Spectrum Republishes Seventh-day Adventist Church Statements on Climate Change and Stewardship of the Earth

Spectrum Magazine has republished several official statements of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on climate change, the environment and stewardship of the earth. The editors noted recent public discussion of climate change, both internationally and within the church, as their reason for gathering the texts. Each statement is printed in full with the date it was voted.

The earliest statement, approved by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Executive Committee at the Annual Council session in Silver Spring, Maryland, on October 12, 1992, describes the natural world as a gift from the Creator. It states that the church holds the preservation and nurture of creation to be closely tied to its service to God. The statement says human disobedience broke the original order of creation, and it names air and water pollution, plundered forests and wildlife, and exploited natural resources as results. It links environmental concern to personal health, and it says the church advocates a wholesome lifestyle, rejects tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, and promotes a simple vegetarian diet. It also commits members to improving the quality of life for all people and to a sustainable development of resources that meets human needs.

A second statement, approved by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Administrative Committee (ADCOM) and released by the Office of the President, Robert S. Folkenberg, at the General Conference session in Utrecht, the Netherlands, from June 29 to July 8, 1995, takes up human responsibility for the earth. It says that humans, created in God’s image, were meant to rule the natural environment faithfully, but that corruption and exploitation have entered that work. The statement lists the emission of destructive gases, depletion of the ozone layer, destruction of American forests and the greenhouse effect as threats to the earth’s ecosystem. It attributes these problems largely to human selfishness, unlimited consumption and depletion of nonrenewable resources. It calls for respect for creation, restraint in the use of resources, and a simple, wholesome lifestyle.

The third statement addresses climate change directly. It says scientists warn that gradual warming of the atmosphere caused by human activity will have serious environmental consequences, and that the climate will change, bringing more storms, floods and droughts. It states that greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, need to be significantly reduced to keep climate change within bearable limits. The statement says industrialized countries are the main source of these emissions, while small island states and low-lying coastal countries are the first victims.

On that basis, the world membership of the church asks the governments concerned to take the steps needed to avert the danger. The first request is that governments fulfill the agreement reached in Rio de Janeiro, the 1992 Convention on Climate Change, to stabilize carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2000 at 1990 levels. The second is that they establish plans for further reductions in carbon dioxide emissions after the year 2000. The text of this list is incomplete in the republished material.

Source: Read the original report