Climate Change: Why We Must Act

Climate change is not just an environmental issue – it's a threat to people living in poverty.

There is little doubt that global warming caused by human activity is already happening, and while rich nations contribute most to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions, poor communities struggle the most to adapt to its devastating effects.

TEAR Fund works with communities already facing more frequent floods and droughts, declining crop yields and water scarcity. We are involved because God calls us to care for creation and to defend the rights of those who are materially poor.

We are working to help poor communities adapt to climate change and to be better prepared for disasters, which are on the increase as the climate changes. TEAR Fund has been lobbying the New Zealand government to take action on climate change: to move towards a framework for cutting carbon emissions, and to commit more dollars to help poor countries adapt to climate change.

Caring for God's creation

As Christians, part of our dedication to God is to care for people who are poor (Psalm 82:4) and also respecting God's creation. This means crying out for justice, but also taking responsibility for the effects our lifestyles have on the environment and the impact this has on poor communities around the world.

Four reasons to act:

1) God has called us to love one another and to be stewards of his creation.
2) Climate change makes the lives of many people struggling to survive in developing countries harder.
3) Our own actions contribute to climate change and we should act responsibly to keep the harm we personally cause to a minimum.
4) As Christians we need to take the lead on issues of poverty and the environment if we expect others to do so.

You can join with us in protecting God’s creation. For simple tips on living an ethical and environmentally friendly lifestyle, visit: http://climatechange.govt.nz/take-action