Greed at heart of environmental degradation, theologian says

Published: 2004-02-20

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (CNS) -- Greed is at the heart of the degradation of the environment, according to Brennan Hill, professor of theology at Jesuit-run Xavier University in Cincinnati. Hill was the main speaker at a daylong seminar Feb. 5 on "The Christian Mission to the Earth" held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in St. Joseph. He told participants the environment is being degraded to manufacture and deliver goods to the 2 billion people of the world who already have much. In the meantime, the remaining 4 billion subsist on little or nothing. He said preserving the environment is a people issue and a justice issue, "not just trees and whales." Hill said, "We live in an accumulating world. The one-third who already have much are getting more and more, while the other two-thirds have less. This imbalance must be dealt with. That's the cause of terrorism and war. If we want to make a war on terrorism perhaps the answer is not so much violence as sharing," he said.

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