When Time Is Short

What if it's too late to save our planet from climate change? Is it time to accept our future extinction as a species, and how can religion help us appreciate the time we have left?

For the first time in history, we are on the verge of making our home inhabitable. Due to pollution and climate change, the Earth is steadily progressing towards an environment that cannot sustain human life. Despite ample warnings from scientists to change our behavior before it is too late, we find ourselves on brink of no return. We may now have to accept that the small window of time we had to reverse our fate has finally closed. While humans have risen to rule our world in the Anthropocene era, we may not be powerful enough to reverse the effects of our own dominance.

More than 99% of all species that have ever lived on the planet are now extinct. Why is that so hard to believe that our own extinction is on the horizon? Religion has played a significant role - specifically the Christian belief in human exceptionalism and our godlike dominion over this planet, which has lead us to pillage and destroy communities, nations, and the Earth itself. Beal strips back the layers of interpretation that mask the core values of the Bible and explores how indigenous religions may help us reframe our relationship with the Earth and live our finite human future in a more humble, mindful, and meaningful way.