Light is the Hope of Creation
December 23, 2009
By the Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox
John 1:1-5 (TNIV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Today is December 22, 2009. We have just passed though the darkest day of the year. I’m happy. Darkness is one of those things that never bring me joy. The past few years, months, weeks and even days have been dark times for many people. Even the recent COP 15 Copenhagen Climate Summit had its share of dark moments. As for me, I see a ray of light and hope, and that light is Christ. For far too long, people have been confused and aggravated by the endless arm-twisting and debate regarding climate change. It seems as more information and scientific study emerges supporting the harm we are doing to God’s creation, the more someone else attempts to cloud the real issues with darkness. Smokescreens are darkness meant to confuse, frighten, and hide what true light reveals as truth.
Isn’t that what Christmas is all about? Jesus became incarnate into His creation to light up the world with hope and joy and break through the darkness. Consider some of the people active during Jesus’ time on earth. Pharisees in Jesus’ day blamed the world’s failure on the sin of others and attempted to uphold a legalism that no one, especially the Pharisees, could live up to. Sadducees simply believed life was all about the now and were easily co-opted into claiming faith while continuing to live in the world. Zealots were so self-righteous that they believed they had the right to murder anyone standing in the way of their “true” faith. Essenes believed that they were the only truly faithful people and went into the wilderness to isolate themselves and wait for the world to end.
Sound familiar? These same groups exist today, albeit with different names. This Christmas, just like 2,010 years ago, Jesus’ light comes into the world and drives away the darkness, fear, and confusion. He offers hope and life. Jesus’ light and truth are simple: The lighted way, My Way, doesn’t point fingers at others’ sins, or believe worldly ways are best. Violence doesn’t provide hope, and excluding yourself from creation never changed a single soul. My way is very simple. Love God, love others, and love yourself. And the good news is through me you have the power to love as I love.
So let’s move away from the darkness and into the light. Let’s move from self-interest to God-interest. Let’s move from confusion into confession and then into action by the transforming love of God in Christ Jesus for His creation and all His children. Most importantly, let’s live in hope because of what Jesus Christ has already done.
The darkness is over; the world has seen a great light! Have the same mind and heart of Jesus. Believe because we have Christ’s hope that we will make a difference in caring for the 100’s of millions already impacted by our changing creation.
Romans 15:13 (NIV)
13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox
President/CEO
Evangelical Environmental Network
U.S. President Remarks in Copenhagen
December 18, 2009
Be sure to read his full remarks here.
Advent Antiphons
December 18, 2009
As we near Christmas day I’ve enjoyed reading the historic “O Antiphons”, beautiful meditations on the character of Jesus dating from at least the eighth century. You may recognize many of the phrases if you know the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”. Consider meditating on one each day as we approach the celebration of Jesus’ birth.
“O Wisdom which camest out of the mouth of the most high, reaching from one end to another, mightily and sweetly ordering all things;
come and shew us the way of understanding.
“O Lord and Ruler of the house of Israel, who didst appear to Moses in a flame of fire in the bush and gavest him the Law in Sinai;
come and redeem us with thine outstretched arms.
“O Root of Jesse who standest as the ensign of the people, before whom kings shall not open their lips, to whom the nations shall pray;
come and deliver us, tarry now no more.
“O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel, thou that openest and no man shutteth, who shutteth and no man openeth;
come and lead the captive from prison, sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death.
“O Dayspring, splendour of eternal light and sun of righteousness;
come and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
“O King of Nations and their desired one, thou corner-stone who makest both one;
come and save man whom thou hast formed from clay.
“O Emmanuel our king and lawgiver, the hope of all nations and their saviour;
come and save us, O Lord our God.”
Source: http://nottinghamchurches.org/seasons/o.html
Our Evangelical Voice in Copenhagen IMPORTANT UPDATE
December 17, 2009
Sent 3:00 pm EST Thursday December 17, 2009 from Copenhagen
Important Update from Copenhagen:
It’s Thursday afternoon and Secretary Clinton just announced what many are describing as a major breakthrough that could break the deadlock in the talks. The “blockbuster” announcement, as it has already been described by some in the environmental community, has to do with our key concerns: appropriate funding to help the poor adapt to climate impacts and achieve climate-friendly, sustainable economic progress.
Only hours earlier it was being reported that China was saying that an agreement on major elements of a comprehensive deal wouldn’t be possible. (My interpretation: China isn’t comfortable with where the so-called “MRV” discussions with the US are going and wanted to have everyone join in a weak statement in order to have the blame shared, rather than have most of it fall on them.)
