Ohio Climate Change Petition

Climate change is a moral, ecological, and national priority.

Our religious traditions may disagree on some issues, but we are united in our concern for environmental stewardship, and our denominational communities have called for swift action on climate change (Click here for examples).

We, the undersigned, call on Ohio’s Senators and Representatives to pass effective climate and energy efficiency legislation this year. We do so because of the following values and concerns:

• We, and our religious denominations accept the scientific consensus that climate change is a real and serious threat caused in part by human actions.

• The impacts of climate change disproportionately affect the poor and vulnerable in our communities and around the world, and our faiths call us to act and advocate on behalf of the voiceless.

• Good stewardship of God’s creation is a shared value within our religious traditions, and we owe it to future generations to leave the world as healthy as we found it.

• African farmers facing drought, Pacific Islanders facing evacuation, Bangladeshis facing flooding, Alaskan villagers facing relocation, as well as hurricane victims and environmental refugees around the world – these impacts on our brothers and sisters call us to action now.

• The United States has contributed nearly 30% of the world’s greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere to date, yet we only have 4% of the world’s population. We must lead the change the world needs.

• China and other economic competitors are racing to become the world leader in clean energy technology (China is spending $12 million per hour to corner the solar market), and the U.S. will be left behind if we do not accelerate our turn to clean energy.

• Dependency on foreign oil supports unstable regimes that threaten our national security.

It is time to speak the overwhelming voice of reason and faith, prudence and justice, hope and responsibility.

Ohio, like other coal-dependent states, must face this challenge with eyes wide open. We support the work our legislators are doing to make sure that climate legislation works for Ohio.

The challenge for Ohio holds opportunity—as we shift from heavy coal dependence to more diverse and renewable sources of energy, Ohio can become a manufacturing leader of clean energy technology, creating jobs and increasing our competitiveness.

Our faith calls us to speak out and urge our legislators to take action on climate change now.