How much carbon would Jesus use? Not much, say the religious communities now teaming with environmentalists to lobby Capitol Hill. As a carbon-capping bill approaches the Senate, eco-advocates hope that church partnerships will re-frame the debate, and religious leaders rail against the desecration of divine creation and the suffering of the poor coping with energy costs and food shortages.
Says one prayer leader, “Creator God, have mercy on our wayward world, tottering on the brink of self-destruction.” And He might just be listening: The Vatican added pollution to its list of sins last month, the Post reports, and the Revs Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson created an unlikely alliance to promote green causes. Said one eco-warrior, “If you believe God visits each member of Congress, you might have the most powerful lobbying tool of all.” (More environmentalism stories.)