Jewish Call for climate change action

A PROGRESSIVE Jewish contingent was set to join a multi-faith delegation promoting action against climate change in Canberra today (Thursday).

However, Orthodox representatives have declined to send a high-level representative as part of the delegation.

Twenty-eight leaders of various faiths headed to the national capital to push for measures on climate change as part of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change. They were due to meet Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Liberal climate change spokesperson Greg Hunt and other MPs.

The visit was timely, considering the Government was close to finalising its carbon plan, and came in the same week the Government’s climate change adviser Ross Garnaut released his final report, this one on compensation.

A public forum was scheduled for Thursday night, where speakers will include Victorian MP Mark Dreyfus, who is Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change.

Religious leaders are urging the Government to carefully consider the structure of its proposed tax on carbon, and to think broadly about options for reducing emissions.

The Jewish contingent comprised Union for Progressive Judaism (UPJ) executive director Steve Denenberg and head of the Council of Progressive Rabbis, Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins.

Denenberg said climate change and possible responses to it had been canvassed within the movement. “We’ve had discussion, and we believe that the majority of our constituents would support all efforts to combat climate change and do accept the science. As thinking Jews, we believe the science is generally self-evident,” he said.

Denenberg said the Government, “which is supporting carbon tax and other [climate] issues feel quite isolated”.

“We can be sceptical, we can be cynical, but we’re the custodians of this planet for our grandchildren and we can’t wait for everyone to reach consensus.”

Denenberg said he had tried to involve a representative of Orthodox Judaism but there had been no response from the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia (ORA) or the Sydney Beth Din.

Contacted by The AJN, ORA president Rabbi Dovid Freilich confirmed his organisation had been approached, but the proximity of the delegation to the festival of Shavuot was problematic. However, ORA had asked a Chabad representative in Canberra to attend.

“We have to protect the world Hashem gave us. It says this in Bereshit. We’re duty bound to ensure its survival,” Rabbi Freilich said.

PETER KOHN

Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, Mark Dreyfus

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