b'N O I T C E L F E RP E ACE, P OV ER T Y, AN DT HE ENV I RO NMEN Tby Chris WardwellThere is a connection between the environmental health of a country and the wealth and peace they enjoy. In developing countries, poverty can impel governments to resort to ways of supporting their people that they would not normally pursue. For example, some countries have resorted to the logging industry for income, but this only provides short-term relief. After the trees are sold, the land is useless for farming because forests typically have nutrient-depleted soil.On top of that, when large sections of forests are removed, the tree roots that provided stability to the soil are gone. This can lead to erosion and fl ooding problems. Because trees naturally remove carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen into the atmosphere, the loss of these forests also adds to the climates change. In the end, the people are left with an ecological disaster, their poverty has not been solved, and climate change is intensifi ed. Ecological disaster and poverty make a situation ripe for social turmoil, government instability, and war. The environment, poverty, and peace are so interconnected that Pope Benedict XVI insisted, If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation. (Message for the Celebration of World Day of Peace, number 1, January 1, 2010)To learn more about Live Jesus in Our Hearts, our NEWframework curriculum series, visit smp.org/livejesusThis refl ection is an excerpt from The Paschal Mystery and the Gospels, by Chris Wardwell, and is part of the framework curriculum series Live Jesus in Our Hearts (Winona, MN: Saint Marys Press, 2020). Copyright2020 by Saint Marys Press. All rights reserved.16 AspireVolume 1//Winter 2020 Subscribe today!smp.org/aspire16'