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A Call to Climate Stewardship: Caring for God's Creation
Sign-on letter to the Governors of California and Oregon
January 2005

The undersigned are a group of concerned religious leaders from both Oregon and California. We applaud you both, Governor Schwarzenegger and Governor Kulongoski, for your foresight and leadership in establishing the West Coast Governor's Global Warming Initiative. We know that you share our deep concern about the devastating effects of global warming on our environment and consequently our health. If left unchecked, global warming pollution, including carbon dioxide, will have a severe negative impact on our well-being that we entrusted to you when we elected you as our governors.

As religious leaders we are playing a major role in raising awareness around global warming, renewable energy and conservation. It is our responsibility to introduce the moral and ethical reasons for reducing our carbon pollution. To be faithful in caring for the earth that has been entrusted to our care, we must work with our legislators to change how we generate and use energy. It is the responsibility and duty of elected officials to develop the legal and regulatory framework that insures protection of our air, water and ecosystems. We are doing our part through teaching and preaching, but we request a commitment from you, our governors, to do your part.

The fact that the United States contributes 25% of the worldís green house gases and that we are only 4% of the population is disturbing to us. One of our roles as leaders in social justice makes our request for California and Oregon to reduce their emissions even more important. Other countries around the world have made reductions that surpass our request for California and Oregon. We know it is achievable. Both states are already exploring specific proposals that will help us achieve greenhouse gas reductions and create new economic opportunities.

Furthermore, in California alone our member congregations have cut CO2 emission by more than 4.5 million pounds in a single year. Our congregations are doing their best to fulfill the commandment to ìlove our neighborsî by not polluting their air, not destroying life supporting ecosystems and respecting Creation.

What we request from you is a commitment to put our states on a path to sustainability by setting pollution reduction targets that drive both short and long term reductions in global warming pollution, andóeven more importantlyóputting in place the policies that will be needed to meet these targets. We believe that the following targets, similar to ones that have been set by the Northeast states, are an economically, scientifically, and morally reasonable option for California and Oregon:

1990 levels by 2010 as a near term goal
10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and an intermediate goal
75 to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 a long-term goal
There will be much pressure over the coming months to set the bar lower. Please stand firm on establishing greenhouse reduction goals at the levels, that if adopted world wide, would stabilize atmospheric concentrations of green house gas emissions. Your leadership is vital to the well-being of all Creation, human and non-human, both now and in the future. We look forward to your response.

 
Sincerely,

The Rev. Sally G. Bingham
Grace Cathedral San Francisco
President,
California Interfaith Powerand Light
Executive Director,
The Regeneration Project
Thomas A. Bourne
Executive Director
California Interfaith Power and Light
California Religious Leaders Oregon Religious Leaders
The Rev. Sally G. Bingham, Episcopal

The Rev. Stephen Beal, Episcopal

The Rev. Dr. Douglas Adams, Professor Pacific School of Religion, Presbyterian

The Rev. Karen Stokes, Montclair Presbyterian

The Rev. Fran Tornquist, Grace Cathedral, Episcopal

The Rev. Mark Stanger, Grace Cathedral, Episcopal

The Rev. Margaret Deeths

Rabbi Stephen Pearce, Temple Emanu-el

The Very Rev. Alan Jones

The Rev. Richard Wilmington

The Rev. Cal Rutherford

The Rev. Cannon David Forbes

The Rev, Mary Moore Gaines

The Rev. Bladimer Paeste; Faith Community Church Oakland, CA

Rabbi Suzanne Singer; Temple Sinai, Oakland CA

The Rev. Kathy Huff; First Unitarian Church, Oakland, CA

The Rev. Ama Zenya; Lewis First Congregational Church, Oakland, CA

The Rev. Scott Denman; St. John's Episcopal Church, Oakland, CA

The Rev. John Rawlinson, St. James Episcopal Church, Oakland, CA

The Rev. Jim Hopkins, Lakeside Baptist Church, Oakland, CA

Greg Bunker, Executive Director, Francis House, Sacramento

Dr. Don Peavy, Pastor, McCarty Memorial Christian Church, Los Angeles

The Rev. Grant Sontag, First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto

The Rev. Lois Mueller, Pastor, Plymouth UCC, Oakland

The Rev. Dr. Rick Schlosser, Executive Director, California Council of Churches

The Rev. Joel P. Miller, Pastor, St. Francis Church, Turlock

The Rev. John Freesemann, Sr. Pastor, Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church, San Jose

The Rev.Dr. David Thompson, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Sacramento

The Rev. Zoila Schoenbrun, Assoc. Priest, St. Stephens Church, Belvedere

Sr. Rosemary McKean, PBVM, Sisters of the Presentation, San Jose

The Rev. Dexter McNamara, Executive Director, Interfaith Service Bureau, Sacramento

The Rev. Lyn Cox, Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento

The Rev. Dr. Andrew Robinson,Montclair Presbyterian Church

The Rev. Dr. Carol C. Saysette, UCC, San Francisco Theological Seminary

The Reverend Dr. John Hadsell

The Rev. Paul Chaffee, Executive Director, Interfaith Center at the Presidio

Paul Hardwick, Assoc. Minister, Pacific Coast Baptist Association

The Rev. Dr. Judith K. Jones, Pastor, First Christian Church (DOC), Vallejo

The Most Rev. Dr. Frederic Jones, Presiding Bishop, Indep Catholic, Vallejo

The Rev. David Borglum, Northern California Nevada, Conference, UCC Earth Stewards

