Vision and Values:
We are young evangelicals who follow Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and strive to live out what Jesus said was most important: loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. As Christians, we are called to love, serve and protect that which Jesus loves, serves and protects.
In seeking to live as Christ’s disciples, we have come to see the climate crisis as a profound threat to “the least of these” (Mt. 25). Therefore, we find it imperative to speak out on behalf of those communities that are marginalized and disempowered, as well as the entire created order that is groaning for its redemption (Rom 8:23). For us, this is an act of worship and service to our Creator.
We believe the climate crisis can be overcome with God’s help and that He is calling us to take action. But time is running short; communities around the world are already feeling the early effects of climate change. We recognize that as citizens of one of the most powerful nations of the world, we share a greater portion of responsibility for the problem and have a unique opportunity to live lives of repentance and renewed faith and obedience. (Click here to Take Action)
Climate Testimonies:
Global warming is not merely a theoretical issue; it’s a profoundly personal reality. The climate crisis has countless faces, names, and stories. We want to gather and share these stories, whether they are our own testimonies of awakening to the climate crisis, or those of our many global neighbors who are suffering from the impacts. They remind us why we are in this fight, and of all the lives that are at stake. (Click here for Climate Testimonies)
What is the Climate Crisis?
The global warming problem that is affecting the world today is happening because human activities are enhancing a naturally occurring and generally beneficial effect known as the greenhouse effect. As the Sun’s rays warm the surface of the Earth, the warmed Earth then reflects some of this energy back towards space. But some of this reflected energy is in turn captured by heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. While the physical process is actually different from a greenhouse, the effect is the same. These gases act like the glass of the greenhouse and trap enough heat necessary for sustaining life.
The problem is that human activities are artificially enhancing this effect, primarily through the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, and through deforestation, both of which are adding significant amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. With the effect of placing a heavy wool blanket over the earth, these gases are abnormally warming the planet and thereby changing the climate. The consequences of this change include rising sea-levels, unpredictable rainfall, increased periods of drought, changing animal migration patterns, and increased storm intensity. The effects of this change are global and affect the poor disproportionately as they have few to no resources to help them adapt. Without significant efforts to curb emissions, the planet will be changing at an ever-increasing rate and make future adaptation efforts difficult to impossible.
Scientists have indicated that global emissions must peak between 2015-2017 if we are to avoid more catastrophic and long-term impacts. And if we don’t act decisively in the next few years, we may cross dangerous tipping points with yet unknown consequences. We are already losing numerous species and putting millions of lives at increased risk.
Global warming is a profound challenge that creates tremendous opportunities to love God and our neighbors by: (1) transforming the world’s economies into clean energy economies; (2) creating millions of sustainable jobs; (3) getting rid of a tremendous amount of deadly and debilitating pollution; and (4) having sustainable economic progress become the norm in the majority world. This crisis requires urgent action but provides many avenues for hope as we join Jesus Christ in his work to bring healing and reconciliation to the world.
(Click here for the National Association of Evangelicals’ Climate Brief)
