wfn.org | Thousands of NCCCUSA Climate Change Petitions

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org]

CLIMATE CHANGE PETITIONS TO BE GIVEN TO UNDERSECRETARY WIRTH AT NCCCUSA
EVENT IN COLORADO
to be Given to Undersecretary Wirth at Colorado 
Event on May 17
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the 
U.S.A.
Internet: c/o carol_fouke.parti@ecunet.org

Contact: Wendy S. McDowell, NCC, 212-870-2227; John 
Ed Francis, Rocky Mtn. Conference, United Methodist 
Church, 303-733-3736
NCC5/7/97 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 NEW YORK, May 7 ---- A petition signing effort 
carried out through churches of the National Council 
of Churches' 33 member communions over the past nine 
months will culminate on May 17 when the thousands 
of petitions calling for the U.S. government to do 
more on the climate change issue will be handed over 
to Undersecretary of State Timothy Wirth at an event 
for church eco-justice coordinators in Estes Park, 
Colorado.

 Mr. Wirth is the major U.S. negotiator in 
international climate change negotiations so is 
"absolutely the appropriate person" to receive the 
petitions, according to the Rev. Richard Killmer, 
Director of the NCC Environmental Justice Office.  
Mr. Wirth will be speaking about the current 
critical issues in U.S. policy on the environment at 
"God's Earth: Our Home," an NCC-sponsored 
opportunity for church eco-justice coordinators to 
share and strategize.

 "We believe that the voices of scientists and 
politicians alone are not sufficient to slow the 
climate change that scientists generally agree is 
happening," said the Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, 
NCC General Secretary.  "This climate petition helps 
demonstrate the concern of our members for faster 
governmental actions on this issue."

 The petition, which received well over 20,000 
signatures, asks the U.S. government to:
  fulfill its pledge at Earth Summit 1992 in 
Rio de Janeiro to reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000;
 establish firm policy measures and adopt a 
binding international agreement that will 
achieve greater reductions in emissions after 
the year 2000; and
  initiate public debate on the risks of 
climate change and increase public 
participation in exploring solutions.

 The petition's signatories also made a 
commitment to change their lifestyle by reducing 
energy consumption.

 "I'm very pleased that with limited resources 
and a petition which had some teeth to it, we got so 
many signatories," said William Somplatsky-Jarman, 
Associate for Environmental Justice, Presbyterian 
Church USA, who has been involved in the petition 
drive.  "If you add all the educational work that 
went on around this in local churches, I think it is 
a very positive sign."

 The NCC's Eco-Justice Working Group, in concert 
with World Council of Churches efforts, has been 
working on the climate change issue for years.  
Scientists warn that climate change, which is 
brought on by an increase in carbon dioxide that 
traps the sun's rays in the atmosphere, causes 
dangers including new and erratic weather patterns, 
lost species, the spread of infectious diseases, 
damaged economies and rising sea levels.

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