October 29, 2009
MA Council of Churches
Ecumenical Dinner
Framingham, MA
It gives me great pleasure to be here. Thank you Jack Johnson for inviting me to be here tonight and thank you to all the folks who have made this trip here not only possible, but enjoyable. I bring greetings from my Bishop in California, Marc Andrus, who, by the way recently installed me as Canon for the Environment. It is undoubtedly due to his inability to shut me up and I am thus often referred to as The Loose Canon.
And loose canon, indeed, I am. I believe that science is more than a theory and most often can prove fact over fiction. I am a seeker of the truth and I intend to speak it. I work almost entirely on “a religious response to global warming”. Lately there has been both good and bad news. The bad news is that the global temperature of the planet is rising faster than the scientist predicted just a few years ago and there are some who think it is already too late to avoid catastrophic climate disruption. The good news is that the religious community is getting involved pushing society forward towards solutions. Hearing people of faith speaking out about the seriousness of global warming is going to be the factor that tips us over the edge and leads to finding solving the problem. I believe that we WILL solve this potentially catastrophic problem and that every one of you will play a role.
Global warming is the most challenging condition of our time. A moral issue that needs religious leaders speaking out on the subject and all people of faith recognizing that the climate issue is far more than an environmental issue.
We are facing a life and death situation that the Dean of the school of Forestry at Yale, Gus Speth sums it up in one paragraph
“Half the world’s tropical and temperate forests are now gone. The rate of deforestation in the tropics continues at about an acre a second. About half the wetlands and a third of the mangroves are gone. An estimated 90 percent of the large predator fish are gone, and 75 percent of marine fisheries are now over fished or fished to capacity. Twenty percent of the corals are gone and another 20 percent severely threatened. Species are disappearing at rates about a thousand times faster than normal. The planet has not seen such a spam of extinction in sixty-five million years, since the dinosaurs disappeared. Persistent toxic chemicals can now be found by the dozens in essentially each and every one of us.
These are facts sited and reviewed by scientist. This was not something he made up to get our attention or make a name for himself. The planet is in peril and we are the ones who must work as hard as we can to save it. Unfortunately some of our greatest world thinkers suspect that we have so poisoned the earth it may soon not be fit for humans to exist.
Where is the good news and where do we find hope and how do we keep from falling into despair or getting depressed by the bad news? Well my hope comes from the bits and pieces of inspiring changes that are going on around the country. I have to admit, in the midst of all this tragic news, I do have hope. It is other people who give me hope and it may be because people know deep inside that crises bring opportunity. This is not necessarily optimism, this is about hope. And there is a difference. Optimism is thinking that everything will turn out all right, but HOPE is a verb with your sleeves rolled up, as David Orr from Oberlin College says. You have something invested in. That is exciting, but it means we have to work. We cannot sit back and expect everything to get better unless we are willing to work towards that end.
And there are hundreds and thousands of people all over the world who ARE working non stop to save us from ourselves. Non profits of every size -organizations are working on the most the most challenging issues of our day: climate change, poverty, deforestation, peace, water, hunger, conservation, and human rights. Just knowing that is inspiring. There was another time in history that I reflect on and get hope. It seemed like a ridiculous goal for a group of ten men. They wanted to end the slave trade in England. You can read the story of these concerned citizens who decided that the slave trade was immoral. These were religious men and Adam Hochschild tells the tale of a major moral and global issue taken on by a few courageous people in his book Bury the Chains. We have that opportunity now and we have the Internet and technology that wasn’t available to them in 1787 and 1830 when this former cultural change took place.
I am sure that everyone here knows that we have a problem with our climate. The climate problem is real and you may also know that the most recent studies of the 1500 scientist within the IPCC said that global CO2 emissions are increasing faster than previously anticipated. Summer time Artic Sea Ice is disappearing more quickly than projected and the Arctic will be ice free in the summer much sooner that was earlier believed. Sea rise has increased dramatically and evidence linking climate change and tropical storm intensity continues to accumulate. We, at my organization, think climate change is the most challenging moral issue of our time. How we respond today will define the future for generations to come.
Before I say more, here is some history. For the last ten years I have worked almost exclusively on climate change. The Regeneration Project launched a campaign called Interfaith Power and Light, which is a “religious response to global warming”. We have programs in 28 states and one in DC. Those of us working on this campaign recognize that religion has an important role to play in finding solutions to this life-threatening problem. Additionally the religious voice often brings moral authority and leads the way on social issues. We have to lead now.
