ELCA Presiding Bishop Calls for Action and Advocacy on Global Warming

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In a written message for Earth Day, April
22, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), discussed the effects of
global warming on people living in poverty and urged Lutherans to
respond with advocacy and action.
In his message Hanson referred to the ELCA's 1993 social
statement, "Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice," in
which the church recognized that the "buildup of greenhouse
gases, especially carbon dioxide" is a threat to the environment.
Noting recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) which point to humanity's use of fossil
fuels as a major cause of climate change, Hanson said global
warming "is likely to lead to disastrous consequences for all of
creation," particularly for those living in poverty around the
world.
"The poor and hungry of the earth are most vulnerable to
rising sea levels, the spread of infectious disease, extending
areas of drought, and other impacts of rising temperatures, many
of which are already occurring," said Hanson.
The IPCC, established in 1988 by the World Meteorological
Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme, is a
group of the world's preeminent scientists charged with studying
the Earth's climate.
The Caring for Creation social statement "urges us to accept
responsibility for our sinful treatment of God's gift of the
earth," said Hanson. "A substantial part of the problem is our
use of fossil fuels to run our homes, our churches, our cars, and
our places of business."
In response to the growing threat, Hanson urged Lutherans to
engage in advocacy by contacting their elected officials to urge
them to address global warming. He also encouraged Lutherans to
make lifestyle changes, including walking more frequently, using
public transportation if possible, and changing light bulbs to
energy-efficient compact fluorescent light sources.
"God's Easter promise of new life in Christ, made for all of
humanity, also holds promise for God's creation: all the Earth
and its creatures that God made and pronounced 'good,'" said
Hanson. "In our celebration of the Good News of the Resurrection,
we should remember that Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God's
love and care for the world; that 'things were created through
him and for him' (Colossians 1:15-16); and that in caring for
creation we honor Christ," he said.
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The complete text of Presiding Bishop Hanson's Earth
Day message is at
http://www.ELCA.org/bishop/messages/m_070411.html on the ELCA Web
site.

The complete text of Presiding Bishop Hanson's Earth Day
statement can be downloaded as a bulletin insert at
http://www.ELCA.org/advocacy/environment/earthday.pdf on the ELCA
Web site.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog