Is climate change a moral issue? If so, what can we do about it? Over 60 participants tackled this pressing global dilemma in a panel discussion and retreat held simultaneously in Calgary and Edmonton on October 25 and 26, 2009. The retreat was designed to support participants to take action consistent with their concern about climate change as an ethical and moral issue. Participants ranged from representatives from the United Church of Canada to various Evangelical church communities, from students and university professors to educators from the environmental community.

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Mishka Lysack introduces the notion of climate change as a moral issue

Between Calgary and Edmonton, 40 participants exchanged views on climate change as a moral issue.

Graham Saul, executive director of the Climate Action Network, set the context for the imperative to act. He provided detail on the severity of climate change, and Canadian government's lax attitudes on developing renewable energy.

"Canada risks becoming an international pariah with an obsolete economy," he said, paraphrasing a recent Ottawa Citizen article.  "We are standing on the sidelines and watching our biggest economic opportunity pass us by."

Saul shared his personal story of being reluctant to belong to a faith community growing up, but now sees it as a critical partner in acting on climate change. "I truly believe if we're going to see this issue in the light that it must be seen, it will be the faith-based community who will provide the strength to rise to the strength of the challenge."

Graham Saul offers his opening remarks during the retreat from Calgary

As momentum grows leading up to the United Nations negotiations on climate change to be held in Copenhagen (COP-15), there are ample opportunities for faith leaders to show that climate change is not to be pigeonholed as an environmental issue. "We've got some critical moments over the next 12 months that provide opportunities for people to get involved, and on this issue, the personal and political blends together," Saul said.

Dave Toycen, president and CEO of World Vision Canada, provided a faith and humanitarian perspective on climate change, highlighting how retreat participants to act decisively to combat climate change through education and advocacy.  "In our work at World Vision Canada, we are now finding that all of our humanitarian work with the hungry, the poor, with children and their families and communities is being affected by the new context of climate change."

Retreat participants in Edmonton address others in Calgary (screen). Photo: Roberta Franchuk, The Pembina Institute

Toycen says. "The great social tipping points in the past, such as the abolition of slavery in the British empire, all involved people of faith at its heart. The struggle against climate change is the moral issue of our time. We all need to work together on this one."  

Dave Toycen tells a story to open his remarks during the retreat

Mishka Lysack, assistant professor in the University of Calgary's Faculty of Social Work and an adjunct assistant professor in psychiatry is also an Anglican minister. He organized the event as a way of bringing various faith traditions to work together for the common cause of advocating for a strong and decisive action plan based on science to combat climate change on the part of the Canadian government.

"Environmental, humanitarian and religious groups have cooperated to address a range of humanitarian challenges in the past," Lysack says. During the retreat, these groups shared an ethical concern for the millions of families that may be displaced by rising sea levels and extreme weather events, mostly in places where people can least afford to adapt. "Together, they are now focusing on climate change and its potential to increase the number of people who suffer from hunger, or from the spread of diseases like malaria."

Co-organizer Randolph Haluza-DeLay, assistant professor of Sociology at the King's University College in Edmonton, hosted a parallel event via a video-link. Throughout the day, participants from Calgary and Edmonton asked each other questions and shared information across faith groups, and between cities. During his address to the groups, Haluza-DeLay highlighted the role the faith community has played during previous social movements. Referring to the current social justice and anti-consumerism movements, Haluza-DeLay said, "Faith communities have an extensive track record on engaging action."

Sheryel Raymes from Edmonton provided a message on multifaith cooperation on climate change representing the Jewish community. She sees tremendous opportunity for communities that are typically in conflict to join forces to tackle dangerous climate change.

Representing the Roman Catholic perspective, Bob McKeon spoke of the way in which environmental issues have not resonated with their congregations, but insisted that now is the time to "make the connection between Christian Faith and the environment." Similar to the way many churches have made the connection between serving fair trade coffee and supporting farmers in developing nations, McKeon suggested that "it's time to start making the links between climate change, global poverty and health."

After a thorough briefing on the issues, workshop participants broke off into small groups to discuss strategies and action plans for their own congregations and communities. While most of the participants came from faith traditions, it was also an opportunity for exploring opportunities for collaboration with the science community.

"I would say I'm a devout scientist," said Susan Cousineau, a University of Calgary ecology master student. She was inspired by the opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and the story of the Good Samaritan. "We have a responsibility to look after those who cross our path-so we need to have more people cross our paths, and to form emotional connections with them so that we engage more fully," she said.

Tom Greentree, the staff ministry director at Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship was struck by the way evangelicals have been slow to accept humanity's role in changing our climate. Reflecting on the workshop in his blog, he asks, "What is the source of our resistance? Why do we prefer to hear pseudo-scientific conspiracy theorists instead of heeding bona fide scientific consensus?...Why do we seem deaf to our calling to care for God's earth and all its inhabitants?"

Tom Greentree left the retreat committed to engaging the evangelical community to act on climate change.

Organizer Mishka Lysack is very pleased with the outcomes, but now awaits the next level of action. "Seeing these diverse groups reach consensus on the ethics of changing the earth's climate was very moving. But the Copenhagen clock is ticking and if we are going to strike an international agreement on climate change in December, we need participants to bring the message to their communities. Creation is too precious for us to sit back and pretend we can't do anything to protect it."