Biblecene by Rebecca Snegg

BIBLECENE by Rebecca Snegg

"'Biblecene' is the name I have chosen to represent our geological era. My project explores the connection between the Bible and our current ecological crisis: I believe that the written word of God has been twisted and interpreted to justify violent acts that have led to the depleting state of our planet. I was drawn to this topic because of an article I read a year ago about the connection between the fossil fuel industry and climate change denial. An alarming number of evangelical Christians in both politics and business believe that God is solely responsible for dealing with any issues that may arise on Earth. Congressman Tim Wallman said in May of 2017 to his constituents that 'as a Christian, I believe that there is a creator in God who is much bigger than us, and I'm confident that, if there's a real problem, He can take care of it'. The argument that God will intervene if anything harmful is occurring has been quite a common one when it comes to explaining the actions of environmentally destructive corporations and policies. Scott Pruitt, the head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, said when asked about the use of fossil fuels that the 'biblical world view with respect to these issues is that we have a responsibility to manage and cultivate, harvest the natural resources that we've been blessed with to truly bless our fellow mankind'/ My project only scratches the surface of the link between the atrocious acts committed by corporations, governments, and individuals alike, and the BIble's teachings."