Global climate change: Should Christians be concerned?

Henry Hengeveld

Scientists have warned governments that human activities are causing changes in global climate and that, if unabated, such changes pose considerable danger to humans and to global ecosystems. Reducing these risks of change has become a major challenge for governments around the world, including that of Canada. Environmental groups are encouraging governments to take quick action, while many industry groups take the opposite position. The general public appears to be confused and somewhat complacent. Within this debate, the voices of Christians are, with a few exceptions, largely silent.

The presentation will briefly review the science behind the issue of climate change, the reasons for concern and the response of governments to date. It will also assess the limited role of the World Council of Churches and other Christian bodies in the debate, and then consider how Christ followers might best approach this issue - whether as environmental professionals, in their personal behaviour as Earthkeepers, as individuals who love their 'neighbours', or as a body of believers.

Henry Hengeveld is Environment Canada's Senior Science Advisor on Climate Change, a position he has held since 1982. In this capacity, he undertakes regular assessments of national and international scientific literature and research activities related to climate change and communicates related information to a broad range of scientific and lay audiences, including policy makers, industry groups and the general public. He has published numerous reports on the science of climate change, and frequently speaks to a broad range on audiences on the topic. Throughout the past decade, he has also been actively involved in a variety of domestic and international meetings dealing with both climate change science assessment and the development of related global agreements on mitigative action.

Henry obtained his B.Sc. in Mathematics and Physics in 1968 and his M.Sc. in Meteorology in 1970, both at University of Toronto. Prior to assuming his current activities on climate change, he spent more than a decade studying operational methods of monitoring sea ice using remote sensing.