Christian Clothing Companies Go Green with Environmental Mission
Going green has become the catch phrase of the day. Christian clothing companies can go green by supporting environmental missions. These missions focus on teaching people to live in harmony with the environment by protecting forests, water sources, food supplies, and other natural resources. Donations from Christian clothing sales support education programs led by Genesis 2:15: “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” (NKJV)
Environmental missions in Africa, South America, and Asia are teaching local people to protect the forests being destroyed at alarming rates. Support from Christian clothing companies aids in preserving the Amazon Rain Forest, the Congolese jungles, and the rain forests of Borneo and Indonesia. Mission workers help the local people develop reforestation projects and wildlife refuges, and turn the forest habitats into tourist attractions for economic gain. Going green is not possible without protecting the earth’s forests, and donations from Christian clothing can help environmental missions do just that.
Water conservation is a major focus for going green. Support from Christian clothing companies to environmental missions protects rivers and streams by teaching about proper waste disposal. Water treatment facilities and methods for boiling water are presented to prevent health concerns such as dysentery and cholera. Environmental missions also educate local tribes about the dangers of burial grounds close to water sources, a cultural and religious practice in some parts of the world. Christian clothing companies can help protect the health of children and marine food sources by donating to these important programs.
Agricultural training is another way in which environmental missions teach people to go green. Using donations (including those from Christian clothing companies) workers develop programs specific to the geographic region of the mission center. Instead of using up all the nutrients and minerals in one place and then moving, local people are taught to rotate crops and install irrigation systems. Programs for raising healthier livestock are also developed by treating and vaccinating against diseases and caring for grazing areas. Environmental missions work with local customs and practices while introducing new ways to grow food. This long process would not be possible without financial support, and Christian clothing companies can play a big part in keeping the programs running.
In some areas of the world, environmental missions have been the first group to recognize regional problems. The permanency of mission centers allows them to be alert to developing difficulties. Support from Christian clothing companies helps these environmental missions to stay in permanent locations. Going green is not just an advertisement ploy. By giving to environmental missions, even Christian clothing companies can enter the conservation movement.