Faith groups need to act as the planet gets hotter

This summer we have felt the heat and NOAA reports worldwide June was the hottest in history, killing 1,200 in Pakistan, and in May killing 2,000 in India. We are looking at a planet getting hotter and hotter in need of international action to prevent even worse.

Pope Francis has issued a climate change encyclical call to drastically reduce fossil fuels use and CO2. Pope Francis is not alone in the moral call for urgent action before it is too late.

Most religious groups have denominational statements calling for climate change action: from a Quaker statement to leave fossils fuels in the ground; to a Methodist call for our government to adopt emission reductions and re-engage in global dialogue; and a Lutheran call for global climate agreement and protection for wetlands and forests.

For complete list of religious statements calling for climate change action, do an internet search on “Earth Ministry” as their web site has links to statements. As great as Pope Francis encyclical and other religious statements are, they are not enough alone without citizens and people of faith amplifying the call.

Dalai Lama has called for more pressure to be put on international governments to stop the burning of fossil fuels and mass deforestation. Time is running out, the best and maybe last chance for a global agreement are meetings in Paris this December. When will people in faith communities in our area engage in the demand for climate change action?

This story was originally published August 8, 2015 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Faith groups need to act as the planet gets hotter."