Religious Studies (Short
Course) Revision
Religion and Planet Earth
How to use this presentation
• The first part of this presentation (blue
headings) will give you brief information,
religious viewpoints and pictures for the
Religion and Planet Earth topic.
• The second part of the presentation
(green headings) will have exam
questions and tasks for you to work
through for this topic.
What topics could be on the
paper?
Beliefs about the origins of
life
The effects of modern
lifestyles on planet earth
The use of natural resources
such as coal, oil and gas
Religious and other views
about the nature of planet
earth
Issues concerning the
problems caused by pollution
on planet earth
Issues surrounding the
debate about climate change
and global warming
Religious responses to
environmental issues
Stewardship and the
responsibility of caring for
planet earth
The ways in which natural
habitats have been
destroyed
Conservation work and other
ways to protect the planet
Beliefs about the origins of life
The earth is like a precious gift that we want to care for and need to
remember how upsetting it would be if something happened to destroy it.
Christianity
Genesis 1-2 tells the story of how God
created the heavens and the earth out
of nothing, filled the earth with
creatures and made human beings. God
completed his work in six days and
rested on the seventh day. There is
also the separate story of Adam and
Eve.
Some Christians take these stories
literally, however most prefer to
concentrate on the truths they
contain about caring for the planet
and believe that they were not written
as scientific explanations.
The main message of
creation stories is to
show that the earth is
here for us to use and
not abuse.
Buddhism
There is no Buddhist creation story.
The Buddha thought questions about
how the earth started were idle
speculation. No answer would satisfy
everyone. Buddhists believe that
worlds evolve and follow a cycle of
decay, death and rebirth.
The seven days of creation
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Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
Day
one – Light
two – Heaven and Earth
three – Land, sea and vegetation
four – Sun, moon and stars
five – Sea creatures and birds
six – Land animals and humans
seven – God rests
Views about the nature of the planet
Science reveals a world filled with mystery, awe and wonder, which inspires
people to investigate things and think about the purpose of life on earth.
Some people feel that it is these feelings that make wildlife programmes
on TV so popular, however others feel that we are loosing this sense of awe
and wonder as science explains more about the world and humans take the
planet for granted.
Awe: A feeling of
respect; insight into
meaning greater than
oneself.
Christian view
God created the universe as an
expression of his love. As God’s
children, humans have the
responsibility to care for this gift.
Wonder: marvelling
at the complexity and
beauty of the
universe.
Buddhist view
The universe is a single, vast living
thing. All parts of the natural depend
on each other and as we are part of
nature we should not act against it.
Stewardship and caring for planet earth
Stewardship is the idea that people have been given a special
responsibility to be in charge of the earth, protect and care
for it. The earth provides many things to use for our survival
and we should appreciate this rather than abusing it.
Christian view
In the past the instruction by God
to ‘rule over… every living
creature’ was understood in terms
of domination rather than
stewardship. Now Christians
believe they have a duty to
conserve the Earth for future
generations.
Buddhist view
Buddhist scriptures teach
Buddhists not to do evil, but
rather to do good. Humans should
develop an attitude of loving
kindness towards the earth and
not exploit it uncessarily. ‘Just as
the bee takes nectar without
destroying a flower, so humans
should take what they need
without damaging the universe.’
Effects of modern lifestyles on planet earth
The way we live now
The Earth is the only planet that can
support human life. Modern lifestyles are
putting the Earths resources under more
strain than ever before.
The Greenhouse effect and global
warming – Pollution is created by emissions
from the burning of coal, oil and gas. These
cover the earth like a blanket that traps
the suns heat like a greenhouse. Most
people agree that this causes global
warming as the temperatures and sea levels
rise and the polar ice-caps begin to melt.
Industrial Waste– This is hard to deal
with as it may contain dangerous chemicals
that take a long time to disappear. In
particular nuclear waste is a concern as
radioactivity lasts for thousands of years.
Household waste – Many things in our
homes such as food waste and electrical
appliances are thrown away and are not
biodegradable. People are starting to
realise that more things can be reused,
saving money and the environment.
Recycling – Most household now recycle
glass, cans, newspapers, cardboard, plastic
and garden waste. This is saving energy and
resources.
