Climate change and the Restored Gospel: I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made

Last September, the Mormon Environmental Earth Stewardship Alliance (MESA) invited me to give a talk at their Faith is Action symposium. 

They asked me to speak about the science of climate change: what do we know about its physical causes and ecological consequences? I’d worked with MESA previously and had been impressed with their mission to translate the Restored Gospel into personal and political environmental action. The planned lineup of speakers was intimidating (myself excluded), including historian and indigenous leader Dr. Farina King, Representatives John Curtis and Ben McAdams, language instructor Tereua Kainitoka, journalist Erica Evans, and community leader Rachel Whipple. True to my entitlement and privilege, I set my insecurity aside and accepted the invitation. The recording of my talk is available here, and I’ve adapted my notes into a text version below.

“O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand…notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there ^bremaineth an effectual struggle to be made. Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your ^atrust in ^bGod.” -King Limhi 121 B.C.

You may recognize these words from the speech King Limhi gave his people before escaping from bondage. I find that the mix of hope, grief, and resolve in these versus encapsulates my feelings about climate change. I can shift from elation to despair to hope, sometimes all within a single day. I experience these feelings because of my profession as a scientist, where I encounter information about the status of earth and humanity on a weekly basis. I also experience these feelings because of my faith, which requires me to care about my neighbors, all 7.8 billion of them.

By profession, I am an ecosystem ecologist. This is the field of research that seeks to understand the energy, materials, and living things that flow through and make up the Earth’s ecosystems. I gather clues from soils, streams, satellites, and sediments to understand how our planet sustains 9 million species of living things, including human beings. It is common to draw a line between humans and nature, but in ecosystem ecology, there is no distinction. Global ecology has revealed that we are not only a part of nature; we have become one of the dominant forces in the Earth system.

The science writer Oliver Morton said it this way: “The paradox, in a nutshell, is this: humans are grown so powerful that they have become a force of nature - and forces of nature are those things which, by definition, are beyond the power of humans to control.”

This is, of course, a fulfilment of one of God’s first prophecies—or at least one of the earliest prophecies we know of—when God told Moses that humans would have dominion over the Earth and all her inhabitants.

Both scripture and science give us warnings about our power. I’ll leave the spiritual interpretation to the other speakers, but from the scientific side, I think the paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould said it particularly well: “Look in the mirror, and don't be tempted to equate transient domination with either intrinsic superiority or prospects for extended survival.”

Our place of power is particularly precarious because our dominion of the earth is godlike in its magnitude but decidedly human in its unwieldiness. Our grip is strong, but our control is blunt. We have no central authority to guide our innovation or set priorities about how we use our wealth.

That brings me to the first major question I’d like to address: how are we doing in our dominion of the Earth?

Whoever said, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” must have been talking about 2020 (I think that was Tobey Maguire). On one hand, there are amazing changes happening in our communities and countries—changes that are transforming how we gather and share energy, changes that are reducing our waste and pollution, changes that are enhancing our health and conserving the integrity of the Earth, changes that are recognizing longstanding prejudice and injustice. Just as one example of the consequences of these advances, we are well below the emissions trajectory that we used to call “business as usual” or RCP8.5 in IPCC-speak. Solar and wind energy are now cheaper and growing faster than their dirty fossil-fuel alternatives. Youth around the world are demanding political change, and awareness is growing of the danger of climate change and the opportunity of environmental stewardship.

On the other hand, there is terrible momentum carrying us in a direction contrary to God’s ecological laws for the Earth. Powerful economic interests and deep cultural currents are harming individuals and hampering progress in global and personal ways. Each year, we burn more dirty fossil fuels than the last, despite a clear knowledge of how our overconsumption is harming the Earth and the human family. The fossil-fuel powered machines that we have already made—our existing vehicles, furnaces, and power plants—will take us past our goal of 2°C if we don’t retire them early. The only way to keep our interference with the Earth’s climate below 2°C is for us to halve our emissions in the next 10 years. And then do it again in the 10 years after that. You heard me right: one decade from now, we need to be emitting half the amount of greenhouse gas that we are today. Environmental degradation of this magnitude and speed is already causing immense harm to our society and is starting to trigger responses in the Earth system that are so vast, we have no ability to control them.

I am not going to try to convince you that climate change is serious or that it is caused by humans. There are fabulous sources that can do that much better than I can. I will simply say that I work with researchers from the public andprivate sectors, including some funded or employed by Exxon Mobil and BP. Their experiments and observations show the same conclusions that mine do: climate change is happening, it is caused by our use of fossil fuels, and it is very bad news.

Here are six of my favorite resources on climate science and solutions. If you are doubtful about the science of climate change, or if you simply want to learn more, please check them out. I am going to focus on climate solutions—what actions can we take as individuals and as groups to effectively combat climate change. Because there is no way to go over all the solutions, here are three of my favorite resources on that topic.

So, what can we do?

Let’s first start by asking, what are we doing? Here is an odd but relevant question for you: What do think humankind makes the most of? What thing or product do we produce the most of? Is it food, cement, steel, plastic, garbage? The answer is carbon dioxide—CO₂—and not by just a little. We make more carbon dioxide than all our other products combined. Last year, we made 36.8 billion tons of CO₂, making it our number one product by a large margin.

Here is a graph showing global human production (credit to the inaugural class of PWS180 Climate Change Science and Solutions). Beyond the “gee whizz” factor, it’s important to remember that CO₂ is the primary driver of climate change, and that whenever we make it, huge amounts of more toxic pollutants are produced (particulate matter, oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, and tropospheric ozone).

