Source: Religion and the Roots of Climate Change Denial, YouTube, a seminar at Boston College April 8, 2015.

Extended Quote: from Dr. Katharine Hayhoe:

“Dangerous is not a scientific choice. How much is too much?

Is there a magic number of cigarettes where we can smoke up to that number and we stop right there and we will not get lung cancer? No.

Is there a magic number of tons of carbon dioxide if we produce up to this amount and no more than that we will be ok? No.

It is too late for many people in the Arctic where the villages are crumbling and falling into the ocean because the permafrost is melting. We have already pasted that level for them, but we haven’t for many other areas.

So when we look at things like the conference in Paris taking place later on (in 2015), The 21^stconference to the parties the treaty we all signed 25 years ago, we need our faith and our science there to make good decisions.

Because what is dangerous is not a scientific decision. It is decision we make based upon what is (in our hearts). That is why I think our faith is so important.”

Notes:

Why is faith, especially religious faith, crucial to action on climate change?

First, Dr. Hayhoe points out that the social movements to end slavery in 1800s and the Civil Rights of the 1960s came from churches.   

Even more, Katharine mentions 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.

Katharine Hayhoe states:

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

Image Sources:

For question mark thinker: mentalhealthy.co.uk

For heart: wikipedia.org

For smokestack: coal-is-dirty.com