The Jesuits in Cambodia have proposed a fast from pollution this Lent. Why pollution? Their response is that “Pollution weakens our bodies and makes us vulnerable to many diseases such as diarrhoea, chest infections, cancers, respiratory and heart diseases. And the people most likely to be affected first are the poor, due to their already limited access to clean water, clean food and clean air. The poor suffer first.”

In support of this, they provide the following facts:

• The leading cause of death in low and middle-income countries is not malnutrition, not tuberculosis or malaria or HIV/AIDS. What has killed more people than all these is pollution.
• According to the World Health Organization, about 7 million people die every year from air pollution. That is about 19,000 people a day from all around the world!
• Approximately 90 percent of these people live in Asia. They breathe in smoke from the burning of wood, charcoal, or coal in indoor cooking stoves and from outdoor air pollution caused by motor vehicles and factories.
• Our soil and water supplies are polluted by many chemicals and pathogens, a number coming from open garbage landfills. Diseases pass on to us through our food and water. Each day about 14,000 people die from contaminated water supplies.

So, during this season of Lent, they suggest that as we enter our own deserts to reflect on ourselves and on our sinfulness, we assess our accountability for negatively affecting the environment and the people around us, especially the poisoned poor.

They offer some initial steps for a fast from pollution:

• Walk or cycle to your destination if you can. Plan the use of your motorised vehicle. Limiting the use of your motorcycle or car helps decrease pollution in the world.
• Be mindful of the electricity you use. The majority of the electricity in Cambodia is produced by diesel engines that spill a lot of pollution into the air, the air we breathe!
• When you buy things from a store, try not to accept the plastic bag that they usually provide. Put your purchased item in your own bag. The plastic bag you save is one plastic bag less in your landfill or in our seas!
• Abstain from the use of plastic straws, polystyrene lunch boxes, and other food items that come in disposable wrappers, such as noodles and candies. Be mindful of the packaging of the food that you eat. These items cannot be recycled and are either thrown away or burned, both of which cause pollution.

So, they conclude their proposal, as we enter our deserts this Lent, let us refrain from creating more poison and harm in the world. Rather, may our actions reflect a simpler, more humble and caring approach towards others and the rest of God’s good creation.