Climate control: A moral issue

It is the winter of 2012, but it feels like spring. And our gut tells us that that is not a good thing.

But before we get up the courage to link this lovely, but eerie, weather to the steady warnings coming from climate scientists – who’ve been telling us for decades about the dire consequences of climate change if we continue our unbridled use of fossil fuels - Senator Inhofe looks to provide the mind- and heart-numbing relief he believes we long for in the form of a misguided book. 

He tells us we have nothing to worry about.

And we just might believe him – except that, in the winter-that-feels-like-spring of 2012, another voice is calling to us, from a higher place.

The Interfaith Moral Action on Climate coalition has emerged to declare that taking action to address climate change is the greatest moral imperative of our time.

Inspired by the teachings of all the world’s religions — from the Pope to the Dalai Lama on human caused climate change — our ever-growing IMAC coalition, which reaches across all faith and religious traditions, is urging Americans to call on their leaders to enact policies that dramatically reduce wasted energy and significantly shift our power supplies to renewable energy sources. Further, we call on government officials at the local, state and federal levels to enact policies that help people prepare for and withstand the impacts of climate change. 

The motivating principles of our campaign are simple and are embedded in the collective consciousness of the faithful worldwide. First, nearly every religion agrees it is morally wrong for one group or individual to cause others unjustifiable suffering and death. As such, we are duty bound to minimize the harm that unmitigated climate change will bring to those directly affected by the breakdown of the social, economic, and ecological systems.

In addition, we must honor our moral obligation for equity and justice. Now and in the future, low-income people, communities of color, indigenous peoples, women and children and others who have contributed little to climate change will bear a disproportionate burden of its negative impacts.  Shifting to a sustainable and renewable energy-driven economy will both protect these vulnerable populations and create millions of jobs.

Finally, we all share a responsibility to protect the Earth, the source of all life. Nearly all the world’s religions and spiritual traditions proclaim that humans must be the Earth’s stewards. Continuing to disrupt the climate that is the cornerstone of all life, and to squander the extraordinary abundance of life, diversity and beauty of the planet, is a moral failure of the first order.

Driven by these principles, IMAC is calling for interfaith action across the country during the week of April 21-27 (Earth Week). We hope to awaken our nation’s faith communities, elected officials, as well as all civic and business leaders and households, to the urgent need for immediate and effective action to address the climate emergency. The week, which will mark just the beginning of ongoing IMAC calls to action, will be punctuated by celebrations and processions reflecting the breadth and passion of those faiths involved.

Our hope is that this call to honor our moral obligation to protect our beloved planet will echo off the pews and through the doors of our places of worship and into the very bedrock of our communities.  

One place we know it will reach is Sen. Inhofe’s office on Capitol Hill. We can only hope he is listening, as this is a moral call to action he desperately needs to hear.

Rev. Mayer is a theologian, writer and the co-founder of the Climate Crisis Coalition.

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