Welcome to Eco Corner

This column is part of an effort at the Presbyterian Church in Sudbury to raise environmental awareness and to promote global warming solutions.

Global warming, especially in some Christian circles, is not mentioned in polite conversation. Why? Well, it is complex. It is divisive. It is political. Ooh, an ugly word. But does that mean we should avoid it? I think not. The elephant in the room must be addressed.

First, let’s get our facts straight. Fact: Average global temperature has risen more in the last century (since the Industrial Revolution) than at any time in the past 10,000 years. Fact: According to authorities like the National Academy of Sciences and the Environmental Protection Agency, this sharp uptick in greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere is due to the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas).

Fact: We are already seeing the effects of global warming. In April, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), published a 21-page report outlining the vidence of climate change around the globe. Read their 12-page Summary for Policymakers.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) says that climate change is a religious issue. In 1998, the 210^th General Assembly resolved to:

1. urge the government of the United States to ratify the protocol negotiated in Kyoto which seeks to have the U.S. and other industrialized countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and urges all nations to develop policies on renewable energy, energy and fuel efficiency, and reforestation which will reduce their emissions;

2. urge developing nations to negotiate targets and timetable for reductions of greenhouse gases;

3. urge Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations and institutions to pursue energy efficiency and conservation in their buildings and property; and

4. commend church organizations and individuals which have worked diligently since the 1990 General Assembly policy statement was adopted to promote caring for God's creation, and particularly for addressing global climate change.

If you would like to know more about global warming and what you can do to fight it, please attend the Friday Forum on June 29, 2007, hosted by the Go Green Committee. Participants will have an opportunity to make personal pledges to reduce their own global warming impact. We will then watch the film An Inconvenient Truth (2006). Dessert will be served. Taking action is easier than you think.