At Union Theological Seminary, a remarkably diverse group of more than 200 religious and spiritual leaders will gather for the Religions for the Earth conference. Representing Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, Australia, the Pacific nations and the Arctic, these leaders will bring a much-needed moral perspective to the climate crisis. They represent billions of people of faith.

via Religions for the Earth: Redefining the Climate Crisis.

We need to deepen and expand the worldwide movement to fight climate change and sieze its moral trajectory.

On all these fronts, it is incumbent on religious institutions to take the lead

As I was writing about yesterday,  MLK saw the interwoven tapestry of values that have their impact across many sectors of white. Just as MLK saw in the 60’s,  Militarism , Racism, and Poverty were fueled and cross-pollinated by the others.  The economic structure privileges the white,  the military draws disproportionately from the lower classes,  which are disproportionately black.  The economic powers tend toward plunder and evade responsibility,  since the stockholders demand ever higher profits,  which creates the desire/necessity for lower bottom lines,  which means that workers lives and incomes and well being are de-emphasized over ever”More Productive” processes,  which leads to off-shoring,  which leads then to hiding the injustices “off-shore”;  where unrest and poverty due to such sources threaten the smooth process (of profits) ,  then military might is employed to pave the way for “re-smoothing” the way. The environment has become one of those threats,  since regulation aimed at minimizing environmental consequences affects that bottom line,  particularly the Big Oil industry,  one of the most wealthy sectors of the economy.  As the science warrants greater and greater corrective measures,  the forces of “smoothing” and “status quo economics”  disseminate “debunking” counter “facts” to discredit the science.   The environment and the global effects of its deterioration from the uber-technological effects (largely emissions)  has become another casualty of this war along with continued racial disadvantages, economic disadvantage,  and military “options” to ensure compliance when threats to smooth operation arise.  Associating “climate alarmists” with devious political activity seeks ultimately to socially stigmatize (even criminalize through efforts to avoid regulatory pressure/costs) the suggestion that the globe is beg adversely affected.

It seems apparent that the environment/global climate is an unavoidable casualty of the ongoing conflict occasioned by the global spread of oligarchy, short -term gratification of comforts,  and blinders toward the future consequences.

This is “the world” and the “Principalities” against which we now struggle, and this is a deeply theological matter.