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Jewish Perspectives on Environmental Issues
On the basis of Jewish ethical and religious
teaching, the Coalition on the Environment and
Jewish Life and the Jewish Council for Public
Affairs have addressed environmental issues in
the areas of:
The basis for COEJL’s positions on matters
of environmental policy is found in the Core Principles
of its Environmental Policy Platform:
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CORE
PRINCIPLES
From COEJL's
Environmental Policy Platform,
March 2005.
COEJL’s Environmental Policy Platform is
formulated through a consensus process among the
13 national and 122 local Jewish public affairs
agencies comprising the Jewish Council for Public
Affairs (JCPA).
The organized Jewish community's agenda for environmental
stewardship and justice are derived from both
traditional and contemporary principles:
- Stewardship: The diversity of life is sacred
and should be protected because of its intrinsic
value and its contributions to the well-being
of humankind. Humankind’s unique place
in the natural order enables us to transform
the natural world to pursue human development
and requires us to safeguard ecological systems
so that the diversity of life can thrive.
- Environmental Justice: All people have the
right to live, work, study, and play in environments
free of dangerous air, water, or land pollution.
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