The following is a rough draft of a resolution to be presented to the Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ:
Resolution for Transitioning from Coal Energy to Renewable Energy
The Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ
Whereas we are a people of faith who recognize that when “the world languishes and withers; the heavens languish together with the earth” (Isaiah 24: 4), and
Whereas we are a people of faith who recognize the consequences of our actions when “the earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant” (Isaiah 24:5), and
Whereas carbon dioxide (CO2) is the leading cause of global warming, and coal-fired energy plants are the leading source of CO2 pollution in the United States with automobiles being the second largest source, and
Whereas mercury pollution is known to have severe health impacts such as neurological damage to fetuses and infants, and coal-fired energy plants are the leading source of mercury pollution in United States, and
Whereas coal pollution has been linked to four of the five leading causes of death in the United States by contributing to heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory disease, and
Whereas smog not only tarnishes the beauty of wilderness areas but also increases health risks such as asthma attacks, and coal-fired energy plants are a leading cause of smog pollution in the United States, and
Whereas coal mining irreparably devastates our land, water, and air in numerous ways including the removal of mountaintops as well as the destruction of approximately 2,000 miles of streams and more than 700,000 acres of forest, and
Whereas the transportation of coal via trains brings coal dust into communities and poisons their air and water, and
Whereas the waste of combusted coal stored in poorly regulated ponds and landfills poses high risks to human health and the environment due to toxic substances such as mercury, arsenic, and lead, and
Whereas coal is our dirtiest source of energy as it moves from mines to plants to ash ponds,
Let it therefore be resolved that we will respond to our calling as caretakers of creation in covenant with God by seeking to transition our nation and our world away from the use of coal energy.
Be it further resolved that the CPC will call upon its member congregations to support the passage of federal and state policies that will speed our nation’s transition to renewable energy.
Be it further resolved that the CPC will call upon its member congregations to undertake education, advocacy, and action that promote the creation of renewable energy industries and jobs out of concern for the health of our communities and the well-being of our planet.
Cost analysis: there are no foreseeable directs costs to the CPC by this action. Individual congregations may incur costs based on their particular actions.