Submitted by
Alex Carpenter on April 19, 2007 - 6:33pm.
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(World)
The Center for American Progress responds to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
What's next?
This IPCC report is unique from past reports because it has been able to draw on observed trends, not modeled projections alone, several witnesses noted. Stephen Schneider, from Stanford University, explained that after sitting in the same seat thirty years ago to testify on climate change, this time he was able to confirm that “nature has been cooperating with theory.”
Scientists can attribute changes in the ecosystems of all seven continents and most oceans to alterations in climate. Spring events are arriving earlier, luring eggs to hatch sooner and birds to fly different migration routes. Lakes are warming, glacial lakes are expanding, and permafrost is thawing.
We cannot expect that these changes in nature will not also change our way of life.
Global warming will increase the frequency and severity of floods and droughts, which will influence agricultural crop yields and threaten food security worldwide. Dr. William E. Easterling, one of the hearing’s witnesses, noted that 75 percent to 80 percent of the world’s calories—for animals and humans—are consumed in cereal crops such as wheat, corn, rice, oats, and other staples that are susceptible to floods and droughts. Globally, we can expect exacerbated stress on water resources. In the United States, communities west of the Rockies will come to know this all too well.
Extreme climate variability will force the relocation of millions of people worldwide due to rising sea levels, flooding, storm surges, and droughts. Coastal communities and developing countries are at a magnified risk and will bear a disproportionate amount of the burden.
Action can and should take a range of shapes, from international cooperation and smart agricultural conduct, to localized preparedness, a national cap-and-trade program and more stringent fuel economy standards for our vehicles.
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(America)
In this special report, Anderson Cooper 360 profiles Dr. Joel Hunter, senior pastor of Northland, A Church Distributed in Longwood, Florida. A longtime conservative, Dr. Hunter stepped down as president of The Christian Coalition of America because he believes that Evangelicals must care "for the vulnerable outside the womb, as well as inside the womb." The "Compassion Issues" we must address, he teaches, include sanctity of life, marriage and family, justice, poverty and creation care.
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(Community)
Evangelical Christian college students discuss the environment with Senators.
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(Scripture)
Col. 1:15-20: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
Here's a good preaching resource from the NCC Eco-Justice crew for Earth Day Sunday 2007.
The Food that Sustains Us Our Daily Bread: Harvesters of Hope and Gardeners of Eden
In order to assist congregations in raising issues of food and faith, we have developed At the Lord's Table: Everyday Thanksgiving, a worship resource complete with a guide for study, liturgies, sermon starters and ideas for youth. At the Lord's Table: Everyday Thanksgiving is designed to teach communities how to eat mindfully– mindful of the farmers and rural communities, the rich soil and clean water, and God’s plentiful provision- without which our tables would be empty. Doing so instills thanksgiving and calls us to right relationship with all of creation. Explore and celebrate the blessing of every bite with this guide for study, worship, and action.
Download it here.
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(You)
California Interfaith Power & Light seeks to be faithful stewards of Creation by responding to global warming through the promotion of energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. This ministry intends to protect the earth's ecosystems, safeguard public health, and ensure sufficient, sustainable energy for all.
As a spiritual leader of my congregation, I pledge to support the goal of California Interfaith Power and Light and to do one or more of the following:
Learn about the forward-thinking Interfaith Power and Light Congregational Covenant.
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