Florida/Bahamas Synod, 2009
Congregations to do Annual Energy Audits
Targeted to 25% by 2020
WHEREAS, we face urgent climate perils that remind us of the story of Noah and the Ark as God’s earth nears a climate tipping point;
· Warming of the atmosphere, rising sea levels, changing rainfall and weather patterns will leave millions more people hungry, displace millions from their homes, and lead to increased disease, heat-related illnesses at death.
· These are the unraveling results of over-dependence on fossil fuels. Fossil fuel dependence is at the core of the most pressing issues confronting people and governments all over the world – global security, human rights, mass extinctions of species, health, and economy.
· We all face a critical moment in history, challenged to choose between two distinct futures. If we continue on our current path, we face catastrophic consequences for generations to come. When we choose to embrace a new energy and climate vision, we face a future built on justice, earth stewardship, sufficiency and sustainability. Together, we can address our call to provide for the vulnerable among us and protect the diversity in God’s gift of Creation.
WHEREAS, God challenges us through the prophet Micah to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly, how then shall we act as a people?
· In the economic, energy, and climate change crises that face our nation and global community, there is both danger and opportunity.
· Too much of the conversation on the economic crisis has ignored the causes of poverty and the growing ranks of the poor.
· When we choose a new path, we can create a sustainable and more just future for our nation and all of God’s people.
· All of us – business and government, private and public, faith-based and nonprofit, the well-organized and the often-forgotten – need to be involved if we are to attain clean, sustainable, and just energy for all people.
· By working with existing and emerging networks we can develop practical steps for guiding our congregations and our members in increasing energy efficiency and using more clean energy.
WHEREAS, by discussing sacred texts, actively listening to scientific information, and centering in prayer we can open ourselves to new ways in which our footprint on the earth reflects our true spiritual values and leads to greater forms of sustainable society while lowering waste and abusive consumption of non-renewable resources; and
WHEREAS, how we witness and give voice to a just and sustainable world is public testimony to the depth of our faith in God who made the creation very good; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that we as a people accept the call to seize this opportunity to declare a vision of transformed economy that is more inclusive and sustainable – a vision that involves challenges both to our own communities of faith and to society in general; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we call on the bishop and other church leaders of the Florida-Bahamas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to urge our congregations to engage in sacred conversations for discerning the kind of world God calls us to pass on to our children, grandchildren, and all of God’s creatures; and be it further
RESOLVED, that as people of faith we urge congregations of the Florida-Bahamas Synod to address our own use of energy by conducting energy (carbon footprint) audits in our houses of worship and our houses of business and our homes for living; and be it finally
RESOLVED, that these audits be a first step in a series of actions to reduce our carbon emissions 25% by 2020.