A Faith Response to Climate Change

There is no question that the climate is changing. Reseach shows that 3.6 billion people live in areas highly susceptical to rising air temperatures and sea levels, drought, terrible rain storms, more frequent tornadoes, and hurricanes that are stronger and more dangerous.

Some 200 years ago, our forebearers discovered that a perfectly designed blanket of invisible heat-trapping gases keeps the earth at a “Goldilocks” 60 degrees Fahrenheit. But that finding came with a warning: when we burn coal, gas or oil, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, adding an extra blanket around the earth, a blanket that is not natural.

This is what we humans are doing— and the only real controversy is what to do about it. Will we continue to rely on fossil fuels or start making the shift to renewable energy sources? And will we make the necessary changes fast enough, before the impacts of climate change become unmanageable?

If we do not make this shift, the consequences will be catastrophic. It’s the law of cause and effect. But there is also a spiritual principle to be accountable for all the consequences of our actions. We “reap what we sow,” is the Proverb. God is calling us to act — to love our neighbor as ourselves.