Today Al Gore spent the day testifying before Congress about what he knows, after forty years of research, about global warming. See his testimony before and conversation with the Senate committee here.
Since I have known about global warming since I was a kid, reading my dad's copies of Scientific American, I am constantly annoyed by the politicizing of the issue. Especially when their objections stem from the objections of special interests.
One of those special interests, ironically enough, is the Christian Right. The leaders in the movement, including James Dobson (who I used to admire) and Jerry Falwell, recently formally objected to the broadening of focus by the National Association of Evangelicals to include care for the poor and helpless, and to responsible use of the environment. (The Christian Right sees marriage, homosexuality and abstinence as the most important issues facing American Christians.)
The statement of Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility includes the following paragraphs. While the wording is measured, it says to me that evangelicals are ready to remove the politics from care for our planet. And while I don't agree with everything in the Call to Civic Responsibility, I am proud to once again stand with evangelicals united in stewardship for the Earth.
"Because clean air, pure water and adequate resources are crucial to public health and civic order, government has an obligation to protect its citizens from the effect of environmental degredation. This involves both the urgent need to relieve suffering caused by bad environmental practice. Because natural systems are extremely complex, human actions can have unexpected side effects. We must therefore approach our stewardship of creation with humility and caution.
"Human beings have responsibility for creation in a variety of ways. We urge Christians to shape their personal lives in creation-friendly ways: practicing effective recycling, conserving resources, and experiencing the joy of contact with nature. We urge government to encourage fuel efficiency, reduce pollution, encourage sustainable use of natural resources, and provide for the proper care of wildlife and their natural habitats."
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