Peace with the Earth - Do we want to do our part to take care of the Earth?

Sep 29, 2026

Peace with the Earth compiles excerpts from Fr. Ben Urmston’s website on ethical and spiritual approaches to environmental care. The text calls for stewardship as part of a global ethic, stresses inner spiritual freedom, and frames care for the planet as connected to human oneness and love of a common human family. It outlines principles of non-violence, environmental health as an economic right, and economic democracy to reshape corporate accountability. Examples include Denmark’s wind transition, waste-to-energy biodiesel and soap innovations, and just transition from fossil fuels to renewables.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatDOCX

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Peace with the Earth

Inner spiritual freedom and human oneness

Non-violence and environmental protection

Environmental health as an economic right

Economic democracy and corporate accountability

Just transition and renewable energy examples

Fr. Ben Urmston Excerpts from his website: HYPERLINK "http://www.xavier.edu/frben/" http://www.xavier.edu/frben/ Peace with the Earth Do we want to do our part to take care of the Earth? We can't write without a pencil or send an e-mail without a computer. Each of the five pillars of a Vision of Hope working together like the fingers on our hands can help us to take adequate care of our earth. 1.Stewardship of our common planet is certainly part of a global ethic. How can we love our neighbor if we poison the one home on which all of us live? We need greater and deeper inner spiritual freedom to keep our eyes wide open when what we see is inconvenient, even appalling. We need to read, study, meditate, pray. We need an inner attitude of care of the earth and all living beings. We need love of our one common human family. I think it’s a mistake to divide our world into allies and enemies. AN AFFIRMATION OF HUMAN ONENESS I am a member of the human family, a citizen of the world. The achievements of men and women throughout the ages are my heritage. My destiny is bound to that of all my fellow human beings. What we jointly create forms our bequest to future generations. May my life serve the good of my family. May our use of the earth preserve it for those yet to come. (Composed by Dr. Joseph Schwartzberg) HYPERLINK "http://healingearth.ijep.net/" http://healingearth.ijep.net/ Brings together people from around the world to engage in an integral approach to study of our earth in an ethical and spiritual way. I recommend this. Can be used as a textbook for graduate study and adults. 2. Methods of non-violence could help us to insure laws that would protect our environment. Non-violence could help us to listen compassionately, communicate in a civil, loving way. 3. A healthy environment is a natural economic right that should be second nature to us and eventually part of our legal and constitutional structures. 4. Economic Democracy would give all of us more say about care of the earth. Although there are corporations moving in the right direction, we need to change the bottom line and charters of corporations, make corporations more accountable to citizens. If the economy is causing deterioration of the earth, we need to change our economic structures. Is a "job" that is harmful to the earth really a job? Cooperatives, local worker ownership are better for the environment. Our corporations should be directed toward production in accord with Cradle to Cradle, with products created in ways in which what is produced can be used again, recycled. From policy statement on just transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy. It's not easy, but a necessary challenge. HYPERLINK "https://www.stanleyfoundation.org/publications/pab/RosembergPABStrengtheningJustTransition417.pdf" https://www.stanleyfoundation.org/publications/pab/RosembergPABStrengtheningJustTransition417.pdf Denmark’s Wind Sector12 Starting in the 1970s, Danish social dialogue produced a strong industrial and climate policy aimed first at energy independence and later at transitioning the power sector from coal to wind. Over time, Denmark became a net energy exporter, decreased coal use by 50 percent, and increased the share of wind in its power sector to 40 to 50 percent. It also produced a globally competitive wind industry that includes publicly traded Vestas, the world’s second largest wind turbine manufacturer, and Dong Energy, which is majority state owned and develops and operates wind and other energy projects. In 2015, Denmark’s wind industry employed 31,251 people, and wind power delivered 42 percent of Denmark’s electricity. If most discussions on just transition focus on phasing out a sector, closing a plant, or restructuring, it is critical to focus on generating new jobs and creating new sectors, as has been done in Denmark. The experience of Danish workers with green policies has been positive and thus created a new constitu

FAQs

What does the text say about taking care of the Earth?

It argues that people should do their part to care for the Earth as an ethical and spiritual responsibility, linked to stewardship of a common planet.

How does non-violence relate to environmental protection in the excerpts?

Non-violence is presented as a way to help design environmental-protecting laws and to communicate and listen compassionately in a civil manner.

What economic changes are proposed for better care of the Earth?

The excerpts call for economic democracy, greater accountability of corporations to citizens, shifts in economic structures when jobs harm the environment, and production practices aligned with “Cradle to Cradle.”

Sep 29, 2026

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