Interfaith Perspectives on Energy
Let There Be Light: Energy Conservation and God's Creation cont.

Conservation and Justice
The prophet Micah says "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). The gifts of God's creation must be shared fairly among God's children. Energy policy must be an instrument of social and economic justice here and abroad. The first beneficiaries of a new energy policy should be "the least among us": the poor, the vulnerable, and the sick to whom we can provide assistance with high energy bills, inexpensive mobility through expanded mass transit, cleaner air by reducing pollution from power plants, and lower gasoline prices through strict monitoring of oil companies for price-gouging. Energy conservation is justice for all peoples and nations.

Conservation, Prudence, and Precaution
There is no single solution to the present energy challenge. We do not have to sacrifice economic security to assure environmental health. Prudence — the application of moral principle in service to the common good — should guide us to meet immediate needs in such a way as to enhance, not diminish future sustainability. And where there are genuine risks to health and well-being, the principle of precaution should guide our actions. More investment in renewable energy and fuel efficiency is now a moral imperative especially because these are technologically feasible and economically viable. Energy conservation is prudent human action.

Conservation in the Age of Global Warming
These concerns have entirely unprecedented moral urgency in the 21st century. In its reliance on fossil fuels, American energy policy is a cause of global climate change. With less than 5% of the world's population, our nation is generating more than 22% of greenhouse gas emissions. The United States has a moral responsibility to lead a transition to a new sustainable global energy system. Everything we do to assure safe and sustainable energy domestically must at the same time promote it internationally. We must join in binding international agreements, such as the Kyoto Protocol, which set energy conservation targets and timetables. Preventing climate change is a preeminent expression of faithfulness to our Creator God. Energy conservation is global leadership and solidarity.

We call on all Americans, and particularly our own leaders and congregants, to consider carefully these values, which should guide our individual energy choices and by which we should judge energy policy options. In securing human well-being by preserving creation and promoting justice, conservation is a personal and a public virtue — a comprehensive moral value — a standard for everything we do to assure energy for a wholesome way of life. We pray that the wisdom, faith, and solidarity of the American people will bring us together — at this critical juncture — to redirect our national energy policy toward conservation, efficiency, justice, and maximum use of the perennial abundance of clean and renewable energy that our Creator brought into being by proclaiming, "Let there be light" (Gen 1:3).