WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Wearing filter masks and religious garments, a diverse group of faith leaders told Donald Trump today that mother nature is sounding the alarm on the climate crisis and that his administration’s actions are morally unacceptable. After a brief moment of silent prayer and brief remarks from speakers, Rabbi Warren Stone blew a shofar and the group raised their voices to call attention to the climate crisis and the strong faith contingent in the April 29 Peoples Climate March.
“We stand here today because we are commanded by our faiths to listen, and to attend to the suffering we see in our world,” said Joelle Novey, the Director of Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA), and co-coordinator of the faith contingent in the March. “Today, we hear the Earth cry out, and we hear the cries, too, of all the living things that rely on a stable climate: every creature and species; our neighbors close to home and around the world, now and in the future.”
Despite clear scientific evidence that climate change is occurring and humankind’s behaviors are making it worse, the Trump administration has begun dismantling common sense protections for air, water, and our natural environment.
Faith leaders from numerous faith traditions assembled, wearing air filter masks and their traditional garments to show that eliminating common sense environmental protections will harm their neighbors, as dirty air and a damaged climate make people sick. Holding signs that read “Earth cries out” and admonishments to “listen” in many languages, the group urged leaders to heed the testimony of the natural world by ensuring that scientific data guides policymaking. The faith leaders called on people of all religious and spiritual backgrounds to join a strong faith contingent in the Peoples Climate March on April 29.
“There are too many Flints, too many Standing Rocks, too many places where people cannot breathe clean air or drink clean water,” said Aiyi’nah Ford. “We need to march together on April 29th, not over people but with the people on the front lines of the climate crisis.”
“To the extent that we have authority as religious leaders, it’s because we listen,” said Rev. Erik Martinez Resly. “So we must attend to what the Earth and our neighbors are teaching us.”
“The sound of the shofar calls us to action,” added Rabbi Stone. “We must stand up for creation and the people who inhabit it and marching on the 29th is a great way to do it, together.”
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About Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA)
Interfaith Power & Light works with hundreds of congregations of all faiths across the DC area and Maryland to support faith communities in saving energy, going green, and responding to climate change. Together with GreenFaith, based in New Jersey, IPL-DMV is co-convening the faith contingent in the April 29th Peoples Climate March, in which dozens of religious groups and hundreds of religious communities plan to participate.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.7 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.