With this announcement from Secretary Clinton, the US is clearly putting pressure on China to come to an agreement on the MRV issues, namely that efforts on emissions must be measurable, reported on, and be verifiable. The US wants such verification to be transparent to the international community, but China is very sensitive to the idea of outside observers verifying their efforts.
Such verification is absolutely essential. There is no way we can ever pass comprehensive climate legislation in the US unless this issue is adequately dealt with.
So to provide a much needed boost to the stalled talks Secretary Clinton announced (see relevant excerpts below) that “the United States is prepared to work with other countries toward a goal of jointly mobilizing $100 billion a year by 2020 to address the climate change needs of developing countries.”
Sounds good. But …
1. There’s a big condition: this $100 billion a year offer is only good if a deal can be struck in Copenhagen on verification. As Secretary Clinton said, it must be “in the context of a strong accord in which all major economies stand behind meaningful mitigation actions and provide full transparency as to their implementation …” So if China (and other major emerging economies) don’t agree to a deal on verification, this $100 billion a year aid package for poorest countries won’t be forthcoming. (Politically, this is an attempt to split the developing countries, which normally operate as a block called the G77.)
2. It is very unclear where this funding will come from, both in terms of how much the US is prepared to contribute and how much will be from public sources and how much from private.
3. It is also very unclear how much will go towards the three areas needing funding: (1) adaptation; (2) forestry; (3) and mitigation/tech transfer.
4. Though $100 billion is a substantial sum, the American people must be assured that we are making a wise investment. This is especially true with something as controversial as climate change, we must hear from our relief and development agencies and others on exactly what is needed. A strong commitment is important but must be wisely spent with oversight and accountability.
EEN has been jointly focused on securing adequate funding for adaptation that meets the Bali Action Plan criteria of being “adequate, predictable and sustainable” and “new and additional.” We have worked with other religious communities in the US through the National Religious Partnership for the Environment (NRPE) on such adaptation funding within comprehensive climate change legislation.
Let me make three points on EEN’s position:
1. Adaptation funding needs to be separate from the other funding. While on the ground there can be helpful overlap between adaptation and mitigation (which includes both forestry and clean development/tech transfer), there are many, many needs that are primarily if not exclusively adaptation needs. This includes such things as drought resistant crops, or dealing with health impacts, or creating robust disaster preparedness programs that can deal with the climate-intensified natural disasters, or helping with climate refugees.
2. The adaptation funding of this package should be public funding, and the US should contribute 25% of the public adaptation funding in keeping with our history of generosity in the areas of AIDS funding and past help with major international disasters. We shouldn’t be less generous with adaptation than we have been with these other international humanitarian concerns.
3. A major portion of the $100 billion a year should go towards public financing of a balance of both bi-lateral and multi-lateral adaptation funding. (As a reminder of the need: a recent World Bank study puts adaptation needs at $75-100 billion a year.) The bi-lateral funding from the US should be handled by USAID and be available as grants to non-profit relief and development organizations such as World Vision, Food for the Hungry, etc. These organizations have long-term relationships with poor communities in poor countries, and will ensure both accountability of the funds spent as well as that local communities are strong participants in the development and implementation of adaptation projects. Further, such bi-lateral funding will help with a key sticking point in the talks — whether such funding should go to most vulnerable developing nations or most vulnerable developing communities/individuals. The multi-lateral funding should go to the former, but the bi-lateral funding should be allowed to go to most vulnerable developing communities/individuals who may live in developing countries other than the least developed countries.
I am encouraged by this major announcement by Secretary Clinton on aid to developing countries. It’s great that it may help to un-stall the talks here. But, to play off of the old saying that the devil is in the details, righteousness is also in the details. We need to know more of the details before we can fully celebrate this $100 billion-a-year offer.
Excerpts From Secretary Clinton’s Remarks:
There is a way forward based on a number of core elements: decisive national actions, an operational accord that internationalizes those actions, assistance for nations that are the most vulnerable and least prepared to meet the effects of climate change, and standards of transparency that provide credibility to the entire process. The world community should accept no less.
And the United States is ready to embrace this path.
First, we have announced our intention to cut our emissions in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels in 2020 and ultimately in line with final climate and energy legislation. In light of the President’s goals, the expected pathway in pending legislation would extend those cuts to 30 percent by 2025, 42 percent by 2030, and more than 80 percent by 2050.
