Hello all!
I’m back! I got back to Boston from Dubai after a 14 hour flight on Wednesday. I had to go back to Gordon to unpack and then pack up all my things at Gordon so I could drive home on Friday. Now I am home and happy to be spending the season of Christmas and Advent with my family and friends. Until Sunday, I still had finals to take in the midst of moving between Dubai, Gordon, and Rochester. My jet-lagged and tired brain could hardly bear it but I am finally done with the most busy and stressful semester of my time at Gordon. I am truly thankful for everything I have been blessed with and people that have helped me get through it. So, without further adieu, here are my reflections on my time at the international United Nations COP28 in Dubai.
The Conference of the Parties is a gathering of every participating nation in the UN and its purpose is to “where Parties (governments) assess global efforts to advance the key Paris Agreement aim of limiting global warming to as close as possible to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels” (unfccc.int). Why is that important? Now I know. I have heard and seen the impact of fossil fuels on many. Is a negative impact from fossil fuels surprising? Well, are we surprised millions of fish and marine life dies when an oil spill happens? No. Are we surprised when communities or whole cities like New Delhi or Shanghai have to wear masks to mitigate the almost unavoidable risk of respiratory illness? No. Are we surprised when coal miners in West Virginia have a life expectancy 10-25 years shorter than your average American? No. So, we know fossil fuels are toxic and bad for human health. But, I must affirm that fossil fuels have brought billions out of poverty as well as created the world we live in today. From plastics to medical equipment to power and heat. This must be acknowledged in order for us to move forward in this space.
Here are the decisions that I witnessed being made at COP28 as summarized by chatGPT:
“The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) concluded with an agreement marking the "beginning of the end" of the fossil fuel era. The agreement outlines a just and swift transition away from fossil fuels by or before 2050, emphasizing deep emissions cuts and increased finance. The conference achieved a historic decision on the world's first 'global stocktake,' urging countries to strengthen climate action plans to limit global warming to 1.5°C especially for vulnerable nations and peoples who are feeling dire impacts from climate change now. Additionally, progress was made on loss and damage funding, adaptation targets, and climate finance, with calls for reform in the financial architecture. The global community emphasized the importance of collaboration and inclusivity, and the next two years were deemed critical for establishing new climate finance goals and updated national contributions. Furthermore, COP28 recognized the urgent need to address biodiversity loss and enhance conservation efforts, acknowledging the inseparable link between climate action and the preservation of global ecosystems. COP29 and COP30 will focus on these goals and further implementation of the Paris Agreement.”
This all means that the world has decided to move away from fossil fuels by or before 2050. Sounds shocking, right? This is an unprecedented decision but as I see it as your local friendly neighborhood climate guy, the only way forward to a sustainable future. Have you seen the Mad Max movies? I want to refrain from being an alarmist because that is not a loving way to convince people of anything. The countries of the UN could decide not to do anything about this. But, the predictions of climate change are very similar to how meteorologists predict the weather. The predictions show the longer change and acton is prevented, the more our planet will fall into disarray. Disarray means a lot of things.
Some of the things I saw and heard at COP28 I cannot unsee or hear. Island nations like Kiribati and Tuvalu are already moving droves of people to places like Australia due to seawater flooding their fields and freshwater sources. For some people, the reality of climate change caused disaster is now. While at COP, my group and I had the privilege to have a discussion with Reverend James Bhagwan, the leader of the Pacific Conference of Churches. As my friend Jim Stump from Biologos wrote in his amazing article which features the same discussion, “He too testified to the imminent catastrophe for the 15 million people of these island nations, 90 percent of whom are Christians. They wonder why fellow Christians in America seem so unwilling to hear their cries, he reported. “Are we not your neighbor?” he asked, referring to the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37). “Are our lives worth less than your comfort?”
If appeals to faith or justice don’t motivate us, Bhagwan added, maybe we would consider a more pragmatic angle: “I’m not just fighting for Pacific Islanders; I’m fighting for you too. It’s going to happen to us first, but it will happen to you eventually, and by then it will be too late to do anything about it.”
Jim Stump wrote an amazing article which deals heavily with the theological arguments around why Christians should fight for climate action as it has a direct affect to Jesus call for us to love the most vulnerable. Here is the link to his article: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2023/december-web-only/creation-eager-expectation-climate-change-cop28-dubai.html.
Christian theology supports the fight for human lives, justice, and mercy in Jesus name. Fighting climate change is considered the greatest, most realistic threat to human life everywhere in the 21st century and beyond. Christians should be the first to stand up for human life and call out the crap! What are we as Christians going to do about it?
Jim Stump also wrote this, “Theologian N. T. Wright reminds us that the New Testament does not say the earth gets trashed and we’re all whisked away to some immaterial heaven. We are resurrection people. And resurrection is not a second creation ex nihilo; it is a transformation of what now exists.
Jesus’ earthly body didn’t stay in the tomb or simply disappear. It was transformed into a resurrected body that wasn’t limited by the same natural laws. But, crucially, his resurrected body still bore the scars of how his earthly body was treated (John 20:24–29).” I can only wonder if the same will be said for the Earth and its renewal.
I hope this article influences who you vote for in local and national elections, those decisions will affect people’s lives now and the lives of generations after us, including me, James Clayton Wheeler. To quote Rev. James Bhagwan again, “Are [their] lives worth less than your comfort?”. Climate change is real, the science is clear and do not let political pundits who are paid by big energy confuse you. The world can transition away from fossil fuels in a just way for all. The choice is yours.
Thank you,
-James Clayton Wheeler (a Christ follower and stubborn optimist)
p.s. I’m not done writing and would love to talk!
Here are some sources for those interested in further information:
Jim Stumps CT article: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2023/december-web-only/creation-eager-expectation-climate-change-cop28-dubai.html
NYT NT Prof Esau McCaulley: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/opinion/climate-chance-the-rapper.html
Tuvalu-Australia Gov’t Movement Program: https://cgdev.org/publication/australia-tuvalu-climate-and-migration-agreement-takeaways-and-next-steps#:~:text=On%20November%209%2C%202023%2C%20Australia,residency%20in%20Australia%20each%20year.
Katharine Hayhoe Climate Communication (avid Christian): https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/who-is-most-likely-to-talk-about-climate-change/
Her TED talks:
United Nations Research: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/mythbusters#:~:text=FACT:%20Scientists%20agree%20that%20humans,a%2097%20per%20cent%20consensus.
UN COP28 Decision: https://unfccc.int/news/cop28-agreement-signals-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-fossil-fuel-era
NASA’s climate change page: https://climate.nasa.gov/what-is-climate-change/
We love a stubborn optimist!!!
Such an inspiring read. Thank you!