The Bali Agreement: The First Step Towards the Stewardship of the Earth?

In a total U-turn on U.S. policy, the United States signed the Bali agreement, pledging to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This is landmark because up until now, the United States had snubbed the Kyoto treaty, refusing to be held accountable for their large contribution to carbon dioxide emissions. Even in the signing of the Bali agreement, the U.S. qualified their signature saying that other developing economies must follow suit and be held to similar standards. On one hand- this is a fabulous turn of events- that the U.S. has finally seemingly recognized it's role in the climate crisis.

The disappointment about Bali is that it is essentially non-binding. There are no real sanctions or punishments for failing to follow through on the protocols listed. So how does a country like the United States, who in the last seven years has alienated itself and refused to be accountable to anyone, suddenly become accountable for climate change while still under the direction/leadership of a President who insists that global warming has been greatly exaggerated and scientifically flawed? I. Don't. Know.

What I do know is this: the environment has been a "wedge" issue between conservative and liberal Christians for quite some time- and the reasons for this absolutely confound me. It seems to me that no matter your stance on the political spectrum, destroying the earth that both parties claim God created is a fundamentally bad idea.

My understanding of the conservative perspective is that because God created the earth, and ultimately "takes care" of the earth, then we have nothing to fear. Usually paired with this theology of a literal "God created the earth" is a "Man (gender intentional) has dominion over the earth". It seems then, if the religious right is to say that man has dominion, then the care for the earth is the responsibility of humanity.

Being stewards to the earth does not have to be a wedge issue. Being stewards to the earth can be just that: a stewardship issue-- giving back to God what God has given us. Stewardship is defined as "taking personal responsibility for another person's property." If this is the case, then for conservative Christians, who claim that "This is Our Father's World", and humanity has been given dominion, then we are most definitely responsible for what happens to this property-- and in their theology, God really doesn't like screw ups.

The Bali treaty is a step in the right direction, but it's only one step. Let us take up the spirit of stewardship and care for our earth in a way that is sustainable and that honors the creation that God has put forth for us.