Climate Change
As a profound reflection on the fundamental nature of our relationship to Creation, climate change is one of the most concerning issues to faith leaders of many faith traditions. For general responses to the moral, theological, and social implications of climate change from various religious groups, please visit the Perspectives & Resources pages. Click here for a recent article from NRPE's executive director on climate.
Driven by a concern that climate change must be addressed, the religious community has issued various letters, statements and court briefs:
- Click here to view the letter to Congress on the 100% Clean Energy bill. View the letter on 100% clean energy from South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia black church leaders.
- Click here to read a February 2019 letter to Congress calling for urgent action. View the letter from Evangelicals and Catholics here.
- Click here to read a January 2018 letter to Congress on funding the EPA and Department of the Interior.
- Religious organizations put together carbon pricing principles in the fall of 2019, click here to view.
- The World Council of Churches issued a pastoral letter on climate change.
- Click to view the statement by evangelicals on the clean car rollback.
- Click here to view the amicus brief on the Affordable Care Act court case, submitted to the U.S. District Court by 11 national religious organizations.
Resources:
- Click here for a PCUSA climate resource
- Click here for ELCA's resource on carbon pricing.
The Clean Power Plan sets goals for reducing carbon emissions from power plants on a state-by-state basis, ultimately helping the United States transition to an economy based on clean energy. The Environmental Protection Agency cannot currently enforce the Clean Power Plan due to legal challenges. Religious groups have spoken out and filed amicus briefs in support of the Clean Power Plan.
Energy Efficient CongregationCentral Baptist Church in Pennsylvania is working where they are to improve their carbon footprint and teach others how to reduce theirs as well. In 2009, Central Baptist obtained a state grant to place solar panels on their church roof, and since then the Ecology ministry group of the church has been on the move. A Green Guide has been published for other congregations that want to employ energy saving practices, the congregation is working on becoming carbon neutral, and the Ecology group sells fair-trade ecological products on Sunday mornings, including energy saving florescent light bulbs.
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The Paris Agreement, reached in December 2015, reaffirmed the international community's commitment to keeping global temperature increases below 2 degrees Celsius. While many of the commitments made in the Paris negotiations were relatively ambitious, it is unclear whether countries will follow through on them, and a lot of work remains to be done.
Clean Cooling System
Riviera Presbyterian Church of Miami, Florida is demonstrating their commitment to caring for God’s great earth in several different ways that cover different areas of care. The congregation has taken steps to contain their energy footprint and help the climate. They use a geothermal cooler to power air-conditioning for their sanctuary and employ the use of reusable and environmentally sustainable supplies for the church. The congregation also has native plants and plants that feed butterflies incorporated in their landscaping to aid the environment and God’s smallest endangered creatures. |
In June 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency announced its first-ever set of regulations on methane emissions from new sources. The regulations attempt to cap the amount of methane, a greenhouse gas dozens of times more potent than carbon dioxide, that is released into the atmosphere in the process of drilling for gas and oil. Regulations on existing sources are still to come.
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