Just what IS a Jewish Environmentalist?

I asked myself this question because of the Jewcology Collaborative Video Script.

The script starts off:

My name is (your name).

(Pause)

I live in (your city and state, or city/country if not in US).

(Pause)

So that's straightforward enough. Then…

I am a Jewish environmentalist.

(Pause)

Well, I'm Jewish. But am I an environmentalist? So, off to the Search Engines. I google "define: environmentalist" and come across this link:

Definitions of environmentalist on the Web

Here's a sample from that webpage:

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• someone who works to protect the environment from destruction or pollution
• An environmentalist supports any goal of the environmental movement, an information-based perspective on appropriate use of technology to prevent adverse effects on the environment
• One who advocates for the protection of the biosphere from misuse from human activity through such measures as ecosystem protection, waste reduction and pollution prevention
• environmentalism – A political and social ideology that seeks to prevent the environment from degradation by human activity
• A person who places high values on the environment.
• There is also the argument by the environmentalist movement. They argue that relentless growth will conflict directly with the already defined scarce resources the Earth has.
• environmentalism – the politicization of concern for the environment and demands for action to protect and conserve it.
• environmentalism – Active participation in attempts to solve environmental pollution and resource problems.

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To put it all together, more or less, an environmentalist is someone who thinks about the impact his activities have on the world, and acts accordingly in a way such that his activities do not harm the world.

A Jewish environmentalist then would be someone who allows the Torah to be his guideline in determining the boundaries and limits of his environmental activity. That is, a Jewish environmentalist recognizes that G-d gives us the world with first the obligation to serve Him through it and second also with the responsibility to preserve it so that we can continue to serve Him.

Ok. Now to charge up my video camera….

Addendum: I ended up getting caught up in some work and missed the video deadline….

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