Idaho Faith Community Letter on Addressing Greenhouse Gas Pollution

January 24, 2022

Dear Idaho Leaders: 

As members of the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Garden City, Idaho, we take seriously our responsibility as stewards of creation. We value the sanctity of human life and all life. We acknowledge that our actions frequently have consequences on others. In 2019 we published our resolution Responding to Climate Change.

We write this letter to express our deep concern about greenhouse gases (GHG) contributing to climate change. The Presbyterian Church said it well in an official 2018 statement: The Presbytery of New Covenant “express its profound concern about the destructive effects of climate change on all God’s creation, including a disproportionate impact on those living in poverty and in the least developed countries, the elderly and children, and those least responsible for the emissions of greenhouse gases.”1 

We as Idahoans of faith share this profound concern. We hope that you do as well. We urge you to help lead Idaho in facing the urgent scientific need to reduce GHG emissions. As Idahoans and members of the Unitarian Universalist faith tradition, who are increasingly concerned about wildfire, water supply, agriculture, extreme weather, forced migrations, species extinctions and other health and national security impacts of climate change, we ask our Idaho elected leaders to: 

1. Publicly acknowledge that greenhouse gas emissions are a serious problem that contribute to climate change 

2. Publicly acknowledge the need for a clear forecast on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Idaho, the U.S. and globally 

As people of faith, we value the sanctity of all life and our responsibility to steward creation. We look forward to a constructive, public conversation in Idaho regarding GHG emissions-caused climate change. 

In prayerful partnership with all people of faith, 

Sincerely, 

Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Garden City, Idaho

1 Presbyterian Church of the USA, General Assembly, 2018. On Supporting Carbon Pricing—From the New Covenant Presbytery. Retrieved from: https://www.pc-biz.org/#/search/3000325