When I started this ministry in 1997, there were only a few who had made the connection between our faith in God and how we treat God’s creation. Addressing global warming was received unenthusiastically at best. I was called a communist; I was accused of bringing a political issue into the church----mixing church and state. And what did I, a Priest, know about science anyway? I admit that I am not a scientist, but I have seen and heard what they are saying. I believe that they are today’s prophets. We need to listen to them. Important to note, too is that the scientist have asked for help from the religious community. Science tells us that we have but a scant few years to turn the trend around in order to avoid catastrophic weather conditions and unprecedented sea rise. Juxtaposed with that news……..we have two to three years to start making the necessary changes to reverse the trend. We have to all work together to curb our use of green house gases for energy. To limit carbon dioxide which is the most serious green house gas we need everyone working together. No one segment of society can do it alone. The integration of environment, religion, business and science is the way we will make change happen. But religion is paramount in the discussion.
I think how one responds to the climate crisis a moral issue because it is insulting to God to continue to destroy Creation. It is an indication of how we feel about our fellow humans and what kind of a world we are leaving our children. The changing climate is affecting every aspect of life. Water, crops, disease, human health, species extinction, floods and droughts. These are things that people of faith are called to be stewards of and it is immoral to destroy the life sustaining systems on which the future depends.
In the early days I talked my head off to anyone who would listen and even to those who didn’t. Today it is a very different audience. People have begun to see that it is insulting to God to blow up mountains tops for the explicit reason of finding cheap fuel. There are other ways that won’t destroy forever the valleys and streams that border the mountains. Shouldn’t we take the road of least harm to God’s Creation when looking to use the valuable resources provided for our use? (Our use- NOT our abuse.)
As more and more clergy talk about these issues from the pulpit and specifically in the last ten years, people of faith have been transforming their basic attitude toward nature and seeing the connections between our treatment of nature and our treatment of people and how that behavior translates to our relationship with God.
We have begun to look for solutions to save the entire community of life, not one species, one disease or one problem. This is about the well being of the entire communion. The intersection between science, business and religion is crucial now. Without the science, religion wouldn’t have a prayer of moving people.
Religion plays an important role in any dialogue that involves a new way of being in the world. It is religious institutions and teachings throughout the world that frame our ethical values. Clergy preaching environmental stewardship from the pulpit may have far more impact than that of a politician or scientist alone.
Interesting too, Religious people are being invited to stand with politicians as well as with scientists to show solidarity on the climate issue. The faith community role in getting recent legislation on green house gas reduction passed through the House is a case in point. I was invited into Henry Waxman’s office with other religious leaders. “You”, the climate policy person said, “can have visits with conservative republicans since they too are people of faith. The environmentalists have done all they can. You are not liberal democrats, but people of faith who believe that God calls us to be stewards of Creation and climate protection is a moral issue. We need your help”. So we visited those offices and were received and listened to.
Religion IS beginning to play a major role in the dialogue searching for solutions, but YOU DO HAVE TO WONDER what took so long. We are people who pray for a reverence for the Earth and we denounce any evil that destroys creation. We let words like dominion be translated to dominate instead of its true meaning which is compassion and care.
You would expect that once we know about a problem we would look for ways to solve it, but the climate has been a hard issue to get folks to engage in. But once we know…. And most of us DO know………..You have to wonder, don’t you?
What kind of a society continues to do things that we know are destructive? What does that say about us humans? And what does it mean TO BE HUMAN in light of the climate crisis that we are experiencing. When we know what the problem is and what the solutions are and we do nothing our ethical and moral values have to be questioned.
I have maintained for ten years that the issue of global warming is the most important moral challenge of our time. It is the slavery issue of the 19th century; it is the civil rights issue of the 1960’s. There are similar stories- the one of tobacco …. Remember when the tobacco industry told us that smoking was not harmful to our health, or the auto industry said, seat belts won’t make any difference or a hundred years ago when we were told that slavery was good for the economy. These were moral issues that our country addressed and did something about.
And today, Global warming is the equivalent issue. War, terrorism, poverty are all major moral issues, too, but they pale in light of what can potentially happen to the planet if we don’t stand in solidarity, put aside differences and address solutions.
Let me ask you a question. Who among us doesn’t love someone? Be it wife, a husband, a parent, children lover or maybe you just generally love people and/or the natural world. A pet perhaps. You all love something, so think of that something for a moment. What if you find out that the person you love is ill? What if it’s you? Like me, when I was diagnosed with cancer ten years ago? And the doctor said. Well, we can help you, we have the medication to help you, but we are going to wait three years before we begin treatment. WHAT??? Why, why would you wait? Will I live if you wait? (Explain about our bills in US not taking effect for years after they are voted on and passed. many cases 2012.
