Notes: During her talk at this symposium at Boston College on religion and climate change denial, Dr. Hayhoe observes that climate change has and will severely impact the most vulnerable people, animals and life forms across the Earth. Therefore, she challenges people of faith to act to reduce the impact of climate change for those most vulnerable.

Earlier in her talk (around the 26:30 minute mark), Dr. Hayhoe states:

“(Climate change) is not just about the Earth though. Here is the thing:

In Texas, we have a lot of signs. This is one of the good ones. I like this sign: (It shows on the Power Point screen this Bible verse Ephesians 5:2, “Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us.” and a picture of a billboard stating “That ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ thing. I meant that. – God”)

We are told very clearly (in the Bible) that we are to have a heart of compassion for people as well. And when we look at where our carbon emissions have come from, over the past 100 years, one third of those emissions have come from the United States…

When we juxtapose this figure of who is suffering the biggest impacts of climate change, you can see what I am talking about:

These are the nations where people most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. So, that is why I would argue that the stewardship theology is incomplete. It is not a matter of caring for everything but humans. Or baby seals over humans. It is a matter of caring for all life on this planet human or otherwise.

Because when we look at climate change, it raises major issues of justice, between those who have and those who have not. And between us, here now, and future generations who will be paying the price of our choices today.”

According to Dr. Hayhoe, the choices we make today to limit our carbon emissions helps those most vulnerable to catastrophic climate change, which is the poor and our children.

That is why she states at the towards the end of her talk,

“Climate change is an opportunity to express our faith through love.”

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