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Augustinians Support
UN World Environment Day, June 5, 2010 and
International Year of Biodiversity 2010

Augustinians of the Midwest are encouraged to mark the United Nations' World Environment Day, June 5, 2010, and 2010: International Year of Biodiversity in their communities and ministries. The Augustinians invite and encourage all who identify with Augustinian spirituality and traditions to do likewise.

Stewardship of God's Creation is one of the major themes of traditional Catholic Social Teaching. The Catholic Church teaches that the goods of the Earth are gifts to everyone from God, and they are intended by God for the common good of everyone.

Stewardship finds its basis in the Book of Genesis in the Bible, which relates that God entrusted all creation to humans, who are to have dominion over it and care for it as stewards. (--See Gen 1: 28-32; Gen 2: 15)

The concept of Stewardship fits well with the Augustinian idea of communality of goods, one of the basic principles of St. Augustine's vision and spirituality of religious community life.

The Rule of St. Augustine says, "Call nothing your own, but let everything be yours in common. . . For so you read in the Acts of the Apostles that 'they had all things in common. . .'" (Acts 4:32,35) and ". . .whenever you show greater concern for the common good than for your own, you know that you are growing in charity."

The principle of Stewardship says that because the world is ours in common, all people have a responsibility to care for the Earth as stewards or trustees. We are more than just consumers and users of natural resources.

How we care for the common good of all through our respect for the environment is a measure of our stewardship, our charity toward others and our respect for the Creator.

World Environment Day, celebrated each June 5, is one of the ways in which the United Nations works to make the world's population aware of the environment and to encourage people and governments around the world to take actions that promote the common good by promoting a healthy environment.

2010 World Environment Day Theme

Many Species. One Planet. One Future. is the theme of World Environment Day for 2010.

The year 2010 has been designated the International Year of Biodiversity by the U.N., with the theme “Biodiversity is Life - Biodiversity is Our Life”.

These themes echo the urgent call to conserve the diversity of life on our planet, the U.N. Environment Program said.

U.N.E.P. etimates that the world contains between 5 million and 100 million species. Scientists have thus far identified only about 2 million species. Of these, 17,291 species are known to be threatened with extinction -- primarily because of human activity, such as clearing of forests, draining of wetlands, over-fishing, and emissions of heat-trapping gasses that cause warming of the Earth.

A variety of life - called biodiversity - is what allows us to have food, clothing, medicine and much more. Each species of animal and plant interacts with the others to form a working system of life. When even one species is lost, the whole life system is affedted.

“A world without biodiversity is a very bleak prospect. Millions of people and millions of species all share the same planet, and only together can we enjoy a safer and more prosperous future,” U.N.E.P. said.

The themes of both 2010 observances invite governments, industries, communities, churches, schools and individuals to stress the importance of biodiversity for human well-being and to focus on conserving the diversity of life that exists on Earth, in order to promote a safer and more prosperous future for all.

“Get involved, speak out. Learn and teach others. Show leadership and help clean up. Reconnect with nature, our life force. Together, we can develop a new vision for biodiversity: Many Species. One Planet. One Future, ” Ban Ki-moon, U.N. Secretary General, said.

World Environment Day Prayer

       » World Environment Day Prayer Services
             Suggested Augustinian prayers from International Justice and Peace Secretariate, Rome

More World Environment Day Resources

• From the U.N.

        » Learn more about the World Environment Day (Opens new window)
               Information, resources and suggestions for this U. N. observance

        » United Nations Environment Program (Opens new window)
               Encouraging partnership in caring for the environment

        » 2010: International Year of Biodiverstiy (Opens new window)
               Biodiversity is life - Biodiversity is our life

        » World Environment Day Messages (Opens new window)
               Ban Ki-moon and others: Act to protect biodiversity

        » The State of the Planet’s Biodiversity (Opens new window)
               Key Findings from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

        » World Environment Day A to Z Countdown (Opens new window)
               Ways to Celebrate World Environment Day

        » Easily Green Your Daily Routine (Opens new window)
               Daily Do Something Tips

• From Other Sources

        » Project 350 (Opens new window)
               Uniting the World: Global Warming. Global Action. Global Future.

        » Earth Charter U.S. (Opens new window)
               A secular initiative that implements Catholic Christian principles

        » Catholic Climate Covenant (Opens new window)
               Care for Creation, Care for the Poor: Take the St. Francis Pledge

        » If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation (Opens new window)
               Message of Pope Benedict XVI for World Day of Peace 2010

Other UN Days Reflect Christian Values

      » Augustinians Support International Days
             Seven U.N. Days reflect Catholic Christian values