Accelerated global warming is leading to species extinction, destruction of habitat, inundation of low-lying land by rising seas, and increasing weather extremes. Climate change afflicts God's children. Global warming diminishes our supplies of food and water. It is leading to the spread of infectious disease. Those living on islands and low-lying coasts will lose homes and safety.
Climate change violates moral and religious principles of justice.
The rich of the world, the industrialized nations, are primarily responsible for the increase of greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming. These conditions have been sufficiently documented to require action as an ethical responsibility. Scientific consensus indicates that society's pollution of the atmosphere with global warming gases threatens the quality of life for our descendants. The religious community must use its voice and actions to undergird this scientific consensus with a moral consensus. In December 1997, over 160 nations adopted the Kyoto Protocol to the Framework Convention on Climate Change.