi daarom asb. die vorm op die webblad.

 

URCSA supports International Coastal Clean-up

I have become aware that as South Africans we use approximately 8 BILLION plastic shopping bags per year. Less than 1% is recycled. The rest ends up in landfills or pollutes nature by blocking storm water drains, get stuck in trees, and litter our rivers and beaches. In nature plastic never fully disappears, it only breaks into smaller pieces and ends up as micro plastics that contaminates the land, our food and water. Scientists say that by the year 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish.

The International Coastal Clean-up is an annual volunteer event that encourages the public to clear litter from beaches along our coast or in rivers or other areas that are polluted.

A few years ago ds MA Plaatjies van Huffel wrote in “The search for common understanding with regard to ecology and justice in URCSA”: As reformed Christians, the URCSA believe in the sovereignty of God over the whole created order. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalm24.1). Nothing in creation is independent of God. All of God’s creation therefore deserves to be treated with appropriate care and concern. God is the creator of the universe and the earth. The duty of human beings is to take care of the earth and to ensure that our natural resources are conserved for future generations.

As moderator of URCSA Cape region I am personally concerned about pollution and agree that it is our Christian duty to take care of all of God’s creation. I therefore fully support the call made by A Rocha South Africa to congregations to participate in the International Coastal Clean-up on 15 September 2018. For detail how to get involved and arrange a clean-up visit the A Rocha website http://www.arocha.org.za/ or send an email to [email protected].

Rev. Dr. Llewellyn MacMaster

 

David P Botha
nms Projekspan Ekologie
[email protected]