Emissions from cars and factories –
Carbon monoxide from cars can make it
difficult to breathe in built up areas like
cities. Cars also contribute to the
greenhouse effect.
The chemicals from factories released into
the air will fall again as acid rain. Heating
factories and transport also contribute to
the issues.
Pollution
Acid Rain
Emissions from cars, factories and
power stations combine with water
vapour in the air to make acids which
may end up in rain water. Forests and
fish all over the world are dying as the
acid can be carried a great distance.
Toxic chemicals
Toxic waste is created by the
chemical industries creating
chemicals, electronic equipment
containing chemical and even breaking
up old ships. These toxic chemicals are
very difficult to dispose of safely.
Oil Spills
The huge demand for oil means that
tankers carry it all over the world. The
ships can get into trouble causing oil
spills like the Exxon Valdex (1989).
Much of the oil pollution in the sea
comes from industries on land.
Pesticides
These control the weeds, pests and
diseases which helps farmers to get
the best yield. However these are
harmful to animals and humans in high
enough doses.
Christian view
Polluting the planet is not good
stewardship and so is not following the
teaching to ‘Love thy neighbour’.
Buddhist view
Pollution harms living creatures so it is
against the first precept not to harm
living beings.
The destruction of natural habitats
Every 20 minutes the world looses at least one species of animal or
plant life. Around 27,000 species each year are becoming extinct.
• As human populations grow bigger cities need to be created which
results in the destruction of natural habitats.
• National parks have been created to protect and preserve natural
habitats but this may not be enough to save a great variety of
creatures.
• Deforestation (The permanent destruction of native forests and
woodlands) is a major cause of the destruction of natural habitats
leaving several creatures facing extinction. This can also affect a
larger area of land and contribute towards global warming as trees no
longer remove co2 and instead a clearing causes it to be released as
the matter rots or is burnt.
Christians
‘The Earth and all life on it are… given
to us to share and develop, not to
dominate and exploit.’
(Roman Catholic Church, 1991)
Buddhists
Monks and nuns may not ‘destroy any
plant or tree’.
(Vinaya Pitaka)
The use of natural resources
•
The population of earth has exploded since 1830. This has caused a threat
to the environment by the necessity of using more resources to support the
people.
•
Fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas are non-renewable and yet we are
continuing to use up these resources to produce things such as electricity at
an alarming rate. There will soon be none of these resources left for future
generations.
•
Vast quantities of metal are used in industry and very little of this is
recycled. As metals become rarer they will become more expensive. These
basic chemical elements of the earth will not be able to be replaced.
•
Renewable energy sources such as wind, wave and solar power are being
developed for more regular use. Wind farms have sprung up around the
country but are not popular with those who say they spoil the look of the
countryside.
•
Nuclear power is a secure energy supply that would help to tackle climate
change, however the waste produced from this remains radioactive for
thousands of years. Accidents or terrorist attacks on a nuclear power plant
would be disastrous. Many support the idea of the government looking for
cleaner renewable energy solutions.
Climate change and global warming
Climate change
• While scientists agree that
climate change is an issue, they
have argued about the causes.
• Some believe that humans must
change the way in which we are
using resources to stop climate
change becoming worse.
• Other scientists believe that the
earth’s climate is always changing
so predictions about future global
warming may be unreliable.
• The amount of CO2 in the
atmosphere has increased by 33%
since the industrial revolution.
Greenhouse gases are trapping
more of the sun’s energy, so the
warming of the planet is evident.
Global warming
• Many scientists suggest that
global warming will cause severe
weather leading to droughts or
floods. This could then cause
many other problems for
countries and the people within
them. For example low-lying
Bangladesh could suffer from a
great deal of flooding causing
contaminated water and disease.
• Some scientists disagree and
suggest that the extreme
weather conditions we are
beginning to experience may not
be part of global warming,
however new studies are being
published all of the time.
Caring for the planet - conservation
Conservation - looking after the environment and protecting animals.
Earth summits – these are meetings where representatives from different
countries and religious leaders meet to discuss the threat to the earth and
agree on international action.
-Rio de Janeiro 1992 – pollution and deforestation were key issues.
Countries urged to find alternative sources of energy, and keep greenhouse
gas levels steady.
-Kyoto 1997 – The Kyoto protocol agreed. Countries promised to cut their
CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions.
