Sins of Emission

In the United States, heat waves lasting four days or more have nearly tripled in the last 50 years. Tropical diseases are migrating north, with West Nile virus detected in each of the 48 continental states. The amount of drinking water in the Western US has decreased since it depends on the seasonal snow pack melting and there is less and less snow. Since 1900, the amount of pollen produced by ragweed in this country has doubled as a result of warmer weather. By 2100, it is estimated that one quarter of the known plant and animal species could be facing extinction as result of changes to their natural habitat. According to NASA, 2005 was the warmest year ever on record. These are some of the implications of climate change that usually don’t make the headlines.

I have given up debating the reality of global warming. The question all of us should be asking is not IF it is happening but what will be its extent and what are we as a country and as individuals going to do about it. Is the science 100% certain? No. That is not how science works. But if you went to the doctor and she informed you that you were in danger of having a heart attack and that there was a 98% chance that your condition was the result of your lifestyle, what would you do? The same holds true with climate change. The evidence is overwhelming that burning fossil fuels and the resulting increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is having a dramatic effect on the life support systems of the earth.

As thoughtful religious people, this should worry us. We have a new category of sin all of the sudden: the sin of emission. In a very real and direct way, the lifestyle of the average American is stealing the future away from coming generations of people. This is especially the case since the United States comprises only 5% of the world’s population, but is responsible for at least 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Do we have a moral obligation to address these issues and find ways to move towards a more sustainable use of natural resources? Is there an ethical imperative to act now to save millions of people around the world who will lose their lives if the average American keeps using energy and polluting the way we do? If we believe in the Golden Rule, the answer is undeniably yes.

Clearly, there is a place for religion in all this. After all, one of the most important things that religions do is to remind us to behave righteously when our inclination is to behave selfishly. Houses of worship all over this nation need to call the people of the United States to conscience. I believe this is just now starting to occur. Religious communities and organizations all over the country are beginning to make sustainability a part of their spirituality. In doing so, there is a chance that the enormous societal transformation that needs to happen in this country actually will. Living more lightly on this planet is not just a good idea, it must become an essential part of what it means to be an ethical human being.