TV Talk Show

In the Netherlands there is a television channel that deals mainly with religious programs and talk shows. At the request of a few employees in the energy industry One Planet Foundation initiated a discussion with people from diverse religious denominations to see whether a national talk show could be organised on the theme ‘Stewardship and Footprint.’ Why did they ask this?

In practically all religions believers are called upon to treat the earth and all its plants and animals with care. One ought to respect and admire the beauty of the earth and the diversity of its life forms. A good steward uses the earth and all living creatures in moderation. But scientific proof shows indisputably that the way in which the Netherlands and other western countries deal with the atmosphere, the way in which we empty the seas of fish and denude the land of trees, cannot be considered ‘good stewardship’. The capacity of the earth is continually severely damaged at the expense of our children and grandchildren’s future. The question therefore is: What do all the various religious leaders do to give the ‘wake-up call’? How do they handle the moral responsibility of their stewardship? How thorough is their knowledge of the state of affairs regarding the environment? Do they themselves know anything about the concept of an ecological Footprint?

Are religious leaders actively encouraging their followers to‘alter their habits’? Do they give them a new perspective of an environmentally friendly lifestyle and do they translate their belief in good stewardship into concrete rituals? What do they consider the boundaries of good stewardship and could that be translated into a footprint, because ‘to measure is to know’? Could one say that everyone who lives beyond a mondial footprint of 1,8 hectare, is guilty of wasteful exploitation of the earth and stealing from others elsewhere in the world?

One Planet is of the opinion that these questions could be material for a lively and important TV talk show. The following combination could be interesting:
- the TV talk show host
- the director of the WNF (with the Living Planet Report 2008 ‘under his arm’)
- a well-known Dutch Footprint expert
- clerics or religious leaders from all the main religions in the Netherlands
- a professor who is an expert on the science of behavioral change

One Planet Foundation needs a good trigger for this initiative. Do you feel called to assist in organising this debate? Then send an e-mail to work@oneplanet.org.