|
April
2005
Eco-Justice
Working Group
Church
of the Brethren
Environmental
Justice Office of Presbyterian Church (USA)
Presbyterian
Washington Office
Episcopal
Ecological Network
Greek
Orthodox Church in America
Luthern
Earthkeeping Network of the Synods
Reformed
Church in America
United
Church of Christ
United
Methodist Board of Church and Society
|
House
of Bishops calls on U.S. Senate to protect Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge
[Navasota,
Texas] - Urging full protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,
the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church on March 14
adopted a resolution calling upon the U.S. Senate to oppose opening
the
pristine region to exploration for oil and gas.
Alaska
Bishop Mark McDonald, a leading voice for environmental protection
and ecological justice, left the bishops' spring retreat, in session
through
March 16, presented the resolution (see full text below) to the press
and
to lawmakers in Washington, D.C.
John Johnson
of the Episcopal Church's Washington-based Office of Government Relations
said MacDonald is expected to deliver that message to senators and
reporters at an 11 a.m. news conference on March 15.
Senator
Maria Cantwell of Washington and Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts
are scheduled to speak in support of protecting the Arctic Refuge.
Kerry is expected to introduce MacDonald. Also slated to speak at
the event is Savannah Rose Walters, a 13-year-old-girl from Florida
who is fighting to save the Arctic Refuge, Johnson said.
A Message from the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church,
USA, to the United States Senate
March
14, 2005
Resolved,
the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church, USA, meeting at its
Spring 2005 retreat at Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas, March 11-16,
2005, sends to the United States Senate the following message:
As the
Bishops of the Episcopal Church, USA, we want to express our
commitment to the vision of reconciliation of all peoples and share
a common
scriptural and theological belief that we have a responsibility to
care for
God's creation. We support protecting the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge
fully. To risk the destruction of an untouched wilderness and an ancient
culture violates our theological mandate to be caretakers of creation.
Because of these deeply shared values we respectfully ask you to oppose
legislation that would facilitate the opening of this sacred space
to oil or
gas exploration and development in any way. We specifically call on
you our
Senators to reject efforts to include revenues from lease sales of
the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the Budget Act currently being
considered
by Congress.
While
the ecological and human rights values of the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge are recognized by many, the cost from exploitation of the potential
resources that may exist there does not justify exploration or development.
The best estimates tell us that oil from the Refuge as a single source
is
equal to what the United States would consume in less that one year.
Conservation, energy efficiency, and alternative sources of energy
can do
much more to address our country's energy needs.
The Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge is one of the few ecosystems left on
earth in its original condition. It is a national treasure and such
natural
places are anchors in a changing world. They help hold us in place
and tell
us where we have been; they often can be sources of inspiration and
comfort.
As Job counsels, "listen to the earth, and it will teach you"
(Job 12:8).
The Arctic
Refuge is well-known for its Porcupine caribou herd, whose life
cycle is dependent on the Refuge as an intact, virtually undisturbed
ecosystem. The caribou are a chief link in the subsistence culture
for the
indigenous Gwich'in people. The Gwich'in call themselves the "Caribou
People" and the Arctic Refuge is for them "the Sacred Place
where Life
Begins." The caribou are essential for Gwich'in cultural, social,
and
spiritual needs and it has been that way for over 10,000 years. Disturbances
that lead to reduced calving success for the caribou may cause significant,
irreversible, negative consequences for all involved in this unspoiled
web
of life.
Pristine
places like the Arctic Refuge provide numerous benefits. For
humankind, the Arctic is a control environment that helps scientists
answer
current and future questions in the changing environment. For animal
kind,
the Arctic is an important habitat and home for many species, including
the
Arctic peregrine falcon, gyrfalcon, golden eagle, snowshoe hare, ptarmigan,
polar bear, grizzly bear, musk ox, threatened spectacled eider, wolves,
smaller mammals and water fowl. "The psalmist proclaims, 'O Lord,
how
manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth
is full
of your creatures" (Psalm 104).
We recognize
that our use of fossil fuels and the resulting global warming
has its greatest impact on the poor and vulnerable. Controversy over
whether to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil development
requires us to ask ourselves: what kind of world will we leave to
future
generations? As Bishops of the Episcopal Church, we are committed
to
working for a world with justice for indigenous peoples and all creation
and
we support indigenous peoples' rights as a basic component of a just
society. For these reasons and others, we ask you to oppose opening
the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration and development.
|
