Today, the AHA and other secularist, humanist, atheist, and nontheist organizations urged members of the House of Representatives to support H. Res. 424, the first resolution introduced by Republicans which recognizes the existence of climate change and the human impact on the environment.

Read the letter below.

 

 

September 23, 2015

Rep. Ralph Abraham
417 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-1805

Dear Representative Abraham,

The undersigned humanist, atheist, secularist, and nontheist organizations write to ask that you co-sponsor Rep. Chris Gibson’s (R-NY) recently introduced resolution on climate change, H. Res. 424.

Climate change impacts all of humanity, and will require all of humanity to solve. And while past partisan divisions have prevented Congress from putting forth good policy to address this problem, there is a growing consensus both within Congress and in American society as a whole that action must be taken now before it is too late.

As humanists, atheists, and nontheists, we believe that this is the one life we have—and the one Earth we have—which means we must do whatever we can to preserve and protect our planet for generations to come. Our community is dedicated to working with members of both parties and of all religious backgrounds to solve global warming, as the failure to do so could result in the eventual extermination of humanity.

In fact, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,¹ humanity can expect a global temperature rise of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century, which could raise sea levels, melt glaciers, and greatly impact plant and animal life. The impact on human civilization as a result of these changes could very well be catastrophic, and be the cause of untold and unnecessary human suffering.

Rep. Gibson’s resolution does several important things: it recognizes the consequences of climate change, affirms the role of humanity in contributing to these changes, and charges Congress with working together towards a solution. It is also the first major resolution introduced by a member of the Republican party on climate change, signifying the growing bi-partisan desire to work together on this issue.

We know that change can take months or even years to come about due to the complicated and adversarial nature of the legislature, but by supporting this resolution Congress would take the important first step and show to its constituents and the world that this issue is a top priority.

It’s for these reasons that we once again urge you to co-sponsor H. Res. 424, and to work with your fellow members of Congress to ensure its passage.

Respectfully,

American Atheists
American Humanist Association
Camp Quest
Center for Inquiry
Ex-Muslims of America
Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
Secular Coalition for America
Secular Woman
Stiefel Freethought Foundation
Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association

[1] IPCC 2007, Summary for Policymakers, in Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, p. 17.