(The following minute, proposed by the Peace and Social Concerns Committee, was approved at Fifth Month Meeting for Business.)
Richmond Friends Meeting is a Quaker community of spirit dedicated to peace, justice, and right relations with all creatures and life upon the earth. Our place on the earth is rooted in respect, not domination. We submit this Minute in furtherance of that respect.
The effects of climate change have been documented by scientists who agree that human activity, specifically pouring millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, is reaching a tipping point. Living in harmony with the natural world has been replaced with unsustainable ways of living: reliance on fossil fuels, extreme methods of resource extraction, widespread destruction of old-growth and rain forests, and over-consumption of natural resources. These unsustainable practices are responsible for the Earth’s degraded state and climate disruption. As a faith community dedicated to peace and social justice, it alarms us that the effects of climate change disproportionately impact the world’s most impoverished peoples and that fossil fuel extraction and consumption has contributed to international conflict.
We recognize the urgency of this problem and support actions on all levels–individual to international — to work toward an ecologically healthy planet. Developed countries must reduce carbon emissions and actively support the development of alternative energy sources. It is imperative that developed countries transfer money, expertise, and technology to support sustainable development in less developed countries.
Our commitments to peace and justice, as well as our commitment to care for the earth, compel us to restorative action. Restorative actions include: education about both climate change and sustainable living; conservation; consideration of the impact our dietary choices has on the environment. We can also reduce consumption and our carbon footprints, invest in renewable energy, divest from fossil fuels and support sustainable energy development.
We are convinced that climate change is real, significant, worsening, and urgent. We are called to advocate for immediate attention to the climate at the local, state, national, and global levels through lobbying, community education, and peaceful protest as conscience dictates.
Although the challenge posed by climate change is complex and may seem daunting, our call to action is grounded in faith and supported by community. We are a connected part of this earth, not separate from it. We invite other communities, individuals, and groups to endorse this minute and to join us in restorative actions to heal ourselves and the planet.