Second, we also recognize that an agreement must provide generous financial and technological support for developing countries, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable, to help them reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. That’s why we joined an effort to mobilize fast-start funding that will ramp up to $10 billion in 2012 to support the adaptation and mitigation efforts of countries in need.
And today I’d like to announce that, in the context of a strong accord in which all major economies stand behind meaningful mitigation actions and provide full transparency as to their implementation, the United States is prepared to work with other countries toward a goal of jointly mobilizing $100 billion a year by 2020 to address the climate change needs of developing countries. We expect this funding will come from a wide variety of sources, public and private, bilateral and multilateral, including alternative sources of finance. This will include a significant focus on forestry and adaptation, particularly, again I repeat, for the poorest and most vulnerable among us.
So there should be no doubt about the commitment of the United States to reaching a successful agreement here in Copenhagen and meeting this great global challenge together.
This next part of the statement made clear that the US is wanting to pressure China to agree to transparency and verification of measurable efforts on emissions — and if they don’t, then the poorest countries will lose out of the financing being offered here in Copenhagen by the developed countries:
I am deeply concerned about the consequences for developing countries – from Bangladesh to the Maldives, from the Caribbean to West Africa and the Pacific Islands – if we cannot secure the kind of strong operational accord I’ve described today. We know what the consequences will be for the farmer in Bangladesh or the herder in Africa or the family being battered by hurricanes in Central America. Without that accord, there won’t be the kind of joint global action from all of the major economies we all want to see, and the effects in the developing world could be catastrophic. We know what will happen. Rising seas, lost farmland, drought and so much else. Without the accord, the opportunity to mobilize significant resources to assist developing countries with mitigation and adaptation will be lost.
Rev. Jim Ball
Writing from Copenhagen
An Open Letter to the President
December 16, 2009
President Obama
The White House
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. President,
We write to you on behalf of the businesses and millions of Americans we represent to urge you to lead at this historic moment and secure a fair and ambitious plan for global cooperation to combat climate change. In particular, we ask that you reprioritize American policy to phase out the sizable taxpayer subsidies we provide the fossil fuel industry and instead significantly increase the U.S. investment in global efforts to protect tropical forests, provide humanitarian assistance to protect vulnerable communities from climate impacts, and speed the deployment of clean energy technologies. With strong leadership and new proposals in the coming days, the United States can and should secure additional financing commitments from other nations as part of a broader agreement from major emitters to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
A Copenhagen agreement should include a landmark global plan to protect tropical forests from the destruction that causes approximately 15% of the emissions that contribute to global warming. Backed by a broad coalition of businesses and conservation groups, many in Congress have already supported measures to finance global efforts to protect tropical forests in climate legislation. The House-passed American Clean Energy and Security Act includes strong financing for efforts to reduce emissions from global deforestation by 720 million tons annually by 2020 – emission reductions that are above and beyond the emission standards in the bill. Similar provisions are included in the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act that has been approved by the Senate Environment Committee. You have an opportunity to offer this as a supplemental commitment here in Copenhagen and ask other nations to match it.
From Biloxi to Bangladesh, poor families get hit first and worst by the effects of climate change. We must help the poor in poor countries adapt to the impacts of climate change, including increased water scarcity, extreme weather events, increases in diseases, and declining agricultural productivity. Since climate impacts act as “threat multipliers,” such destabilization and the increase of refugees also will lead to security threats. Just as climate legislation in Congress must address impacts of climate on America’s poor, a global agreement should make sure that such impacts do not make it more difficult for the world’s poor to create better lives for themselves. The good news is that the solutions can help them climb out of poverty.
There are several opportunities to generate the necessary financing from innovative sources. At the G-20 and at the meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation nations, you helped lead an effort to phase out the subsidies of fossil fuels globally. These subsidies have been costing American taxpayers $10 billion annually. International transport emissions from aviation and shipping were left out of the Kyoto Protocol. The loophole for these fast growing sectors should be closed through a global sectoral cap, and revenue generated should be directed to these priorities.
A successful Copenhagen outcome will include global targets for both emissions and climate finance. The United States should encourage and support a strong global commitment through 2020 for public finance of forest, adaptation and technology initiatives, backed by specific options for securing this funding. This effort will help advance global cooperation toward a more ambitious and fairer global deal that involves all nations.
We stand ready to support your leadership.
Sincerely,
Maggie Fox
President & CEO, Alliance for Climate Protection
Michael Eckhart
President, American Council On Renewable Energy
Daniel Magraw
President, Center for International Environmental Law
Mindy Lubber,
President, Ceres/BICEP
(Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy)
Jeff Anderson
CEO, Clean Economy Network Inc.