- Johannesburg 2002 – The poor, particularly those without clean water
were a key issue. Loses of plant and animal life were also discussed with a
view to combating problems by 2015.
After agreeing to cut carbon emissions at the earth summits, governments
had to put their promises into action. The British government published a
draft climate change bill in March 2007.
Religious Responses to caring for the
planet
Christianity
Humans were put in charge of creation, but this does not give us
the right to abuse what God has made. God’s glory is shown through
the natural world and therefore Christians oppose thoughtless
exploitation of nature that threatens to destroy it.
Buddhism
Destruction of the environment is the result of greed, ignorance
and disregard for the richness of all living things. If it continues,
future generations will inherit a dead world. This generation is
aware of the great danger facing the world and so has
responsibility to take action before it is too late.
Key Christian quotes and
teachings about planet earth
• Christians believe that while humans were put in charge of
the planet and given ‘dominion’ over it that this does not
mean that we can treat it as we wish. They believe that we
have a responsibility to look after God’s creation.
• Christians recognise that the principles of good
stewardship, the sanctity of life and love of neighbour are
interlinked and must be applied to the issue surrounding
how we treat the planet.
God created the world
and put humans in charge
Humans should act as
stewards towards all
creation. This means
looking after what God
has created.
Jesus taught us to ‘love
thy neighbour’. This
means that humans
should think of others
when looking after the
planet.
Key Buddhist quotes and
teachings about planet earth
•
Buddhists do not believe in God but believe that they have a duty to
protect the natural world.
•
The earth is not a possession, we merely use it for a while and should
leave the world in a fit state for others in the future.
•
Ignorance and greed is seen as a major cause for the ways in which the
earth has been treated by some people. We need to look more carefully
at our surroundings.
The first moral precept
says ‘I will not harm any
living thing’.
Just as the bee takes
nectar without
destroying the flower,
humans should take what
they need without
damaging the universe.
Buddhists believe that
all life is connected and
dependent on each
other, so by destroying
the earth we impact on
humans as well
Tasks
• The following slides contain tasks.
• Complete these in your book or on
paper.
Alphabet challenge -
Find a word or phrase
linked to the planet earth topic for each letter. Try to
include some religious teachings on your list.
Quick quiz
• Answer these one and two mark exam questions
without using notes.
1. What is
stewardship? (1 mark)
3. What is
conservation(1 mark)
6. Give one reason
why a religious person
may support earth
summits (1 mark)
2. Give two examples
of pollution. (2 mark)
4. Give one renewable
source of energy
(1 mark)
7. Give one reason
why a religious person
may support
renewable energy (1
mark)
5. Give two nonrenewable fuels.
(2 mark)
8. What is climate
change (1 mark)
Quick quiz - answers
• Answer these one and two mark exam questions
without using notes.
1. The idea that
believers have a duty
to look after the
environment on
behalf of God.
2. Acid rain; oil spills;
toxic chemicals;
pesticides etc.
5. oil; coal; gas
3. Looking after the
environment and
protecting animals.
6. Their religion
teaches them to care
for the planet;
religious leaders
support them.
4. Wind power, wave
power, solar power,
nuclear power.
7. Better for the
planet; takes care of
they neighbour.
8. The idea that the
climate is getting
warmer.
Word circle
See how many of the key terms you can find within this circle. Once you
have found them try to write down the definitions.
Brief religious teachings
• Without checking previous slides, can you identify a
Buddhist and a Christian teaching that could be used for
each of the following topics.
Destruction of
natural habitats
Climate change
Pollution
Origins of life
Natural resources
Effects of modern
lifestyles
Flash cards
• Choose key religious information and create flash
cards to help you remember. Aim for the key
teaching and some pictures to help you remember.
For example:
Buddhism –Caring for the planet
‘Just as the bee takes nectar without destroying the
flower, humans should take what they need without
damaging the universe. ’.
3 Mark Exam questions
•
•
•
3 mark evaluation questions ask you for your opinion, giving reasons for
your answer.
Your answer does not need to include religious viewpoints as the
statement will be about a religious topic, but you can include them.
Look at the answer below and see how many marks you think it is worth.
