American Values Network

I recently blogged about the Catholic Climate Covenant’s involvement in trying to pass climate change legislation.  As I mentioned in the post, there are plenty more efforts by faith organizations to push for the moral courage to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.  I’ve come across a coalition called the American Values Network, which according to their website is a coalition of faith based and military leaders to ensure the passage of a climate bill with the right provisions.  Here is what they have on their website regarding climate change.

“Climate change poses grave dangers to the world’s poor and America’s national security. Our failure to answer the calling to be good stewards of God’s creation has consequences.  As food, water, and land become scarce due to climate change, millions of people here at home and globally are suffering and American security is endangered by the the threat of political destabilization in regions around the world.  A new Congressional coalition spearheaded by Rep. Heath Schuler and Rep. Tom Perriello, has  joined an unprecedented assembly of  religious and military leaders working to ensure that the new climate bill creates jobs, reduces our dependence on foreign oil, and pays special attention to the needs of those most affected by climate change and our attempts to combat it.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             They also have a couple of great radio ads they’re running trying to influence public opinion.  I’m also going to post some of the list, they have of organizations and military leaders involved.  This is pretty impressive.  Three notable quotes follow.

Evangelical Climate Initiative, Southern Baptist Environmental Climate Initiative, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA), The Episcopal Church, Redeem the Vote, Evangelical Environmental Network, VeteransGreenjobs, VETPAC, Rear Admiral Stuart Franklin Platt, USN (Ret.), General Gordon R. Sullivan, USA (Ret.), Admiral Frank “Skeip” Bowman, USN (Ret.), Lieutenant General Lawrence P. Farrell Jrl, USAF (Ret.), Vice Admiral Paul G. Gaffney II, USN (Ret.), General Paul J. Kern, USA (Ret.), Admiral T. Joseph Lopez, USN (Ret.), Admiral Donald L. “Don” Piling, USN (Ret.), Admiral Joseph W. Prueher, USN (Ret.), Vice Admiral Richard H. Truly, USN (Ret.), General Charles F. “Chuck” Wald, USAF (Ret.), General Anthony C. “Tony” Zinni, USMC (Ret.), Jonathan Powers, CPT, US Army, Michael Hallinan, CPT, Marines, James Morin, CPT, US Army, Scott Holcomb, CPT, US Army, Seth Moulton, CPT, Marines, Robert Diamond, LT, US Navy, Christopher McGurk, SSG, US Army, Rye Barcott, CPT, Marines, Michael McNerney, CPT US Air Force

“The brutal consumption of creation begins where God is not… I think, therefore, that true and effective initiatives to prevent the waste and destruction of creation can [start] only where creation is considered as beginning with God…Particular attention must be paid to the fact that the poorest countries are likely to pay the heaviest price for ecological deterioration . . . This in turn calls for a responsible relationship not only with creation but also with our neighbors, near and far, in space and time, and with the Creator”

– Pope Benedict XVI

“I tell you stay in doors ladies and gentleman. Stay cool. Get fans. And the poor, they need emergency fans and ice to cool down — the number of people dead is awful. I have not been one who believed in the global warming, but I tell you, they are making a convert out of me…it is getting hotter and the ice caps are melting and there is a build up of carbon dioxide in the air. We really need to address the burning of fossil fuels because if we are contributing to the destruction of the planet, we need to do something about it.”

– Rev. Pat Robertson

“Threats to nations and our world economies do not always originate with our enemies. Global climate change is one of the greatest threats to our national security both because it literally threatens the very planet we inhabit and because the droughts, famine, and floods it creates threaten to destabilize regions around the world.”

– Rear Admiral Stuart Franklin Platt, USN Ret, a highly-decorated Vietnam veteran, with over 20 medals for military sea and combat service

This movement is growing, another reason if you’re a polluting industry, you should get with the program.