Fresh support for climate action

On Thursday night I attended the policy launch of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change, otherwise known as the “ARRCC.”

A coalition of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Baha’i and other faiths,  ARRCC is convinced that climate change is a moral issue, and that while science can present the facts of the case, religious traditions possess the moral and ethical resources to call individuals and communities to pursue matters of value – or what should be, rather than merely what is.

ARRCC calls on individuals to modify their consumption habits in order to care more effectively for the natural environment.

And more broadly they call for a turn to renewable resources, the phasing out of coal-fired power stations and coal exports, the elimination of subsidies for carbon-intensive industries, the introduction of a carbon tax, stronger mandatory energy efficiency standards, and a concerted attempt by government to address climate related debt and poverty in developing nations.

All of these policy proposals are designed to reflect the values of the various religious traditions – such as human and ecological wellbeing, compassion, justice, truth-telling, and respect for life.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 13 Feb 2011.