Posted on September 29, 2020 by John Torrey, Valley News
I am writing on behalf of the Green Team at the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College to urge Upper Valley residents to vote and politically advocate with the climate in mind.
Climate change should be an important issue for all of us. This is especially true for people of faith. Global warming is first and foremost a social justice issue. Those who benefit from carbon emissions are not those who suffer its worst effects. The poor and marginalized will die and become displaced in staggering numbers as a result of wealthy societies’ carbon footprints. Future generations across the globe will suffer from an environmental disaster they did not create. It seems clear where the command to “love thy neighbor” calls us.
Religious texts emphasize the importance of tending to God’s creation. In Genesis, God gives humankind the task of being stewards of the natural world. Nature is deemed “good” and is given intrinsic value. We in the Upper Valley know how beautiful creation can be. The fact that humans are devastating the natural world should give us all pause.
Fortunately, there is much that can be done to protect people and nature from the horrors of climate change. None of this change will happen if we do not elect pro-climate-action candidates on Nov. 3, up and down the ballot. Faith communities can be important moral voices in the fight against global warming.
The Church of Christ at Dartmouth College Green Team is engaged in an effort to inspire climate-based voting in partnership with Interfaith Power and Light. Please visit interfaithpowerandlight.org to learn more and discover how your place of worship can get involved. We encourage everyone to do what they can to ensure that people will be thinking about climate change when they vote in November. The lives of millions and the fate of our planet hang in the balance. The stakes could not be higher.
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