Here is how we made so much CO₂ last year. Just 5 sectors accounted for 90% of our CO₂ emissions. I note that in the US this donut of greenhouse gases looks a little different. Because of our lifestyles—mainly our cars—transportation is our largest source of CO₂ in the US.

But it’s all China’s fault, right? China has recently overtaken the US in emissions per year, though we are still responsible for far more cumulative greenhouse gases because we have been at it so long. China is also the world leader in renewable energy, deploying solar and wind faster than any other country. More importantly from a moral perspective, each American produces 16.5 tons of CO₂ every year on average. That almost makes America first—edged out only by Australia and a few small countries in the Middle East.

Why does this matter? This second map from the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health shows estimates of premature death due to exposure to pollution—which is primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels, the same thing causing climate change. There is almost an inverse relationship between who is producing the pollution and who is suffering from it. However, I find it’s always hard to interpret these kinds of data with complicated units. How important is pollution really? Earth Day was 50 years ago, we must have solved it by now, right?

This graph from Isabella Errigo’s recent study shows estimates of premature death caused by pollution and other factors. In any given year, approximately one in four deaths globally is attributable to exposure to pollution. Let that sink in. We are accidentally killing 25-times more people than we are intentionally killing in all wars, terrorism, and homicide. As important as these statistics are in contextualizing the enormity of this crisis, please remember that this is not only a story of numbers. It is a story of individuals and families sickened and suffering from our negligence. We have refused to take responsibility for the waste we put into the air, soil, and water, and the children of God are suffering for it.

Can we, as disciples of Christ continue to tolerate and contribute to this destruction of human life and God's creation? The answer is obviously no, but how are we to understand our complicity in this crisis? More importantly, what can we do to solve it? I find the following scripture from the apostle Paul to be helpful.

I perceive that [my correction] hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

                                                                                -The Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 7:8-10

I understand that there are many who feel despondent; many who feel it is too late. The information about environmental degradation is extremely alarming. However, neither my scientific background nor my perspective as a believer in Christ supports the conclusion that nothing can be done. If we feel ourselves slipping into a place of depression and hopelessness, we can be sure that is the devil (the “sorrow of the world”) seeking to keep us from changing for the better. I will repent in every way I can while trusting in our Creator know the beginning from the end. Ultimately, I am deeply grateful to know how bad things are because fully recognizing the consequences of our communal actions is the first step towards repenting and becoming more like our Heavenly Parents.

What could environmental repentance entail? Here are a few ideas.

We need to increase understanding about the connection between environmental stewardship and human well-being. Mistreatment of the Earth stems from injustice in society. Conversely, correct environmental principles underpin and encourage improved quality of life, social cohesiveness, and sustainable flourishing. Many critics of the environmental movement (and even a minority of its proponents) have been trapped into believing a zero-sum false choice between the economy or the environment. In reality, the economy is a completely dependent subsystem of the global ecosystem. We need to stop thinking about “nature” and “society” as separate things. Sustainable living is integral to our discipleship, personal lives, and professional activities.

Though fossil fuels played a crucial role in We need to clean up our energy system as fast as we can. This means a complete cessation of the extraction and use of fossil fuels. The technology and economics are all in place, but there is a huge awareness gap with many still believing outdated tropes about feasibility and financing. In reality, clean energy could increase the quality of life throughout the world, reducing pollution while stimulating healthy and equitable economic growth.

This will take a mammoth mobilization of our society. Just for the US, Saul Griffith estimates that it will take approximately 1 GDP to transition our society to a renewable and clean economy. For reference, it took 1.8 GDPs to win World War 2. It would cost approximately $40,000 per household to completely decarbonize. However, once in place, the new, clean world would pay itself off in less than 10 years, and that’s only if you are counting the saved energy costs (i.e. not considering the immense health and environmental benefits). The change to our health and the improvement in our care for the poor would be dramatic.

We need to change the way we travel. The most efficient form of transportation ever created is also one that empowers the vulnerable, builds community, and strengthens personal health. Riding a bike is one of the most effective personal choices you can make to better live in accordance with God’s teachings. Encouraging laws that support person-powered transportation (or really anything besides fossil-fueled cars) has immense individual and communal payoffs.

We need to change how we grow food and what we eat. The Lord is incredibly clear in Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants: only eat meat when you have no alternatives. Medical research has confirmed the wisdom of this commandment for personal health, and global ecology has shown how reducing or eliminating animal agriculture could allow the Earth to sustain all of God’s children and creations in abundance and safety.

We need to reimagine government and revitalize our communities. The erosion of confidence in our civic institutions has led to legislative gridlock and deep distrust. It has been decades since we have heard a full-throated defense of democracy and government. If we believe that government is irredeemable, we have cut off one of the most important tools towards making a better world. Whether it is running for office or calling your representative, we need to be aware of and involved in the policy process, which ultimately supports or undermines progress on sustainability. The loss of involvement and understanding is contributing to mental, societal, and environmental problems. Participating in the political process can be effectual and incredibly rewarding, especially at the city to state levels.

As I have learned more about ecology, I keep thinking about Christ’s summary of the Gospel: the two great commandments. Love God and love your neighbor. We show love for God when we reverence and care for His Creation. We show love for our neighbor when we protect and purify our common atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. We must learn from our brothers and sisters. One of the glorious truths of the Restored Gospel is that we all (human and nonhuman) have the same purpose: to find joy in fulfilling the measure of our creation. As we learn from the Earth and care for the Earth, we will become more like our common Creator and bless all the children of God in the process.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. -Mathew 22:37-40