MWR : Canadian leader attends U.N. meeting on climate

Last updated December 27.

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Jan. 2, 2012 issue

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Canadian leader attends U.N. meeting on climate

Director invited to South Africa, speaks to elected officials in Canada

By Deborah Froese and Dan Dyck Mennonite Church Canada

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WINNIPEG, Man. — For Mennonite Church Canada executive director Willard Metzger, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, began with a twist of irony.

Mennonite Church Canada executive director Willard Metzger, second row at right, marches through the streets of Durban, South Africa, in support of climate justice with other people of faith. — Photo provided

On the eve of the event, Durban was in the midst of a destructive increase in rainfall after a spring of exceeding dryness.

“I anticipated some reference to this obvious irony,” Metzger wrote in a blog. “But the irony was never recognized, or at least never mentioned.”

The World Council of Churches invited Metzger to the U.N. climate change talks, which carries significance because MC Canada is not a WCC member and is a relatively small denomination.

Metzger previously shared a biblical perspective on climate justice with the Canadian Council of Churches and with about a dozen senators and members of parliament Oct. 25 in Ottawa.

“Whether individuals believe that climate change is human induced or not, the facts remain that sea levels are rising, deserts are expanding, violent storms are becoming stronger and more frequent, and that the poor, especially children, are paying the highest price,” Metzger said.

His Ottawa address — first delivered at an interfaith panel on climate justice the day before — further exhorted political leaders.

“Whether the developed world takes responsibility for the effect of climate change or not, we have no other option but to take responsibility for our [North American] consumption patterns,” he said.

People of faith, Metzger said in a subsequent interview, have a moral obligation to ensure God’s creation is maintained as an expression of worship.

Metzger reported on the Durban talks in his daily blog. He shared the pain of those suffering most and statistics about their plight. Island states like Fiji lose homes and livelihoods as sea levels rise. Somalia reported climate change was responsible in 2011 for the deaths of 20,000 children and the malnutrition of 730,000 others. Thailand lost two-thirds of its 2011 rice harvest to flooding. In Kenya, rising temperatures, soil erosion and drought reduced the yield of the food staple maize to 20 percent of what it was 50 years ago.

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Comments

I remember when global cooling was a deep concern. Then came Al Gore and global warming replaced global cooling. When it was learned that global warming was a fabricated issue, global warming lost a lot of support except in the religious far left. It then became climate change. Now in this article, it is climate justice. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Metzger is strongly endorsed by Canada’s Green Party leader, Elizabeth May, who is the Al Gore of Canada. Who knows, eventually Al Gore may become a Mennonite. It would be a good fit. Apparently Ms May needs all the help she can get, therefore Metzger is a good find.

According to Ms May, we now have a global crisis which is ecological, financial and developmental in nature. I think she is part of the problem. All this attention to climate justice in the religious left when this globe is in the midst of deep spiritual rot.

It is ironic that in the time of this conference, there was a lot of rain after a spring of dryness. Perhaps, in the future, they should have these conferences at all places where there is drought.

- Dale Welty (dec 31 at 1:28 p.m.)
Dale, it would help to leave off the labels. They change with time and politics.

The fact is there are deniers of climate change when it is obvious. Then they say humans have no effect on climate change. Therefore, doesn't that mean that we have no influence on our environment? That is too ridiculous. The last 10 years have been the warmest decade on record. Look it up.

There were deniers that smoking caused lung cancer in many people. There are those who still deny that man landed on the moon. There are those who deny that President Obama fulfilled his promises. In the next sentence they want to repeal "Obamacare", denying that it is Affordable Health Act.

I can tell you that my 4 living siblings and my wife and I have benefited greatly by the Affordable Health Act. Many have health insurance now who did not 2 years ago and it is going to get better. We have government money to kill people, but there are deniers that we have more than enough money to help people to live--especially if we quit killing our own people by sending them into war. Climatologists, not just scientists, around the world have agreed that climate is warming and that humans are causing some of it. I know you are among the deniers, but we will always live with deniers--especially those who have done wrong and deny it. We have done wrong to our environment and we should confess our sins. Is it too difficult to get the facts from a nonpartisan source? No! I encourage you to broaden your reading and your sources of information. Even I knew where to find the information about the financial report of MCUSA!

- Les (dec 31 at 7:08 p.m.)
Les, sorry to disappoint you, but I did not coin Global Warming, Climate Change and Climate Justice. If the theology left can use these labels, I also will use them at my discretion.

The Bible says the following: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? All the Metzgers and Les’ in the world with the help of the UN will not be able to stop it.

BTY, in the Great Commission, Jesus informs his disciples what he wants them to do when he leaves. If Climate Justice was omitted by Jesus, why does Metzger, Mennonite Canada and MWR give it a higher priority than the Great Commission?

With the exception of one, I choose to ignore the other subjects of a distracting nature you introduced which are far outside the contents of the above article.

You say how happy you are with Obama’s Affordable Health Act. How is this health care plan superior to MC USA healthcare plans?

- Dale Welty (jan 2 at 6:49 p.m.)

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