This archive report was first published on 1 November 2019.
Climate change is not a matter of faith, but of facts and data. Yet, for many, the issue is deeply intertwined with their spiritual beliefs. As a climate scientist and evangelical Christian, I've found that starting conversations about climate change with those who disagree requires a different approach.
When someone asks me, 'But don't you believe in climate change?' I respond by explaining that climate change is not a belief system. We know the earth's climate is changing thanks to observations, facts, and data about God's creation that we can see with our eyes and test with our sound minds.
But what's driving the opposition to climate change? I believe it's fear – fear of loss of our way of life, fear of being told our habits are bad for society, fear of changes that will leave us worse off, and fear of siding with those who have no respect for our values and beliefs.
As a Christian, I believe the solution to this fear lies in the same faith that many non-Christians wrongly assume drives our rejection of the science. We've been given a spirit of power, to act rather than remain paralyzed in anxiety, fear, or guilt; a spirit of love, to have compassion for others, particularly those less fortunate than us; and a sound mind, to use the information we have to make good decisions.
Connecting our identity to action is key. I begin conversations about climate change by talking about what we share most – our community, our children, or our faith. By starting with what we share and then connecting the dots between that value and a changing climate, it becomes clear how caring about this planet and every living thing on it is not antithetical to who we are as Christians, but rather central to it.
As a climate scientist and evangelical Christian, I'm more convinced now than ever that these two identities aren't incompatible. They are what's made me who I am.
