Scientist and evangelical Christian Calvin DeWitt, co-founder of the Evangelical Environmental Network, talked with Grist's David Roberts in a telephone interview published by Grist.org. It is part of "God and the Environment, a Grist special series, by David Roberts (October 2006).
DeWitt discussed the scriptural basis for "creation care," the increasing concern among evangelicals with the current administration's environmental policy, and some of the reasons behind past splits between evangelicals and environmentalists, He also discussed the potential for reaching a "tipping point" in which large numbers of evangelicals accept a biblically-founded mission to protect the climate of the Earth. DeWitt notes that unlike traditional denominations that draw doctrine from hierarchical structures, evangelicals draw guidance direct from the Bible, so that "they are used to conversion. They can turn on a dime."
DeWitt is one of those behind the Evangelical Climate Initiative, which has issued a Climate Change: Evangelical Call to Action, including the following four claims:
Claim 1: Human-Induced Climate Change is Real
Claim 2: The Consequences of Climate Change Will Be Significant, and Will Hit the Poor the Hardest
Claim 3: Christian Moral Convictions Demand Our Response to the Climate Change Problem
Claim 4: The need to act now is urgent. Governments, businesses, churches, and individuals all have a role to play in addressing climate change—starting now.