GC40 Energy and Climate (GC 40 2009 – 044)

That the 40th General Council 2009 approve taking the actions requested in the following proposals, and direct the Executive of the General Council either: to take such actions; or where action is required by another body or officer, to oversee the implementation of such action. 

• BC 1 – Bella Bella Emergency Lighting
• LON 10 – The Abolition of Nuclear Weapons
• ANW 14 – Protecting Canadian Children and Our Environment
• ANW 6 – Energy and Climate
• TOR 1 – Canada’s Official Development Assistance
• ANW 3 – Continuing Air Quality Standards and Health
• M&O 16 – Return Omar Khadr to Canada 

GC40 2009 ROP, p. 185

ANW 6 – Energy and Climate

Origin: Alberta and Northwest Conference, concurrence, May 24, 2009 

Official Board: Garneau United Church, February 12, 2009 

Presbytery: Edmonton, concurrence, February 21, 2009 

Financial Implications: 
Staffing Implications: 

Source of Funding: 

That the 40th General Council direct the General Secretary, General Council to continue to pressure our Federal Government regarding: 

1. Honouring the principle of acting in a more ecologically integrated manner within the Earth community by drawing on energy sources in ways that do not damage ecosystems; 

2. The generation and use of energy being determined primarily by the needs of all people with a preferential option for poor people and poor countries and attention to ecological debt; 

3. Compliance with international trade agreements that do not deny compliance with international environmental agreements; 

4. Compliance with the Kyoto Protocol regarding climate change. 

Background 

Framing the Question: 

Global warming is happening. As stewards of creation we are called by the Creator to do all we can to care and respect creation. What can we do as a congregation, Presbytery, Conference and national church? How can we be examples to others and model to our members how to do their small share? 

Exploring the Question: 

Quoting a document from the Justice, Global and Ecumenical Relations Unit at the General Council Office, “Our world is in crises. Human-induced climate change and conflicts over oil are killing people and the planet. Emissions from the burning and overuse of fossil fuels cause global climate change, deepens human rights abuses, creates conflict and causes economic inequity. Canadians are looking for alternatives to reduce our use of fossil fuels, and re-energize ourselves, our country and our world.” 

And quoting from the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace: “All of life is interconnected and interdependent. The earth is an intricate array of living ecosystems, interconnected from microscopic realities to macro climate dynamics, and interdependent among these processes. Companies claim that the ecological damage from resource extraction is minimal and localized. This is not true.” 

In Alberta we are dependent on oil for our fuel resources as well as for government financial resources. These are non-renewable resources and we in Alberta and in Canada cannot depend forever on oil and gas resources, to say nothing of the damage we are doing to our waterways, our wildlife, our earth. 

As a country we have refused to listen to pleas for committing ourselves to cleaner air and water. We will not accept responsibility for the ways in which we are both destroying the earth and hurting people around the world because of the ways in which abuse the resources that we find in our country. By our actions we also abuse people from around the world because of the ways in which we bring people from other countries to meet our needs. Also of great concern are our trading policies which consistently ignore Canadian ecological guidelines when we take our industries to other countries.

GC40 2009 ROP, pp. 398-399