The Supreme Court’s ruling on June 27th, 2022 in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) diminishes the EPA’s ability to regulate emissions from the power sector as the world is experiencing rapid growth in carbon emissions and rising temperatures. This decision prevents federal environmental regulators from taking the action necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and protect the public from the impact of climate change. 

Those impacts of climate change include more intense wildfires, extreme heat, stronger storms, deeper droughts, and more widespread flooding. Though the impacts of climate change are felt by all, they are especially felt by the most vulnerable populations as they have to leave their homes in search of better food supply and economic opportunity, leading to increased poverty, conflict, and hunger. A 2021 EPA report shows disproportionate impacts of climate change falling on those “people least able to prepare and cope.”

MFSA works for climate justice within and beyond the United Methodist Church because we believe, as Christians, we are caretakers of and called to care for all of God’s creation. The United Methodist’s Book of Discipline states “All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it. Water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, plants, animal life, and space are to be valued and conserved because they are God’s creation and not solely because they are useful to human beings. God has granted us stewardship of creation. We should meet these stewardship duties through acts of loving care and respect.” (Social Principles, ¶ 160)

As elections approach and federal environmental protections diminish, it is more important than ever that we Justice-Seeking People of Faith come together to take action on climate justice. We can vote for leaders who take climate change seriously, advocate for policies that adequately address the growing threat of climate change, and support vulnerable communities that are experiencing the greatest impacts of climate change.