The Rev. Donald Fado, Board Chair, Family Promise, Sacramento

The Rev. Bill Miller, First UMC, Whittier

The Rev. Bet Hannon (UCC), Westley UMC, Fresno

Dr. Bruce Grelle, Congregational Church of Chico (UCC), Chico

The Rev. Chuck Mc Clain, Parish Associate, Montclair Presbyterian

The Rev. Coryl J. Lassen, Rector St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Ojai

The Rev. Walt Parry, Executive Director, Fresno Metro Ministry

The Rev. Dr. Alan Jones, South Hayward UMC

The Rev. Phil Lawson, Retired UMC

Rabbi Steven Chester, Temple Sinai, Oakland CA

The Rev. Dr. Michal Anne Pepper,UCC of Berkeley (DOC)

The Rev. Chandler Stokes, First Pres., Oakland.

Dr. Douglas A. Wirt, Co-Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Oregon, Portland,

The Rt. Reverend William O. Gregg, Ph.D., Bishop of Eastern Oregon, The Dalles, OR

The Rev. Lorenz Schultz, United Methodist Pastor, Ret. Forest Grove, OR

The Rev. Barbara Schultz, Director, Sacred Path Ministries, Forest Grove, OR

The Rev. Vernon A. Groves, United Methodist Church, Ret., Tigard, OR

Rev. Mary Sue Evers, Sr. Pastor, Cedar Hills United Church of Christ, Portland, OR

Sister Joan Spearing, Society of the Holy Child Jesus, , Lake Oswego, OR

The Rev. Karl Vercouteren, United Church of Christ, Congregational, The Dalles, OR

Deacon Marla McGarry-Lawrence, St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, Portland, OR

David Leslie, M.Div., Executive Director, Ecumenical Ministries of OR, Portland, OR

Rev. Dianne M. Shaw, Metropolitan Community Church of Portland, OR

The Rev. Ross Miller, United Methodist Church, ret., Member, Environmental Ministries Co

The Rev. Frodo Okulam, Coordinator, Metropolitan Community Church, Portland, OR

Dr. Roy L. Helm, Retired Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Or ,Veneta , OR

The Rev. Ben Dake, First Presbyterian Church, Cottage Grove, OR

The Rev. Dr. Daniel E. H. Bryant, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Eugene OR,

The Rev. Richard J. Colgan, Pastor, St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, Portland, OR

The Rev. Wesley Taylor, United Methodist Church, Tualatin, OR

Rabbi Jonathan Seidel, Or ha Gan, Eugene, OR

Rev. Thomas C. Nolen, First Presbyterian Church, Portland, OR

Rev. J. Todd Smiedendorf, Forest Grove United Church of Christ, Forest Grove, OR

Mairi Scott-Aguirre, United Church of Christ, Forest Grove, OR

The Rev. W. J. Mark Knutson, Augustana Lutheran Church, Portland, OR

The Rev. Wayne Hill, Retired Oregon City United Methodist Church, Oregon City, OR

The Rev. Stephen Schafroth, St. Paulís Episcopal Church, The Dalles, OR

Rev. Dennis Alger, Eagle Creek Presbyterian Church, Eagle Creek, OR

Pastor John Rosenberg, Trinity Lutheran Church, Gresham, OR

Rev. Lynne Smouse LÛpez, Ainsworth United Church of Christ, Portland, OR

Rev. Richard R. Davis, Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Salem, OR

Rev. Richard L Kroll, United Church of Christ, Forest Grove, OR

The Rev. Dan Klingler, Chair, Eco-Justice Team, Portland, OR

The Rev. John Mahon, Eugene, OR

The Rev. John Dennis, First Presbyterian Church, Corvallis, OR

The Rev. Chris Whitehead, Christís Church, Monmouth, OR

Sister Kathy Carr, BVM, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Corvallis, OR

Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield, Congregation P'nai Or of Portland, OR

Rabbi Joseph Wolf, Portland, OR

Rev. Bill Gates, Parkrose United Methodist Church, Portland, OR.

The Rev. John Pitney, Associate Minister, First United Methodist Church, Eugene, OR

The Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell, First Unitarian Church, Portland, OR

The Rev. Dr. LeRoy Haynes, Jr., Allen Temple, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Portland,

Pastor Jan Fairchild, Springfield Church of the Brethren, Springfield, OR

Deaconess Debra H. Mantey, Clackamas, OR

The Rev. Barbara J. Campbell, St. Mark Presbyterian Church, Portland, OR

The Rev. John S. Scannell, St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Portland OR

Cherice Bock, Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends Churches, Newberg, OR

Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin , Temple Beth Israel, Eugene, OR

Jean. W. Johnson, United Church of Christ, Portland, OR

The Rev. Melanie Oommen, United Church of Christ, Eugene, OR

The Rev. Stuart R. Shaw, The United Methodist Church, Salem, OR