A spiritual declaration on climate change.

* We hear the call of the Earth

* We believe that caring for life on Earth is a spiritual commitment

* People and other species have the right to life unthreatened by human greed and destructiveness

* Pollution, particularly from the energy-intensive wealthy industrialized countries, is warming the atmosphere. A warmer atmosphere is leading to major climate changes. The poor and vulnerable in the world and future generations will suffer the most

* We commit ourselves to help reduce the threat of climate change through actions in our own lives, pressure on governments and industries and standing in solidarity with those most affected by climate change

* We pray for spiritual support in responding to the call of the Earth

This declaration was signed by 2,000 delegates in December at the United Nations meeting on climate change in Montreal. Amongst those was Joan Masterton, who works in Planned Giving at church offices and represents the church on the Ecological Justice Program Committee of KAIROS. She was a delegate of the World Council of Churches at the meeting.

She writes:

"As a climatologist for Environment Canada for 30 years, I have had the opportunity to learn from the scientific community how integrated all life on the planet truly is, and how unbalancing one part of the web of life, such as the atmosphere, can impact all other parts of it. Climate change is complex, long term and linked to poor air quality, the thinning ozone layer and acid rain. It plays a role in the invasion of new species (plants, animals and diseases), the decline and disappearance of other species, the rising of the oceans and disappearance of island states and global coastlines. The melting of the Arctic ice cap in the summers to come will have profound impacts on the peoples of the north, trans-polar crossings of supertankers and on the global circulation of ocean currents. Changes in weather patterns and more extreme weather are just the tip of the iceberg.

I believe that climate change also represents a spiritual crisis for God's people. Read Genesis I. In it, human beings are directed by God to "take charge" and to "be responsible" for the test of creation. This is God's world and God considers it "very good." God says nothing about maximizing profit or It's only business or What's wrong with greed? or planned obsolescence. How can people of faith respond? In this year of Preparing for Sabbath within The Presbyterian Church in Canada, let us take time to consider the Sabbath of the land, to "hear the call of the Earth." Let us consider how we live our lives as individuals (drive less and walk more), as congregations (do an energy audit and insulate) and as a national body of faith (prepare a path to help congregations answer the question, How is God calling us to care for his creation?)."

A copy of the declaration was presented to Stephane Dion, Canada's Minister of the Environment and President of the United Nations Conference meetings in Montreal, and Richard Kinley, the (Canadian) Officer-in-Charge of the UN Secretariat.