Oklahoma Scientists, Christians, Urge Congress To Act On Climate Change

Two ORU professors are calling on Congress to take climate change seriously.

They're part of a group of 200 scientists, who are also evangelical Christians, who have petitioned Congress to act now to help stem the tide of climate change.

The Oklahoma Climatological Survey says our state has experienced the warmest year, the hottest summer, and the warmest spring on record--all in just the last two years.

Climate change has become a hot-button political issue.

Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe has called it a hoax and cites scripture. He gave News On 6 this statement Monday:

"The book of Genesis tells us that the cold and heat, summers and winters will not cease, and I believe the God who spoke these words is still up there and in control. We have seen environmentalists disregarded the term 'global warming' and adopt the phrase 'climate change,' because there will be cold, there will be heat, there will be summer and there will be winter, but the earth shall not cease. Furthermore, more than 60 percent of weathercasters recently polled for a study done by George Mason University believe that any global warming that occurs is the result of 'natural variation' and not 'human activities.' There is no question that we should be good stewards of what God has given us, but the global warming alarmists are using gloom-and-doom, fear-based tactics to advance their environmentalist agenda which will eliminate job opportunities and slow economic growth."

"I've been a Christian for a number of years, since I was a teenager," said Dr. Hal Reed.

Reed is an evangelical Christian. He's also a scientist at Oral Roberts University, a biologist, specializing in insects. He said he's seen, firsthand, the affects of climate change, as different species of insects are moving into Oklahoma.

"We keep seeing some of the more tropical or subtropical species that are moving northward," he said.

Reed is one of 200 evangelical Christians, who are also scientists, to have signed a petition asking Congress to act on climate change.

The letter states, "All of God's Creation...is groaning under the weight of our uncontrolled use of fossil fuels."

It goes on to quote scripture, "We as a society risk being counted among 'those who destroy the earth' (Revelation 11:18)."

Read the complete letter here

Organizers say all of the 200 scientists were carefully vetted before they could sign the petition. Each one either teaches science at an academic institution or they have a PhD in one of the hard sciences, such as chemistry, biology, or physics.

"We start seeing there is a Biblical mandate to take care of God's creation. Genesis 2:15 talks about taking care of the garden," Reed said.

Reed said he hopes the petition spurs Christians and Congress to act on climate change before it's too late.

"I just challenge people to look at the Scriptures, look at our lifestyle, try to connect, as Christians, how we live, how we live in this world with other people, but it's also with the world God gave us," Reed said.

Seven other Oklahoma scientists signed the petition, including ORU professor Dr. John Korstad. One teaches at the University of Tulsa, the others all teach at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany.