Orthodox known for environmental efforts

[OrthodoxWanderer]

Hi all,
I know of Patriarch Bartholomew's environmental/conservation efforts, was wondering if there are other notable Orthodox known for environmental/conservation zeal, any saints even?
(Environmentalism and conservationism can be politically charged and loaded terms nowadays, I'm trying to avoid those connotations but don't know what else I could call it)
Curious if there are Orthodox examples. Thanks much!

 

[ArmyMatt]

not sure, aside from the ascetics who fled to the wilderness.

 

[SamanthaAnastasia]

The Orthodox Church and the Environmental Movement - Society Articles - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Orthodoxy and the Environment – No Other Foundation

Orthodox Church Environmental Activities and Initiatives - Society Articles - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Examples of Orthodox Environmental Initiatives - Society Articles - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

The Orthodox Family & The Environment

I hope this helps!

I know you said you know about Patriarch Bartholomew but there is some other info in the pages that do mention him.
God bless.

 

[Lawrence87]

I think it's a shame that environmentalism has been aligned with certain political viewpoints that cause many Orthodox Christians to reject it, because I think it is very apparent that we could do a lot better in our stewardship of the planet.

 

[SamanthaAnastasia]

I think it's a shame that environmentalism has been aligned with certain political viewpoints that cause many Orthodox Christians to reject it, because I think it is very apparent that we could do a lot better in our stewardship of the planet.

Indeed.

 

[buzuxi02]

Most Europeans are environmentalists so plenty around. Don't get me wrong it doesn't mean they are going to wake up and dig a ditch to plant a tree but approve of the underlying concepts.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

It is depressing indeed. Sadly, if you talk to most environmentalists who want to save the planet, terminating a pregnancy (in their minds) is a great way to accomplish that because of population control. Also, LGBT seems to always accompany the green folk. Perhaps because "gays" cannot reproduce, they're seen as the model human being to them? Socialism usually seems to come with the environmental package along with massive climate accords where Europeans get together into a cabal and steadily take over the economies of other countries through green tinkering and regulations. Most of the climate change folks are atheists as well. Most are into evolution. Most don't like Christianity or see the Lord as a silly comic book character we all read to feel better about death and sleep better at night.

Personally, I don't liter. I try to recycle. I try not to overuse resources. My pool pump is high efficiency green tech, my windows we put our home are all Low-E environmental windows, my new AC is high efficiency, I support conservation, hate animal cruelty, and view the Earth as precious. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that human beings have torn this lovely planet apart and we need to clean it up, but I'm not comfortable mixing the culture of death and sodomy with my desires to clean it up. Surely there must be a better way....Politics is in everything now.

I think it's a shame that environmentalism has been aligned with certain political viewpoints that cause many Orthodox Christians to reject it, because I think it is very apparent that we could do a lot better in our stewardship of the planet.

 

[Lawrence87]

It is depressing indeed. Sadly, if you talk to most environmentalists who want to save the planet, terminating a pregnancy (in their minds) is a great way to accomplish that because of population control. Also, LGBT seems to always accompany the green folk. Perhaps because "gays" cannot reproduce, they're seen as the model human being to them? Socialism usually seems to come with the environmental package along with massive climate accords where Europeans get together into a cabal and steadily take over the economies of other countries through green tinkering and regulations. Most of the climate change folks are atheists as well. Most are into evolution. Most don't like Christianity or see the Lord as a silly comic book character we all read to feel better about death and sleep better at night.

Personally, I don't liter. I try to recycle. I try not to overuse resources. My pool pump is high efficiency green tech, my windows we put our home are all Low-E environmental windows, my new AC is high efficiency, I support conservation, hate animal cruelty, and view the Earth as precious. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that human beings have torn this lovely planet apart and we need to clean it up, but I'm not comfortable mixing the culture of death and sodomy with my desires to clean it up. Surely there must be a better way....Politics is in everything now.

There is a logical conclusion from the overpopulation argument, and this is (forgive me for saying this) suicide. But I think the fact that most do not consider this shows the root of their perspective, they don't want the lifestyle to change, they want their jetsetting life to continue and thus the only way to do so is for people to breed less. If one was genuinely concerned about reducing population numbers for the greater good then there is one active thing that one could do to achieve this. But it would negate the reason why most people advocate this line of reasoning, which is not wanting to give up on much of the worldly pleasures and conveniences that we enjoy.

I don't think population is the problem it's sin. We don't really need to go on foreign holiday every year. We don't need that plastic wrapped snack. We don't need to watch a screen all day every day. We don't need a shower every morning and night... You get the picture.

People don't want to do anything that would involve reigning in their passions. To a large extent I include myself in that God forgive me. Although I do make some meagre effort in whatever way I can.

Also there is a legitimate avenue for those who do no wish to bring forth children and that is the monastic life of the Church. There is a lifestyle that encourages less consumption of meat and reigning in the passions. Orthodoxy has been environmentally friendly since before it was cool.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I think the Evil One uses anything he can to glom onto us and let sin take root. LGBT support SOUNDS good initially---"All these poor gay folks are committing suicide in huge numbers! If we just play along with their mental issues and pretend it's a valid lifestyle, they won't kill themselves!" it has a certain logic....but a diabolical logic.

With people shaming others for flying overseas, well, I think it's silly. I have taken my whole family to Greece, Israel, Jordan, and I did it to expose them to the Holy Land, monasteries, beautiful sites in Church history, and antiquity. I don't care if Greta Thunberg approves.

My Dodge Challenger is a 2021 RT Scatpack 6.4 liter. The thing is almost 500 horsepower. do I really need it? YES! The thing gets 13 mpg and it takes 91 octane! LOL. Hey, I suffer with sixth graders and drama day in day out....that muscle car is my zen zone of relaxation. It's my mobile man cave. You just can't get that high octane rush with a Prius, you know?

You're right about Orthodoxy being earth friendly! If the whole world fasted during all the different lents of the Orthodox calendar and ate moderately as we do and spent more time praying and less time goofing around, we'd all be better off!

There is a logical conclusion from the overpopulation argument, and this is (forgive me for saying this) suicide. But I think the fact that most do not consider this shows the root of their perspective, they don't want the lifestyle to change, they want their jetsetting life to continue and thus the only way to do so is for people to breed less. If one was genuinely concerned about reducing population numbers for the greater good then there is one active thing that one could do to achieve this. But it would negate the reason why most people advocate this line of reasoning, which is not wanting to give up on much of the worldly pleasures and conveniences that we enjoy.

I don't think population is the problem it's sin. We don't really need to go on foreign holiday every year. We don't need that plastic wrapped snack. We don't need to watch a screen all day every day. We don't need a shower every morning and night... You get the picture.

People don't want to do anything that would involve reigning in their passions. To a large extent I include myself in that God forgive me. Although I do make some meagre effort in whatever way I can.

Also there is a legitimate avenue for those who do no wish to bring forth children and that is the monastic life of the Church. There is a lifestyle that encourages less consumption of meat and reigning in the passions. Orthodoxy has been environmentally friendly since before it was cool.

 

[SamanthaAnastasia]

There is a logical conclusion from the overpopulation argument, and this is (forgive me for saying this) suicide. But I think the fact that most do not consider this shows the root of their perspective, they don't want the lifestyle to change, they want their jetsetting life to continue and thus the only way to do so is for people to breed less. If one was genuinely concerned about reducing population numbers for the greater good then there is one active thing that one could do to achieve this. But it would negate the reason why most people advocate this line of reasoning, which is not wanting to give up on much of the worldly pleasures and conveniences that we enjoy.

I don't think population is the problem it's sin. We don't really need to go on foreign holiday every year. We don't need that plastic wrapped snack. We don't need to watch a screen all day every day. We don't need a shower every morning and night... You get the picture.

People don't want to do anything that would involve reigning in their passions. To a large extent I include myself in that God forgive me. Although I do make some meagre effort in whatever way I can.

Also there is a legitimate avenue for those who do no wish to bring forth children and that is the monastic life of the Church. There is a lifestyle that encourages less consumption of meat and reigning in the passions. Orthodoxy has been environmentally friendly since before it was cool.

Ugh plastic wrapped snack. The grocery store is overwhelmed with plastic. I love the concept of the unpacked bulk bins.
I know there is cellulose based “plastics” that are biodegradable. Some of the issues lie with forcing companies to make these changes whether by government laws or by making these new bio plastics cheaper than traditional plastics.
*BUT* even with bio plastics, landfills are a complete problem. Even biodegradable things cannot degrade in a landfill, instead they mummify. Europe does WtE which I think is a good option for getting rid of pollution and creating energy not based on coal or oil.
Because we have to keep fossils fuels safe because the are a finite resource that are used to create petrochemicals that have no substitution right now, like resins or glue or in the medical industry.
So much work is needed but we much try and not despair.
True, it is sad that most environmentalists are more of a liberal leaning.
But I think it’s the same with the abortion issue: lots of prolife in America are not environmentalists: they’re even climate change deniers in the sense of they don’t care what humans are doing to the earth one way or the other.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

One of the few policies I liked from California—-banning plastic bags for stores.

Ugh plastic wrapped snack. The grocery store is overwhelmed with plastic. I love the concept of the unpacked bulk bins.
I know there is cellulose based “plastics” that are biodegradable. Some of the issues lie with forcing companies to make these changes whether by government laws or by making these new bio plastics cheaper than traditional plastics.
*BUT* even with bio plastics, landfills are a complete problem. Even biodegradable things cannot degrade in a landfill, instead they mummify. Europe does WtE which I think is a good option for getting rid of pollution and creating energy not based on coal or oil.
Because we have to keep fossils fuels safe because the are a finite resource that are used to create petrochemicals that have no substitution right now, like resins or glue or in the medical industry.
So much work is needed but we much try and not despair.
True, it is sad that most environmentalists are more of a liberal leaning.
But I think it’s the same with the abortion issue: lots of prolife in America are not environmentalists: they’re even climate change deniers in the sense of they don’t care what humans are doing to the earth one way or the other.

 

[SamanthaAnastasia]

I think the Evil One uses anything he can to glom onto us and let sin take root. LGBT support SOUNDS good initially---"All these poor gay folks are committing suicide in huge numbers! If we just play along with their mental issues and pretend it's a valid lifestyle, they won't kill themselves!" it has a certain logic....but a diabolical logic.

With people shaming others for flying overseas, well, I think it's silly. I have taken my whole family to Greece, Israel, Jordan, and I did it to expose them to the Holy Land, monasteries, beautiful sites in Church history, and antiquity. I don't care if Greta Thunberg approves.

My Dodge Challenger is a 2021 RT Scatpack 6.4 liter. The thing is almost 500 horsepower. do I really need it? YES! The thing gets 13 mpg and it takes 91 octane! LOL. Hey, I suffer with sixth graders and drama day in day out....that muscle car is my zen zone of relaxation. It's my mobile man cave. You just can't get that high octane rush with a Prius, you know?

You're right about Orthodoxy being earth friendly! If the whole world fasted during all the different lents of the Orthodox calendar and ate moderately as we do and spent more time praying and less time goofing around, we'd all be better off!

Commercial flying isn’t even that bad. It’s private jets that is more of an ecological problem.
It’s the same concept with cars right: commercial flying is like a literal air bus.
Private jets are well…you personal vehicle.
Kinda like that bus vs personal car analogy.

But we should still try and find a better fuel option for jets like sustainable biodiesel. But we shall see.