Religious Community Pushing Climate Action

As global warming takes center stage in the U.S. Senate and at next month's United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen, faith leaders are emphasizing that addressing carbon pollution is not just a logistical necessity – it's a moral imperative.

 

At a recent meeting in Washington, evangelical Christians and scientists called for climate action, building on the message of an interfaith dialogue at England's Windsor Castle earlier this month. Representatives met with President Obama's chief science adviser, John Holdren, and the director of the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

 

"We are speaking with one voice because human behavior is imperiling life on Earth. We have a deep and fundamental reverence for all living things," said Eric Chivian, a Harvard Medical School professor who co-founded the alliance.

 

The summit was only the latest example of increased urgency in the religious community on the need to curb global warming. In October, a broad partnership of religious groups, including Catholics United and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, launched the Day Six campaign to compel the U.S. Senate to pass a comprehensive energy bill, and The Christian Coalitionjoined the National Wildlife Federation to push for clean energy advances.