Climate Bill Should Reflect Our Values
Climate change is one of the greatest moral, economic, and national security challenges of our time. In response to this crisis, members of Congress have recently joined religious and military leaders in a new coalition to advocate for climate change legislation that prioritizes the needs of vulnerable communities, keeps our nation strong, and creates new high-paying American jobs that can never be outsourced.
Religious groups — including the Evangelical Climate Initiative, Southern Baptist Environmental Climate Initiative, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA), The Episcopal Church, and Redeem the Vote – have been working to ensure that climate legislation answers God’s calling to be good stewards of his creation, while also following Christ’s command to care of the least of these among us by ensuring the legislation pays special attention to the needs of vulnerable communities at home and abroad who will be most affected by climate change. They have also consistently pressed Congress to prioritize the needs of at-risk populations who will have the most difficulty adjusting to our attempts as a nation to combat climate change.
The need to prioritize policies that will help the most vulnerable is also supported by military leaders who recognize climate change as one of the greatest threats to our national security. In regions of the world where the devastating effects of climate change are already being experienced in the form of flooding, droughts, and famine, the threat of political destabilization is dramatically increased. Providing poor populations with the means to adapt to climate change is necessary to preventing social unrest and breeding grounds for extremism.
The threats from climate change are real, but there is also incredible opportunity in how we respond. The climate bill currently being considered in Congress would charge polluters for what they dump and release into our environment. Our faith and military leaders are being joined by Members of Congress working to ensure that the revenues from this bill are used to provide direct rebates to American consumers to help offset increased energy costs and to encourage spending on energy efficiency to combat climate change and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Resources would also be available to help train a new generation, especially returning vets, for the new jobs that would be created in alternative energy research and in communities around the country as American citizens and businesses install energy-efficient updates to their structures. Finally, these Members of Congress are working to ensure that adequate resources (3-7% of revenues) are set aside to ensure that the most vulnerable populations in developing countries have the resources they need to proactively adapt to climate change.
In a newly released poll, a majority of Americans, including Catholics and white evangelicals, stated that there is a connection between addressing poverty, climate change, and national security. Mirroring the general public, approximately three quarters of Catholics and white evangelicals support providing aid to the world’s poorest populations to help them adapt to their changing environments. The poll also found that a majority of Americans believe that the U.S. should take the lead in combating the climate crisis.
The threat of climate change, especially to the world’s poorest populations, and the opportunities available if we respond in the right way, cannot be ignored. It is critical that Congress pass legislation that reflects our values as Americans to protect the poor and vulnerable here at home and abroad, and build a stronger, safer nation.