This is what is going on right now around the world. We have all the technology we need to solve the climate problem: a problem that we are acutely aware of, but we haven’t had the political will or the moral integrity to make the changes we need to make. And the result is that species and people are dying. We fall into the do nothing category.
Coincidently, everything we need to do for climate protection will also boost the economy. If we initiated the changes as rapidly as we can, we would generate more jobs, bring manufacturing home, unleash the greatest prosperity since WW II and enhance our security.
In the Judeo-Christian religion, listen to the first and great commandment. Love God, is first, and love your neighbor as yourself is second. Some religious traditions say it different, but all have more or less the same message or meaning. The Buddhists believe that everything is interdependent; interconnected: if you hurt one part or even one small element of Creation you affect the whole. Muslims believe that God put the world in balance and it is the human job to keep the balance. Indigenous spirituality has a powerful land ethic built into its tradition. This is a universal belief in religion. We are part of something greater than ourselves; we belong to it and have a responsibility to that greater cause. We have a responsibility to serve our neighbors with love.
In direct disobedience to the commandment to love one another, we are destroying the very basic physical stability on which poor nations and communities depend. It is the people who contribute the least to the problem who will suffer the most. This is a justice issue and precisely why the religious community has such an important role. We must restore a shared sense of purpose and a sense of gratitude for our very existence.
Our choices matter and the decisions we make today will affect neighbors near and far, neighbors on the other side of the world and most importantly neighbors who come after us. Our children and their children. We have a responsibility to the next generation. Thou shalt not steal is another commandment and without a view for future generations aren’t we stealing their health and security.
Isn’t it strange that we spend a life time trying to leave wealth to our children yet we don’t seem to focus on leaving them clean air, water or oil. How are the children going to survive? Some people think they will figure it out but many of us maintain that we have a responsibility to future generations. The science says that unless we rapidly move to reduce emissions we will pass the tipping point after which human action can no longer control climate change. This is really just that serious.
I refuse to believe that we are so lacking in moral integrity that we don’t care. If I thought we couldn’t do something or didn’t care about the climate problem, I wouldn’t have dedicated my ministry and life to this effort and I wouldn’t have HOPE. I work almost entirely on “a religious response to global warming”. That is who I am and what I do. Without hope I wouldn’t be here.
So here are my reasons for hope and why I do what I do. I think we have reached a point where enough people are aware of the issues we face. We are becoming conscious in a new way. I think we are evolving as a species and this is an exciting time to be alive. We are maturing as a society and beginning to open ourselves to the world outside. This growth may be due to the Internet and intellectual exposure beyond our wildest dreams. It is bringing us to new levels of consciousness. But I think the human race is evolving, and our collective consciousness (repeat) our collective consciousness is evolving, too. We are maturing as a species. We are developing a shared purpose and a common goal with people all over the world. An awakening of sorts. The realization environmental values have become an ethic of sorts. The realization that we are ONE and we have to work together toward that Truth-the truth that we are in fact ONE, one earth, one atmosphere, one global climate Recently there is a coming together of world leaders that share the same concerns and dedication to protecting these common interests. That is a profound reason for hope.
Another one…President Obama has made strong statements about climate, green jobs and the fact that a new industrial revolution, a clean one will boost the economy, too. He is talking about capping GHG and passing strong climate legislation. And here is what he said, “In terms of climate change, ultimately the world is going to need targets that it can meet. It can’t be general, vague approaches. We’re going to have to make some tough decisions and take concrete actions if we are going to deal with a potentially cataclysmic disaster. And we are seeing progress in Congress around energy legislation that would set up for the first time in the United States a cap and trade system. That process is moving forward in ways that I think if you had asked political experts two or three months ago would have seemed impossible. So I’m actually more optimistic than I was about America being able to take leadership on this issue, joining Europe, which over the last several years has been ahead of us on this issue”. AND he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.
After years of politicians refusing to take action on cutting Green House Gas emissions, there is a positive shift in Washington. There is legislation in the Senate now that we hope will get passed in time for the big international meeting in Copenhagen in December.
