Whether or not you believe the Earth was created by a higher power, all of us can agree that we have been given tremendous gifts of natural energy. The warming power of the sun makes the very possibility of life on Earth a reality.
The winds that blow over the oceans have carried sailors and explorers, including Polynesian voyagers, to Hawaii and around the world. Waves, tides and ocean currents bring nutrients up from the deep, carry ocean life around the globe, and shape the beautiful beaches, vibrant coral reefs and undulating shorelines of our islands. Streams and rivers channel life-giving water. And volcanoes rise above the sea floor and explode into the sky, creating the very islands upon which we live our short and fragile lives.
Native Hawaiians and many other cultures remain connected to these natural sources of energy. Most of the world’s religious traditions respect and honor these awe-inspiring forces.
But hubris and ego are also powerful forces, and humanity has largely rejected these gifts in our pursuit of fossil fuels that we believe can be better controlled and utilized for our own ends. This willful blindness is evident in our continuing refusal to accept the reality of human-caused climate change, to cease our gluttonous exploitation of the Earth, and to take responsibility to make amends for the damage we have done.
But climate change is just the latest manifestation of our refusal to acknowledge our sins against the Earth and each other. Whether it be deep-ocean drilling for oil, mountaintop removal to extract coal, or hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, we are disemboweling the Earth for ultimately limited supplies of energy. That we have let this happen speaks to the depth of our collective and willful moral blindness.
This human assault upon the Earth to satisfy its insatiable economic desires must end, and it will end either by choice or in disaster. If we return to the wisdom of our traditions and embrace the gifts of renewable energy that have always been with us, there is hope. The ingenuity of the human mind and the resilience of the human spirit are our personal gifts that can be used for good or ill.
As people of faith and communities of culture, we can use energy in ways that honor our obligations to each other, the Earth, and the Givers of these wonderful gifts. And embracing community-scaled solutions will give us true energy independence and allow us to refocus on meeting local needs.
It makes no moral sense to expand the use of fossil fuels, in Hawaii or anywhere. It doesn’t matter whether natural gas is cleaner than oil or coal, or whether it can be a bridge fuel to facilitate more renewable energy production. We can no longer ignore the fundamental immorality of destroying the Earth to extract finite supplies of fossil fuels, especially not when we have the capacity now more than ever to use the gifts of renewable energy that create and sustain life on Earth.
Therefore, Hawaii Interfaith Power and Light opposes any infrastructure to import liquefied natural gas or other fossil fuels. We urge our elected officials, business leaders and fellow citizens of conscience, culture and faith to oppose these efforts, as well.
