The Wild Robot & a Biodiversity Conference

 

We went to see the animated film, The Wild Robot, with two of our grandchildren and we all agreed it's quite good. It's your classic "robot marooned on an island bonds with a Canada goose gosling" story we've all come to love. It is actually about the improbable triumph of love and it definitely tugs at the heartstrings. 

I noticed that one description places the drama on a "deserted" island, which says a lot about human perception. This temperate rainforest island actually teems with creatures we would readily recognize here in Canada and there are ark-like aspects to the story. What is missing is humans so therefore uninhabited according to this synopsis.

Since we saw The Wild Robot another grim report has been issued about the alarming decline in biodiversity over the past 50 years, a mere blip in time. Humans are everywhere and its tempting to describe ourselves as an invasive species pushing out the creatures on which we depend for healthy ecosystems. 

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia. The hope is that over the course of 12 days a new biodiversity framework will be worked out. Here is part of the introduction: 

Gathering in one of the most biodiverse landscapes on the planet, governments, Indigenous leaders, the business community and civil society will discuss the challenges and opportunities we face to reverse habitat loss, protect endangered species and preserve the ecosystems on which all life depends. The stakes couldn’t be higher. 

The goal is to transform the commitments of the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) into actionable plans. Implementing the GBF demands global cooperation, recognizing biodiversity’s critical role in our economy, food security, climate stability, and planetary health. Ultimately, the decisions made at COP16 will shape our planet’s future.

There are critics who claim that the Christian religion and the Judeo/Christian tradition are responsible for an attitude of "dominion", essentially a biblically sanctioned plunder of the Earth's resources and the disenchanting of the Web of Creation. I would suggest that we have ignored and distorted the Biblical witness to our great peril. I would heartily agreed with Patriarch Bartholomew of the Orthodox Church who said back in 1997: 

For humans to cause species to become extinct and to destroy the biological diversity of God’s creation… For humans to degrade the integrity of Earth by causing changes in its climate, by stripping the Earth of its natural forests, or destroying its wetlands… For humans to injure other humans with disease, for humans to contaminate the Earth’s waters, its land, its air, and its life, with poisonous substances… These are sins.

Even if you're not a big fan of animated films (I'm not, particularly) The Wild Robot is worth seeing, especially in the 3D format. But why rave about the special effects of a film when we have the opportunity to experience and preserve the wonders of our planetary home? Turtle Island, God's good Earth, is under threat but not deserted.