UNIT 8: Environmental & Medical Issues

GLOBAL WARMING

  1. This is also known as ‘Climate Change’
  2. It is the increase in the temperature of the Earth.
  3. Some scientists believe that humans affect climate temperature by burning fossil fuels.
  4. Some scientists think that the rise in temperature is natural and nothing to do with human activity.
  5. Effects include
  6. Polar ice caps melting
  7. Drought
  8. Extreme weather
  9. Extinction of some plants and animals
  10. Solutions
  11. Individually reduce the amount of energy we use.
  12. Governments and organisations to set laws to make us reduce our energy use.
  13. Scientists to do research about the causes and consequences.

NATURAL RESOURCES

  1. These are naturally occurring materials such as oil and fertile land.
  2. Renewable resources – go on forever
  3. Wind
  4. Solar
  5. Wave
  6. Water
  1. Non Renewable – cannot be replaced
  2. Coal
  3. Oil
  4. Gas
  1. Issues
  2. Humans very reliant on non-renewable resources
  3. If they are used at their current rate will run out very quickly.
  4. Enormous impact on the planet and human life.

Solutions - Conservation = use more renewable energy sources; conserve electricity; walk or cycle; products from renewable resources.

POLLUTION

  1. This means the contamination of the environment..
  2. It is mostly caused by waste-products humans do not want.
  3. It includes,

unrecyclable waste,

littering,

radioactive waste,

vehicle fumes,

waste from factories,

chemicals, sewage, oil and fertilisers that get into water.

  1. They damage and spoil the earth, and affect the plants and animals.
  2. Solutions

Create less waste

Alternative energy sources

Government Action

STEWARDSHIP

  1. God gave humans stewardship over the world – they must look after it for future generations.
  2. Both the Qur’an and the Bible say…
  3. Take care of the environment as it is a gift from God
  4. Share resources because Jesus taught us to love and help each other
  5. Conserve resources for future generations
  6. Reduce pollution
  7. Care for all the plants and animals
  8. Judgement Day. Both Christians and Muslims believeAllah/God will judge everyone on how they have lived their lives, including whether they have taken care of the word.
  9. The Bible/Quran shows that God/Allah will be angry with those who have been wasteful or have ruined or damaged the environment. What Religious People do

Support environmental organisations

Recycle and reduce energy use

Plant trees and crops for the good of others

Do not over use the Earth’s resources

Shareresources equally

Not damage the natural environment

INFERTILITY

  1. This means not being able to have children.
  2. There are a wide range of medical treatments available for this.
  3. Some are controversial and raise issues.
  4. Some types of infertility treatment include
  1. IVF – egg is taken and fertilised in a test tube then placed back in womb.
  2. AIH– the husbands sperm is medically placed into the mother.
  3. AID donated sperm is medically placed inside the mother.
  4. Egg or embryo donation– these come from donors and are placed inside the mothers womb.
  5. Surrogacy – another woman will carry the baby
  1. Issues
  2. Expensive
  3. No guarantees
  4. Uncomfortable side effects
  5. Stress on relationships
  6. Should parents know biological parents?
  7. Religious Responses: Both Christians and Muslims can agree or disagree with infertility treatment.

Against God/Allah has a plan for everyone

Masturbation is used to collect sperm donations and it is a sin

Donated sperm can be seen as adultery

Most do not accept surrogacy

Children are very important to religious families.

Many embryos are destroyed during treatments – against the sanctity of life.

Golden Rule – kindest thing to try and do

God/Allah gave us the knowledge so we should use it to help others

TRANSPLANT SURGERY

  1. This is when body parts from one person, dead or alive, are used to replace body parts in someone else.

2.Issues

  1. It is expensive and limited form of treatment
  2. How do you decide who receives the transplant? Should it be the person who has been waiting the longest? The youngest? Or the one with the best match?What about people who drink or smoke?.

3.Organ Donation

  1. It is voluntary in the UK.
  2. Most organ donations come from dead donors.
  3. Liver, kidney and bone marrow can be from a live donor.
  1. Christian Attitudes

A body is not needed for the afterlife

It is a loving and charitable act

It is a way of showing gratitude to God for the gift of life

It goes against the sanctity of life

It interferes with God’s plan for every human beings

It would be wrong to replace part of God’s creation.

  1. Muslim Attitudes

The Qur’an teaches that the body should be buried soon after death and should be not be interfered with.

Muslims believe the body will be resurrected on the last day and the organs will therefore be needed.

It goes against the sanctity of life

Some argue that organ donation isok if it is done to save the life of others because it is what Allah would wish.

Live donations are less controversial because people can survive with one kidney.

Many would allow living donor transplants to close relatives.