Fred Krupp
President, Environmental Defense Fund
The Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox
President/CEO, Evangelical Environmental Network
Benjamin K. Homan
President and Chief Executive Officer, Food for the Hungry, Inc.
Gene Karpinski
President, League of Conservation Voters
Larry Schweiger
President and CEO, National Wildlife Federation
Frances Beinecke
President, Natural Resources Defense Council
Carl Pope
Executive Director, Sierra Club
Stephen Smith
Executive Director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Bill Meadows
President, The Wilderness Society
Kevin Knobloch
President, Union of Concerned Scientists
Jonathan Lash
President, World Resources Institute
Carter Roberts
President, World Wildlife Fund
Gillian Caldwell
Campaign Director, 1 Sky
Our evangelical voice in Copenhagen post #3
December 16, 2009
One in a series of updates from Rev. Jim Ball of EEN from Copenhagen where he is attending the international climage change talks. This one was sent Wednesday, December 16, 2009.
Update from Copenhagen:
Yesterday morning (Tue) those of us with organizations that are a part of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment (NRPE) were able to facilitate a meeting of religious leaders from India, Honduras, and Ghana with a senior staff person from the US State Department. I worked with Tearfund, a British evangelical relief and development organization, to have Osvaldo Munguia attend. Osvaldo is co-founder and Executive Director of MOPAWI (read more here), a Honduran Christian organization that works with the indigenous peoples in the Mosquito Coast region to achieve sustainable economic progress through conservation practices. Osvaldo told this senior State official about one of their projects that addresses the two parts of the climate change challenge: mitigation and adaptation. (With global warming we must deal both with the causes and the consequences. Mitigation, or pollution reduction, addresses the causes. Adaptation seeks to enhance resilience and reduce vulnerability to the impacts or consequences.)
This effort replaces slash and burn agricultural practices – which destroys rainforest and depletes the soils within a few years, forcing poor farmers to repeat the cycle – with what is called an “alley cropping” approach using the Inga tree. Alley cropping involves planting crops between rows of trees (in this instance corn and beans). The Inga tree, native to Central America, is utilized for several reasons. First, it replenishes the soil’s productive capacity because it helps to fix both nitrogen and phosphorus back into the soil. Second, it grows quickly, creating a canopy in two years whose shade helps to kill weeds. Third, the trees can be carefully pruned year after year, with the larger branches used for firewood and the smaller ones left with the leaves to create mulch that retains moisture and feeds the crops.
Other representatives at the meeting described the impacts that were happening in India and Africa.
This was an excellent opportunity to lift up these voices on the front lines of climate change, and to highlight positive responses to this challenge.
Rev. Jim Ball
from Copenhagen
What about those Christmas Trees?
December 16, 2009
If they Worship the one true God than use them. Here’s a good piece from Andrea Thompson.
Our evangelical voice in Copenhagen Post #2
December 15, 2009
One in a series of updates from Rev. Jim Ball of EEN from Copenhagen where he is attending the international climage change talks. This one was sent Tuesday, December 15, 2009.
Good afternoon from Copenhagen,
Yesterday (Monday) the talks were suspended due to disagreements between the developing and developed countries, losing valuable time. Thankfully the negotiations have resumed. But some are worried that precisely because we have over 120 heads of state coming by Friday — including President Obama — the talks are “doomed to succeed.” What is meant by this is that a weak deal with plenty of loopholes will be announced as a major success to avoid the appearance of failure.
No one wants to be seen as the country or group that led to the failure of the talks. But a weak deal certainly will not be supported by those outside of government whom others turn to to confirm whether the deal is a good one or not — including climate-friendly businesses, environmental groups, national security groups, and faith groups.
So it remains to be seen whether whatever the countries are able to put together will find the support it needs. Of course, whatever political agreement is affirmed here will have to lead to a legally-binding treaty to be negotiated in Mexico City in 2010.
On our special concern with international adaptation funding, we’ve been told by a senior State Department official that the US won’t agree to specific long-term number. My view is that they won’t because they feel they can’t — and they feel this way in part because they haven’t built the support necessary in Congress. We have been doing this for several years and have achieved some limited success. But we need the Administration to provide leadership on this with Congress. My hope is that it will be crystal clear to both the Administration and Congress that without funding that meets the criteria agreed to by all the countries — i.e., funding must be “adequate, predictable, and sustainable …” and “new and additional” — there won’t be an international deal. Only in concert with an international deal will our domestic actions lead to a situation where we have started down the road of overcoming global warming.
