UUCF Resolution on Climate Change

Approved at a Congregational Meeting November 3, 2013

 

 

Whereas:

We affirm the value of life, the sacredness of each person and all life on the planet. We recognize that human actions can impact the interdependent web of life on our planet and we are called to protect and cherish life.

Global climate change is fundamentally a moral, ethical and social justice crisis.  We, as individual UUs, and UUCF as a community, have a responsibility to work with faith communities everywhere to act to avert and limit the potential catastrophic effects of climate change.

Climate change is happening.   The scientific consensus is that the causes of climate change are not primarily natural, but stem from burning fossil fuels and disruption of natural means of dissipating and absorbing carbon and other greenhouse gasses.

Climate change is harming people now and is in the process of causing widespread animal and plant extinctions.  If this escalating problem is not addressed urgently, the catastrophic consequences will be without parallel for civilization, and will fundamentally damage our world.  People who are poor, at home and abroad, will suffer disproportionately.

Although options exist for avoiding the worst consequences of climate change and for limiting the effects of past and current greenhouse gas pollution, we are fast approaching tipping points where climate driven catastrophes will overwhelm humanity’s ability to mitigate effects or adapt to changes.

Climate change is one of the greatest moral, technical and political challenges in human history.  We affirm the value of hope even in the gravest of circumstances–a hope justified not only by the power of human action for good, but also by our understanding of the creative force of life in the universe. Thus, we commit ourselves to live and act with hope.

Therefore, be it resolved:            

UUCF affirms that we ground our mission and our ministries in reverence for the Earth.  We will act personally and as a congregation to avert and limit this catastrophe.

We commit to  reduce our own personal and congregational carbon footprints through our choices in transportation, in our homes and buildings, in use of renewable resources, and in eating and serving energy-efficient food that is locally produced and low on the food chain;

As a congregation, we demand action from our elected leaders to implement effective climate change solutions, starting with the adoption of enforceable agreements to rapidly and significantly reduce national and, in concert with other countries, global greenhouse gas pollution.

We call for the U.S. government and state and local governments to counter the forces that are causing climate change, and to do so within the short time we have left to avert the worst of climate chaos:

• Price carbon to reflect its true societal price in order to lower demand for fossil fuels and encourage use of non-polluting energy sources.
• Create sustainable markets for renewable energy and cut subsidies favoring fossil fuel.
• Dramatically reduce pollution from power plant energy sources, especially coal- and gas-fired power plants, shifting to emission-free or very low emission alternatives.
• Strengthen renewable energy infrastructures, energy conservation, mass transit and investments in technologies essential for effective use of renewable energies such as the “smart” electrical distribution grid.
• Sharply reduce fossil fuel extraction activities, in particular coal, tar sand oil, fracking, mountain-top coal removal and environmentally damaging drilling.

We pledge help and call for our leaders to assist vulnerable and impoverished communities who will bear the greatest burdens from global climate change.

 

Be it further resolved: the UUCF Social Justice Council shall be charged with reporting annually to the congregation on UUCF actions, progress and new initiatives related to addressing these resolutions on climate change.