Climate change (or in light of extreme weather phenomena, what some are now beginning to call “weather weirding”) is today’s most pressing environmental and social justice issue. We affirm the priority our various faith traditions place on addressing and constructively responding to this very real threat to the ecosphere and its complex and interdependent relationships at all levels of the creation that ultimately sustain all life on our fragile planet.
The first step in caring for the creation is recognizing a profound shift in perspective that has guided the environmental movement in recent decades. Whereas we once saw our task as caretakers who exercise responsible stewardship over the natural world, humankind somehow standing independent of the creative process generally, we now understand that humans are intimately involved within the whole of creation, very much dependent on the creative process specifically, both biological and physical.
We further understand that as an essential building block in the transition to an Ecological Civilization, environmental justice must include public education, advocacy and direct, personal involvement in a host of initiatives that address the environmental crisis. Reducing dependency on petrochemicals and other nonrenewable energy resources; encouraging the development and deployment of renewable energy sources; building awareness of regenerative practices in food production and distribution; maintaining public awareness of the critical importance of healthy oceans; and preserving open spaces and natural beauty for the generations to come are all imperatives that we must uphold.
To this end, we encourage people of faith and their congregations to recognize that climate science and faith share an essential partnership in environmental justice and to become adept in both.