And in so doing will we give glory to our Creator by loving God and our neighbor.
Rev. Jim Ball
from Copenhagen
A Prayer for Creation
December 14, 2009
A stewards’ prayer from Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision Australia
“Most gracious God, creator of all good things, we thank you for the precious gift of life, for the intricate cycles and the beautiful balances that sustain it, and for the unfolding story of planet earth and all creatures that share it. We thank you for all earth’s people. You have inspired us to do much that is good and beautiful and true, but we have also chosen to act in ways that are destructive, selfish, ugly and false. Through ignorance and carelessness we have poisoned clean air and pure water. For monetary gain we have reduced verdant forests to barren wastes. In our craving for more we have plundered your beloved creation and driven many of our fellow creatures to extinction. Only recently have we begun to realize the dangerous future into which our current patterns of consumption and waste are driving us, especially in relation to earth’s climate. Only recently have we begun to see our need to find a wiser and better way of life in the future, before it is too late and our choices are limited by the consequences of inaction.
We who join in prayer today believe the time has come, Lord. Please guide us now, our God, at this critical moment in history, to better fulfill our role as stewards of this fragile planet. Inspire us and empower us to turn from thoughtless consumption and greedy destruction, to embrace and choose instead lives of caring protection and sacred regeneration. Help us discover again a wholesome and sustainable way of life that reflects your wisdom, your compassion, your justice, and your love. Help us reject the lie that there is no alternative to greed and careless exploitation, and help us believe your truth — that true prosperity, life in all its fullness, can only come from wise stewardship, mutual responsibility, and mutual care.
Guide the leaders of nations who (will) gather in Copenhagen (on December 6). Give them courage to set noble goals that reach beyond short-range political expediency, short-term economic profit, and short-sighted self-interest. Grant them foresight into a troubled future characterized by rising sea levels, spreading droughts and deserts, melting glaciers, suffering families and displaced populations, ravaging diseases, and catastrophic famines. Move them to choose a better future. Impress upon their conscience our sacred duty to bequeath to our children and grandchildren a healthy and thriving environment rather than a world in climate crisis.
If our leaders fail, Lord, if they fail to take the necessary action, they will violate both our trust and your calling to use their power for the common good. If they fail, every person will be affected, including generations not yet born. Please, God of justice and compassion, do not let the poorest and youngest among us, who have done the least to create this crisis, to suffer the unchecked consequences of the reckless greed and arrogant complacency of the wealthiest and most comfortable. Instead, move the prosperous nations to bear their fair share of the solution, in just proportion to their contribution to the problem. Rouse us all to action for we are all woven together in the fabric of creation.
This is the moment, God, when a great turning of hearts must begin. So through this prayer, we of many traditions who follow Christ — joined by friends and neighbors of many faiths – unite our hearts in a cry for change. At first a few of us, and then hundreds, and then many thousands, join together as one to pray to you on behalf of our leaders, in solidarity with the poor, in strong hope for the healing of this beautiful world, your creation and our home. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray in the name of Christ, through whom you have given yourself to the whole world in incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection. Amen.”
Tim Costello, is CEO of World Vision Australia. You can follow his blog here.
Our evangelical voice in Copenhagen
December 13, 2009
One in a series of updates from Rev. Jim Ball of EEN from Copenhagen where he is attending the international climage change talks. This one was sent Saturday Dec. 12, 2009.
“Greetings from Copenhagen! Upwards of 30,000 could be here this week for the international climate change talks. Yesterday (Fri Dec 11) was my first full day here and I’ve already had a chance to briefly touch base with senior staff of Senators, and will be doing more of that in the coming days. I also met colleagues from World Vision Australia, including the CEO, Tim Costello, who today interviewed me for their video blog.
Many here are still talking about a very moving speech from the senior delegate from Tuvalu, a small-island state in the Pacific. For them, what is accomplished in the climate talks will determine their survival. It’s that simple.
Another thing creating buzz here is the back-and-forth between China and the US, the world’s two largest emitters who together comprise over 40% of the world’s global warming pollution. Both countries must lead and stop playing the blame game. Today’s NYTimes editorial, while again acknowledging the need for US leadership, rightly highlighted the need for leadership from China.”
Rev. Jim Ball
from Copenhagen
[watch for our December e-newsletter which carries more information on what we are hearing from our brothers and sisters in Tuvalu.]