‘Religious believers have more of a duty to care for the planet than anyone
else’ What do you think? Explain your opinion.
I disagree that religious believers have more of a duty to care for the
planet than anyone else. Whilst Christians believe in Stewardship which
teaches them to care for the planet because God allows them to live on it,
they are not the only people who have contributed to the problems we are
facing on the earth. Anyone who drives a car, catches a plane or uses
products made in factories has a responsibility to care for the planet. I
also disagree as we should all want to leave the planet in a good condition
for future generations, this does not depend upon religious beliefs but is
about caring for others.
This answer would receive 3 marks as it contains two
reasons which have both been developed with examples.
3 Mark Exam questions
• Now try these evaluation questions, using the mark scheme
to ensure that you receive full marks.
• ‘God gave us the earth to use, not abuse.’ What do you
think? Explain your opinion.
• ‘Religious leaders are not doing enough to save the planet.’
What do you think? Explain your opinion.
• ‘The world belongs to God, so let God take care of it’ What
do you think? Explain your opinion.
Crossword puzzle
Try to identify the key
environment words
from the clues below.
Across
5. The idea that believers have a duty to look after the planet on behalf of God
7. The ideas that the climate is getting warmer
8. The trapping of heat from the sun in the lower atmosphere due to an increase in carbon dioxide
9. The cutting down of large amounts of forest, usually because of business needs
Down
1. Types of resources which are non-renewable
2. The name for United Nations conferences on the environment and development
3. looking after the environment and protecting animals
4. A type of renewable energy which is controversial
6. The contamination of something, especially the environment
Crossword puzzle
Answers
Across
5. Stewardship
7. Climate Change
8. Greenhouse Effect
9. Deforestation
Down
1. Fossil Fuels
2. Earth Summits
3. Conservation
4. Nuclear power
6. Pollution
Across
5. The idea that believers have a duty to look after the planet on behalf of God
7. The ideas that the climate is getting warmer
8. The trapping of heat from the sun in the lower atmosphere due to an increase in carbon dioxide
9. The cutting down of large amounts of forest, usually because of business needs
Down
1. Types of resources which are non-renewable
2. The name for United Nations conferences on the environment and development
3. looking after the environment and protecting animals
4. A type of renewable energy which is controversial
6. The contamination of something, especially the environment
How to answer 6 mark evaluation
questions
Try to remember FARMER
F – For – give arguments for the statement.
A – Against – give arguments against the statement.
R – Religion – say what religion thinks.
M- Me – say what I think.
E – ) Evaluate
R - ) Religion – Say what you think about the religious
arguments.
Click to see how this answer uses the
‘FARMER’ requirements
‘Global warming will cause major problems for future generations’. Do you agree?
Give reasons showing you have considered other viewpoints. Refer to religious
arguments in your answer.
I agree that global warming will cause major problems for future generations as we
are already seeing extreme weather conditions becoming more frequent. For
example hurricanes occurring in the Atlantic may be part of this. There are some
scientists who would disagree with this statement as they do not yet feel that there
is enough evidence to show that global warming is causing the ice caps to melt. They
also say that the climate has changed in the past and so this is part of the earths
ever changing nature. Christians believe in stewardship, which means looking after
the earth because God created it and allows us to use it. This means that they would
agree with this statement because they would feel that regardless of proof, we
should care for the planet because God created it as told in the creation story in
Genesis 1-2 and allows us to use its resources for our benefit, not to abuse it.
Buddhists would also agree as they believe that all life is interdependent and to
abuse the earth now may cause problems for other life in the future. I agree with
these religious views as they show that it is a good thing to leave the planet in a
good state for future generations which helps everyone.
Now use your mark
scheme to work out how
many marks this answer
would achieve.
Try one of these exam questions
using the FARMER requirements
• ‘Religious leaders should do more to save the
earth’. Do you agree? Give reasons showing
you have considered other viewpoints. Refer
to religious arguments in your answer.
• ‘There is no point in taking care of the planet’.
Do you agree? Give reasons showing you
have considered other viewpoints. Refer
to religious arguments in your answer.
Now use your mark scheme to check your answer.
Are you now confident with the
planet earth topic?
• Go back over the information slides at
the start of this presentation. On a list
or on a mind map, include all of the
elements you still feel you need to
revise.