From left: Allen Keiswetter, UU Church of Arlington, VA; Lavona Grow, Board Chair of UUSJ; Shaun Casey, Office of Religion and Global Affairs; Liora Danan, Chief of Staff to Mr. Casey; Rev. Terry Ellen, Towson, MD; Doris Marlin, All Souls Unitarian, Washington DC; Chris Graham, Cedar Lane UU Congregation, Bethesda, MD; Christine Li, Department of State

“Climate change is the gravest danger facing humanity today.” So begins a letter from Reverend Peter Morales, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, to the Honorable Todd Stern, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change. On Wednesday, August 19, members of UUSJ delivered this letter to representatives of the State Department, with copies delivered to the Honorable John Kerry, Secretary of State, and Shaun A. Casey, Office of Religion and Global Affairs. In a meeting that lasted over an hour they discussed the concerns expressed in Rev. Morales’ letter and shared the Action of Immediate Witness, passed at the UUA General Assembly this past June titled Support a Strong, Compassionate Global Climate Agreement in 2015: Act for a Livable Climate.

Our letter calls on the United States to step up as a leader at the Paris Climate Conference. You can read the entire letter at this link.

The reality of human-caused climate change is undeniably a moral issue. We are proud to serve as the connection between our Association and our members with the leaders who need to hear and head that moral call. This letter delivery is just one of the many activities we have planned over the next few months to raise our voice and be heard by our leaders. I hope you will join us – by writing a letter, attending a vigil, or meeting with members of Congress – as we come together in witness to for action on climate change.