America's Path to Progress - Our Platform

The time is right for Christian Coalition supporters and allies to step forward to promote environmental and energy independence initiatives.  Taking responsibility to care for God's creation and protecting the future of our children and grandchildren is a core family value.  Further delays in action will impact our national security, our economic security, and our family security.

We believe that an all-American "comprehensive" approach is needed.  We can create clean energy jobs by building and using made-in-America technologies to reduce our dependency on oil and work towards a much more diversified and secure energy future.

The Christian Coalition will advocate for solutions based on two central principles:

•1.    We should take action now with solutions that tap American innovation.  American inventors, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers should be the leaders in a global transformation toward cleaner, more secure energy choices that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

•2.    We believe that we can better ensure our national security, strengthen our economy and protect our environment at the same time by developing American energy resources and investing in clean, renewable energy technologies that create American jobs.

The prudent and conservative approach is to act now and avoid accumulating a pollution debt that requires American industry to make much steeper reductions down the road.  The U.S. Climate Action Partnership, which is made up of more than two dozen of America's largest companies, has called for Congress to take action now to set national goals for capping and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help promote clean energy technologies.  The members of U.S. Climate Action Partnership warn that:  "Any delay in action to control emissions increases the risk of unavoidable consequences that could necessitate even steeper reductions in the future."

Helping America and its Families

We believe that all families should have access to renewable and alternative energy sources, as well more energy efficient cars, trucks and household appliances, in order to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.  Cost-effective policies should be enacted at the state, local and federal levels to accelerate a free-market shift to a cleaner, cheaper energy future.

U.S. leadership and technology innovation can spur global progress and grow our economy, as we seek opportunities to export "made-in-America" clean energy technologies throughout the world.  Long term solutions however must have participation from all countries, including China and India.

Reducing the Impact on the Poor

Such delays also increase the negative impact that climate issues (and solutions) may have on the world's poor, who have less resources to cope with the impact of changing climate.  Even as we work to reduce emissions, we need to be leaders in helping the most vulnerable deal with dwindling supplies of clean water, coastal flooding, and prolonged drought and famine.

Delays also present an increased security risk to the United States (and world stability) by drastically increasing the number of refugees and displaced populations.  The CIA's National Intelligence Council states that this could represent a "ten-fold increase over today's entire documented refugee and internally displaced populations", and could create greater instability in some of the most volatile regions of the world, and put our country's interests at greater risk.

We believe that we have a scriptural obligation to care for what Matthew 25:40 refers to as "the least of these".  As a result, helping the world's poor adapt to these circumstances, and preventing such circumstances where possible, with the introduction of new technologies, is a responsibility we should be willing to bear.

Resolving to Take Action

As conservatives, we stand up for our country's national security and the health of our economy.  And, as Christians, we recognize the Biblical mandate to care for God's creation and protect our children's future.

The cornerstone of the Christian Coalition's work will be education.  Knowledge is the key to addressing these complex issues.