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Dear Editor:
As a coalition of Indiana faith communities, we join together with a responsibility to care for our neighbors, the future of our communities and for creation. Because of this conviction, we urge the Environmental Affairs Committee – Senators Messmer (Chair), Niemeyer, Baldwin, Buck, Garten, Gaskill, Sandlin, Zay, Yoder, Niezgodski, and Pol – to hold a hearing for Senate Bill 255, which creates a Climate and Environmental Justice Task Force.
While representing a diverse set of faith traditions we all recognize that climate change threatens the health of our society and damages our spiritual relationship with the world around us. In Indiana, we experience numerous consequences of climate change including extreme heat days, severe storms, flooding and poor air quality. While only the 17th most populous state in the nation, we are the eighth largest emitter of climate changing gases. Our state needs to change its ways by looking toward the future and not remain tethered to outdated policies.
Indiana is uniquely poised to become a leader in turning the tide of climate change. We have major universities to discover new technologies and the industrial infrastructure to manufacture them. We are a leading agricultural state with many opportunities to implement carbon sequestration practices. With the right leadership we can build our economy and improve the welfare of our citizens while lowering carbon emissions.
Bipartisan Senate Bill 255 could finally launch Indiana into that leadership role. This legislation is the culmination of many months of hard work and dedication by Confront the Climate Crisis, a group of concerned Indiana high school students, and their collaboration with Senator Ron Alting. SB 255 creates a diverse multi-member task force to develop an Indiana climate action plan to address climate mitigation while promoting sustainable economic development.
This bill sits in the hands of the Environmental Affairs Committee and will die if it is not given a fair public hearing. Motivated by our faith and representing our communities in the state of Indiana, we call on Senator Messmer and the other Senators in this committee to perform their duty as elected public servants by listening to Hoosiers and holding a hearing for SB 255.
The Undersigned,
Dori Chandler, Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light
Tri-State Interfaith Conference on Creation Care
Presbyterian Climate Advocates of Southern Indiana
Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana
The Rev. Dr. Timothy C. Murphy, Senior Pastor & Teacher, Plymouth Congregational Church of Fort Wayne
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church’s Community for Contemplation and Justice, Indianapolis
Heliene Houdek and Gary Houdek, members of the Environmental Sustainability Committee, Unitarian Universalist Church, Indianapolis
Faye Snodgress, Global Educational Community
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, Senior Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite, Minister of Story and Ritual, Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington
Eran McCarty, member of Green Team at St. Thomas The Apostle of Fortville
Douglas Kaufman, pastor, Benton Mennonite Church, Goshen
Reverend Thomas Wyatt Watkins, Cumberland First Baptist Church
Richard L Dufour, Chair, Creation Care Committee, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Indianapolis Archdiocese Creation Care Commission
Pastor Ronnie Bell, Cumberland United Methodist Church
Pastor Bob Whitaker, Board Chair, Creation Care Partners and Senior Pastor, Christ Community Church (formerly Evangelical Community Church)
Frances Lemen, Clerk of Session, First Presbyterian Church of Scottsburg
Senator Messmer,
As a Christian, I beg you to give Senate Bill 225 a public hearing. Indiana needs to be a leader in environmental actions as opposed to being ignorant. I see the extreme changes in our environment, and I so worry about what my grandchildren will experience. So far, with the education issues, our legislators look like backward, hateful people. Please do something that will make our state move FORWARD!!
Backward ( we honor tradition ) & hateful ( we’re aggrieved by .. most everything ) wins elections in states like Indiana.
The previous national executive branch of government sought to remove the words ; ‘climate change’ from most all government websites & documents. This is indicative of where we are as a nation on the issue.
Maybe the most relevant item would be ; what serves your grandchildren better – prosecuting the low hanging fruit of culture wars or addressing the much more difficult reality of a changing climate that will effect all aspects of their lives ?
The electorate will have to decide their priorities & vote accordingly, as we do in fact get the government we deserve.