I am optimistic and more so now than ever before. This is the most important moral problem of our time and I believe that with YOUR help, All of us working together, we are on our way to solving it. The political will is developing. State-by-state across the US, laws are being made to restrict carbon dioxide. 850 Mayors have formed a coalition, and many governors have come together with commitments to cub carbon emissions. Regions like the northeast and the west coast have set their own standards, not waiting for the federal government. Individual cities are committing to drastic cuts in electricity through efficiency and finding creative ways to invest in renewable energy. The youth are mobilizing; large corporations are calling on the government to regulate green house gases ……… and many of them are leaving the US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. You may have seen in the last few days that two major utilities have stated that they are dropping their membership due to the Chambers not standing behind strong climate legislation. Apple just did the same thing. Saying “We would prefer the Chamber take a more progressive stance on this critical issue and play a constructive role in addressing the climate crisis. However, because the Chamber’s position differs so sharply with Apple’s, we have decided to resign our membership effective immediately. This is good news. This is stewardship, not sacrifice.
When The Nobel Peace Prize Committee awarded the IPCC, it has made it clear that combating climate change will be central to peace and security in 21st century. With all that the most exciting thing is that the faith community is now a voice in the dialogue. We are putting solar on or roofs, energy efficient appliances, creative liturgy that changes hearts and minds. Churches and synagogues are serving as examples to the community and clergy are walking the halls of legislative buildings talking to the lawmakers. This is what they did during the civil right movement. Moral choices and values over the problem of climate change are replacing abortion and same sex relations as topics of discussion in our congregations.
This is not about sacrifice. It is about stewardship and it is about joy. When I go into my garden and dump food scrapes from the table into my compost bin and dig it back out a few months later to grow veggies in or walk the two miles to the Cathedral on Sunday, I feel that I am giving a gift back in exchange for the amazing and fruitful abundance that I have had access to. I don’t feel deprived or like I am a martyr, but quite the contrary, I feel really good about not making waste and being able to use the soil from the compost and have in the car’s gas tank when I really need it. It is a spiritual experience that goes beyond words. We cannot all grow vegetables in our gardens. Many of us don’t have gardens, but I’ll tell you what. I was in Brazil in the early 1990’s and I drove through the favilla where some of the poorest people in the world live and in coffee cans on the window sills were plants of all kinds. Amazing
Doing the right thing is not always the easiest, but for people of conscious, it is the only thing to do. And you can……..
Put in compact florescent light bulbs, energy efficient appliances, drive a fuel-efficient car, ride a bike, walk and where possible purchase green energy. Efficiency is very important. Retrofitting congregations and homes creates jobs and saves money, too. Conservation is crucial and every one of us can turn off what we are not using. Vote for leaders who will implement policies that will provide us with a sustainable future. Policies that will reverse rising pollution, invest in clean energy and help the US be leader in a global response to climate change.
We have a great opportunity now. While the climate situation is one of crisis, and crisis can mean danger it also can be an opportunity. We cannot waste this opportunity. We can run from the danger or we can face it and move forward with a shared purpose. There is unlimited economic growth on the horizon. New technologies to be researched and developed and the creation of millions of jobs. Lots of reason to be hopeful.
We have the tools and I pray the will to make things right. It is time to put our faith into action.
The IPL campaign is doing just this. Here in MA, IPL is part of a growing national movement. We are bringing together religious leaders of diverse traditions who agree on one thing. ------- We are the stewards of creation. We send petitions to legislators; we lobby representatives and call on the proper moral response. This is far beyond a political issue or an environmental one. This is about moral choices and doing the right thing. I am leaving on Sunday for London to meet with Ban Ki Moon and rather than present a statement on what we want him and world leaders to do. We are presenting our plans. We want an international treaty in Copenhagen in December that declares strong CO2 reduction, but whether or not that happens. Here is what we are going to do. We are committed to solving this problem.
But there’s something even more precious to be gained if we do the right thing. The climate crisis offers us (this generation) the chance to experience what few generations in history have had the privilege of experiencing: a generational mission; a compelling moral purpose; a shared cause; and the thrill of being forced by circumstances to put aside the pettiness and conflict of politics and to embrace a genuine moral and spiritual challenge. WE are tapping into the immensely strong and unstoppable power of truth.
We are here, the time is now! Thank you for your attention
Common ground is the earth itself.
If ever there were a time for unity among religions and peoples, it
Is now. We must be united in purpose, united in action. Our world
Is beset by multiple crises. Volatile energy prices, food
Insecurity, the flu pandemic, the global recession and climate change
All demonstrate how closely our fates are linked. Such challenges
Demand our full collaboration -- all nations and peoples working
Together for common solutions. They demand a renewed
Multilateralism. Ban Ki Moon at UN meeting Oct. 26