Yesterday started the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia. W Leaders come together to discuss how the governments can approach a new treaty to combat climate damaging pollution.
At the Lutheran World Federation, we discussed how we can talk about the climate change from a theological perspective. That is very necessary because it is very likely that the changes of the global climate conditions – that are at least in part are caused by human activity – will affect many people greatly. Even in the most optimistic scenarios, certain small islands will disappear. The details are laid out in the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
But quite obviously, this not just a question of science. The weather has all along been linked to God. A few of the questions many people are raising:
- Why does God punish us with bad weather and floods?
- Does God not keep his promise from Genesis 9:8?
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease.”
There are many questions like these and a lot of very good theological answers as well. One important point is obviously that many of the climate related emergencies that we see are not based on God’s doing but clearly on human activity.
In an interesting publication for Christian Aid, Paula Clifford, discusses the issue from several perspectives. I think, the most important one: Climate Change is not environmentalist issue, it is a justice issue. The poorest communities are hit the most, while the rich country are clearly responsible through their industrial consumption. Therefore, what is needed is repentence from the rich countries. And the poor countries need help in order to take part in a development that is not destroying our planet.
This is certainly only the start of much more and much deeper theological thinking about climate change.
A few interesting resources are already out. TakingITGlobal has a good action guide for young people who want to get active about climate change.
Here and here are few websites to keep you current on what is going on in Bali.
Thanks for this Roger I’ve already linked from my blog to yours but will try to do that a bit more systematically. I wrote something about Bali last night but forgot to check on your blog first – I’ll try to remember.
And we really should try to have coffee together sometime!