Global warming is a potentially serious issue threatening every country in the world. As temperatures heat up worldwide, the Polar ice caps will melt, plants and animals will lose their natural habitats and risk extinction, coastlines will become submerged, and severe weather events will increase. Not only will millions of people become displaced, it will become more difficult to supply enough food for everyone due to the diminishing land mass. Both from an international political perspective and a Christian perspective, these are compelling issues. The Kyoto Protocol offers a means of forestalling global warming through environmental responsibility, providing a Christian response to global warming.
The Kyoto Protocol "requires developed countries to reduce their GHG emissions below levels specified for each of them in the Treaty" ("Kyoto Protocol"). The more developed the nations, the greater their burden of responsibility under the Treaty, which is fair since they contribute more to the problem and can more easily afford the costs of emission reduction ("Kyoto Protocol"). As J. Milburn Thompson points out in his book Justice and Peace: A Christian Primer, the environmental scarcity caused by global warming can generate three types of conflict(scarcity conflict, ethnic conflict, and deprivation conflict (84). Conflict(or "strife," as the Bible terms it(is something that the Bible cautions against, stating, "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work" (James 3:16, KJV). Thus, from a conflict standpoint and from the standpoint of Christian love and compassion for one's fellow man, who would suffer under global warming, the Kyoto Protocol can be considered a Christian response to global warming.
"Kyoto Protocol." UNFCCC. Thompson, J. Milburn. Justice and Peace: A Christian Primer. Maryknoll, ...