Dignity and the <i>imago Dei</i>: A Rights-Based Argument for Environmental Justice

In the scientific community, the pressing dangers of climate change are prevalent, as more and more studies reveal the damaging effects of industrialization to the world’s balanced ecosystems. One such example of the effects of climate change is rising sea levels across the globe, which threaten the lives and livelihood of human beings. While one could argue for the need to take action to pursue environmental justice from a position of needing to care for the earth as God’s good creation, the argument gains strength when factoring in the harm being done to human beings as a result of climate change. All humans are God’s handiwork, made in His image; any failure to uphold this basic dignity for all individuals essentially denies the imago Dei. The goal of this paper is the argue that as human beings created in the image of God and endowed with duties to care for marginalized communities, there is an obligation to pursue environmental justice for those whose rights are violated by rising sea levels. First, the scientific phenomenon of climate change will be discussed and correlated to rising sea levels. Next, the harmful effects of sea level rise on human habitation will be investigated. Then, these impacts will be linked to violations of basic human rights. Finally, the obligations to uphold environmental justice on moral and Christian bases will be outlined and potential actions proposed.