Yahara Friends Meeting Minute on Climate Change

Apr 6, 2011

Yahara Friends Meeting, Madison, WI, April 3rd

The produce of the earth is a gift from our precious creator to the inhabitants, and to impoverish the earth now to support outward greatness appears to be an injury to the succeeding age.

-John Woolman, 1772

Our society has failed to adequately address the crisis caused by increasing CO2 in the atmosphere. This increase causes, among other things, rising sea levels, acidification of sea water, climate change, increased incidence of extreme weather events, and loss of habitat for animals, plants, and humans. These impacts are happening now and will continue to worsen.

The responsibility for this situation belongs to all sectors of society, but the failure of our elected officials to adequately respond is truly unacceptable. Economic constraints and political feasibility are cited as excuses but that doesn't change the reality of climate change. Priorities must be rearranged. We must act now to minimize the negative impacts.

We call on our elected officials at all levels of government to act decisively. The Environmental Protection Agency must be supported in its efforts to control CO2 emissions. A tax on carbon should be considered. More efficient transportation and power generation systems should be supported. Government action can help give concerned individuals the tools to make their own changes. We have been given a wonderful, remarkable planet to live on. Let's ensure that coming generations can enjoy it as well.