By American Citizens of Faith Calling for Responsible Stewardship of God’s Creation
"I call as witness against you today the heavens and the earth; life and death I place before you, blessing and curse. Now choose life, in order that you may stay alive, you and your seed." Deuteronomy 30:18-20
Today the choice between blessing and curse has unprecedented meaning. We are told by such preeminent bodies as the Union of Concerned Scientists that every life system on the planet is in decline, and the very ability of God’s creation to sustain life is being undermined. America’s heritage is one of choosing blessings - as bastion of liberty, land of opportunity, compassionate friend to nations afflicted with disaster. However, in reckless disregard for such values, many of our public leaders are systematically dismantling thirty years of environmental safeguards that protect our citizens, and have abandoned promises to mitigate the scourge of global warming. Our leaders are choosing the curse over the blessing.
WE IMPLORE OUR LEADERS TO CHOOSE LIFE!
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that Life, Liberty and Happiness are inalienable rights, and these rights depend on a life sustaining, healthy world. But what life awaits millions of people endangered by global warming - by rising sea level and increasing incidence and severity of hurricanes, floods, droughts, and disease? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns of these severe impacts on humanity. A recent example is the spread of West Nile Virus that has afflicted thousands of people nationwide, and is particularly lethal to the elderly. What liberty exists for our increasing number of sisters with breast cancer? The Environmental Research Foundation points out that seven of eleven published studies show elevated levels of organochlorines in tissues of women with breast cancer. What happiness is there in the knowledge that we are engaging in a mass extinction of God’s species? The World Conservation Union warns that by the end of the coming century, we may be driving to extinction one half the species of the planet, by routinely destroying forests and other wild areas. As people of faith, we are called upon to love our neighbors as ourselves. We can not stand idly by the suffering of our neighbors.
The history of the current Administration and 107th Congress of the United States of America is a history of repeated assaults on creation, and the planet’s ability to sustain life. To prove this, these facts are submitted for the public to witness.
Abridged List of Assaults on Creation in 2002
8/31/02 New York Times. Power Plant Scheme finally Introduced, repealing community protections of Clean Air Act.
8/21/02 NYT. EPA weakens Clean Water Act, allowing increased discharges from factories and sewage plants.
7/1/02 NYT. President expects citizens to pay for toxic cleanups, refusing to reauthorize tax on polluting industries.
6/14/02 NYT. Administration proposes weakening Clean Air Act, allowing older factories to forgo modern pollution controls.
5/30/02 NYT. Administration weakens air conditioner efficiency standards, which will increase global warming pollution.
5/18/02 NYT. Administration to leave Tongass Rainforest, last largely intact temperate rainforest in world, open to clearcutting,
5/4/02 NYT.EPA allows mine waste to be dumped in rivers, which could have far-reaching impacts, especially in Appalachia.
3/14/02 NYT. Senate deletes higher mileage standard on energy bill, allowing largest emissions of green house gases to go unabated.
3/1/02 Washington Post. Eric Schaeffer, head of EPA enforcement, resigned, expressing frustration with Administration's cozy relationship with the very industries the agency is charged with regulating, and the Administration's unwillingness to pursue legal action against polluters.
2/16/02 NYT. President backs Yucca Mountain for nuclear waste dump, while Nevada officials and experts formerly with the Department of Energy and General Accounting Office believe facility will not protect public from radioactive contamination.
2/15/02 NYT. Administration rolls back Power Plant Pollution Rules, delaying up to 10 years life-saving reductions in pollution that are now required under the Clean Air Act. Plan allows three times more toxic mercury, and 50 percent more sulfur emissions which cause acid rain and premature death from respiratory disease.
"Blessing and curse" are placed before us. These abuses of power are a curse, not a blessing, to the American people and to all humanity. It does not have to be this way.
We look toward an America that leads the effort to end the reign of fossil fuels, knowing this will yield tremendous material, political, and spiritual benefits, as did our journey to the moon.
We look toward an America whose leaders uphold and strengthen visionary laws such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and Wilderness Act - laws that served as models for other nations.
We look toward an America whose leaders restore toxic Superfund sites and other environmental insults, allowing people of color and the poor to live without fear of toxic exposure and debilitating illness.
We look toward an America that regards its natural wonders with reverence, protecting such treasures as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from drilling, and our National Forests from commercial logging.
We, American citizens of faith, pledge to continue bearing witness to the actions of our government, and to hold our leaders accountable, until they implement policies that honor God’s creation and protect the precious gift of life.
May the One who blessed our founding fathers with the profound insights of our Declaration of Independence, bless all of us with moral courage and spiritual audacity. May nothing that we do mar the holiness of life by causing any other human being or creature to lose the joy of living. We yearn for a world permeated with God’s eternal and abounding love.