The principle of sufficiency means meeting the basic needs of all humanity and all creation. In a world of finite resources, for all to have enough means that those with more than enough will have to change their patterns of acquisition and consumption. Sufficiency charges us to work with each other and the environment to meet needs without causing undue burdens elsewhere. (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice, 1993.)

Frugality

Living lives filled with God’s Spirit liberates us from the illusion of finding wholeness in the accumulation of material things and brings us to the reality of God’s just purposes. Frugality connotes moderation, sufficiency, and temperance. Many call it simplicity. It demands the careful conservation of Earth’s riches, comprehensive recycling, minimal harm to other species, material efficiency and the elimination of waste, and product durability.

Frugality is the corrective to a cardinal vice of the age: prodigality — excessively taking from and wasting God’s creation. On a finite planet, frugality is an expression of love and an instrument for justice and sustainability: it enables all life to thrive together by sparing and sharing global goods. (NCC ecumenical statement, God’s Earth is Sacred, 2004.)

Participation

Participation in society and in the ongoing process of creation is the necessary condition for justice. Participation requires a recognition of everyone’s right to be consulted and understood, regardless of that person’s economic, political, or social status. Participation is not possible without power. In such decision making, everyone has the right to be consulted (United Methodist Church, U.S., Agriculture and Rural Communities in Crisis, 1996.)

Sustainability

For eco-justice, sustainability means, first of all, the capacity of natural systems to go on functioning properly, so that the living creatures that belong to these systems may thrive. As a norm for human behavior, sustainability expresses the meaning of God’s call to earth-keeping: Relate to the natural world so that its stability, integrity, and beauty may be maintained. (Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Restoring Creation for Ecology and Justice, 1990.)