PCUSA Fossil Fuel Divestment Part 1
I arrived a bit late to Saint Louis for the General Assembly of the PCUSA, the denomination in which I am ordained as a pastor. Thousands of representatives from all over the world are here. Last year the Pittsburgh Presbytery concurred with an overture going to this assembly calling for complete financial divestment from the fossil fuel industry. I am Pittsburgh's Overture Advocate for this national call to divest. Of the forty concurring presbyteries from all over the country four people were chosen to speak. I was one.
One side says we must divest to do our part of stop climate change. The other side says we must remain invested to change the fossil fuel industry from the inside out. I'm at peace with whatever happens. I have an opinion. I believe those on the other side have their opinion and are equally committed to doing the right thing.
Here's what I said.
My name is John Creasy I’ve been a pastor at The Open Door Presbyterian Church in urban PIttsburgh since 2006 when the church was founded. I’m honored to represent the members of the Pittsburgh Presbytery and the 40 concurring presbyteries.
My pastoral call includes management of our churches three acre urban farm in one of Pittsburgh’s most impoverished neighborhoods. Our farm has become an ecological oasis where food is produced and biodiversity thrives. For ten years churches have worked together to bring environmental justice, food justice and racial justice to our neighborhood through the farm, but none of that will matter if we don’t halt climate change. We must divest our money today.
Climate change and pollution affects the health and well-being of all people, especially those who are of low income or of marginalized communities. We see this injustice all over Pittsburgh, where the poor live, the industry thrives. Today Jesus is calling us to care for all who suffer from injustice, by taking action against climate change.
In 2016 the Peacemaking Ministry of our Presbytery sent me to Standing Rock in North Dakota to stand along side the Sioux nation in their struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline. It was there that I first witnessed the brutal response that the industry is willing to take when a marginalized people group stands against their bottom line.
Today, Pittsburgh is a community suffering from climate change and pollution like so many other frontline communities around the planet. My community suffers from some of the worst air quality in the nation. One study by the Allegheny Health Network demonstrates that nearly 30% of elementary children in Allegheny county suffer from asthma. I grew up as one of those children and continue to suffer today. Men and women of our city are dying due to increased heart disease and cancer connected to our air quality. The expanding industry is focusing on poor communities, building new infrastructure in these neighborhoods, touting new jobs. We need to stand with these communities and the workers who need long term sustainable work.
This is the time for a complete transition away from fossil fuels. Unfortunately the industry thinks differently. Royal Dutch Shell is building North America’s largest ethane cracker plant, using fracked natural gas, just 30 miles from downtown (google cracker). This one facility will emit 522 tons of pollutants each year that are directly linked to cancer and heart disease and 2.25 million tons of CO2 annually. There are six of these plants planned for our region, making us the “new cancer alley”.
The plan of the industry is to expand infrastructure and increase dependence. Our plan is different. Today we’re asking you to put your children, God’s children all over the world, first. Today we can be leaders in the transition to a truly sustainable global culture beginning with a full divestment from fossil fuels and reinvestment in the clean energy future that we now know is possible.
At standing rock we said “you can’t drink oil” In Pittsburgh we’ve learned we can’t breath it either.
One side says we must divest to do our part of stop climate change. The other side says we must remain invested to change the fossil fuel industry from the inside out. I'm at peace with whatever happens. I have an opinion. I believe those on the other side have their opinion and are equally committed to doing the right thing.
Here's what I said.
My name is John Creasy I’ve been a pastor at The Open Door Presbyterian Church in urban PIttsburgh since 2006 when the church was founded. I’m honored to represent the members of the Pittsburgh Presbytery and the 40 concurring presbyteries.
My pastoral call includes management of our churches three acre urban farm in one of Pittsburgh’s most impoverished neighborhoods. Our farm has become an ecological oasis where food is produced and biodiversity thrives. For ten years churches have worked together to bring environmental justice, food justice and racial justice to our neighborhood through the farm, but none of that will matter if we don’t halt climate change. We must divest our money today.
Climate change and pollution affects the health and well-being of all people, especially those who are of low income or of marginalized communities. We see this injustice all over Pittsburgh, where the poor live, the industry thrives. Today Jesus is calling us to care for all who suffer from injustice, by taking action against climate change.
In 2016 the Peacemaking Ministry of our Presbytery sent me to Standing Rock in North Dakota to stand along side the Sioux nation in their struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline. It was there that I first witnessed the brutal response that the industry is willing to take when a marginalized people group stands against their bottom line.
Today, Pittsburgh is a community suffering from climate change and pollution like so many other frontline communities around the planet. My community suffers from some of the worst air quality in the nation. One study by the Allegheny Health Network demonstrates that nearly 30% of elementary children in Allegheny county suffer from asthma. I grew up as one of those children and continue to suffer today. Men and women of our city are dying due to increased heart disease and cancer connected to our air quality. The expanding industry is focusing on poor communities, building new infrastructure in these neighborhoods, touting new jobs. We need to stand with these communities and the workers who need long term sustainable work.
This is the time for a complete transition away from fossil fuels. Unfortunately the industry thinks differently. Royal Dutch Shell is building North America’s largest ethane cracker plant, using fracked natural gas, just 30 miles from downtown (google cracker). This one facility will emit 522 tons of pollutants each year that are directly linked to cancer and heart disease and 2.25 million tons of CO2 annually. There are six of these plants planned for our region, making us the “new cancer alley”.
The plan of the industry is to expand infrastructure and increase dependence. Our plan is different. Today we’re asking you to put your children, God’s children all over the world, first. Today we can be leaders in the transition to a truly sustainable global culture beginning with a full divestment from fossil fuels and reinvestment in the clean energy future that we now know is possible.
At standing rock we said “you can’t drink oil” In Pittsburgh we’ve learned we can’t breath it either.
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