Fifteen Protestant, Catholic and Jewish leaders in Minnesota announced Thursday that they have endorsed a "faith statement" on climate change that urges people of faith to pay attention to global warming, and to make changes in their lives to reduce waste and to improve the environment.

"We have not been good stewards of this marvelously interwoven gift of life," said Bishop Mark Hanson of the St. Paul Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. "Acting now to limit the amount of greenhouse gas emissions is a moral imperative."

The leaders agreed that the Earth's average temperature is rising, at least in part, because of the combustion of gas, oil, coal and other fossil fuels that releases carbon dioxide and other gases to the atmosphere. Their statement pledges that they will take the issue to their congregations, encouraging members to conserve energy, to reduce greenhouse emissions from cars and other sources and to seek changes in public and corporate energy policies.

"We have an opportunity to make changes," said the Rev. Timothy Johnson of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities area of the Presbyterian Church. "There are truth-telling scientists, farmers, community leaders, who are presenting us with more sustainable ways to maintain our existence here on Earth."

Karen Roles of the Minnesota Council of Churches said it's clear from several international studies, including one released earlier this week, that global warming is a major problem that will affect the entire planet.

Hanson and others acknowledged that some members of their congregations may object to churches and synagogues taking up environmental issues, but they said global warming is also about justice. The United States represents 4 percent of the world's population, Hanson said, but uses 24 percent of the world's energy and produces a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gases.

Climate change is widely expected to cause the greatest harm to the poorest nations, he said, including those least able to protect their citizens as food-producing areas shift, sea levels rise and diseases spread.

Terry Gips, president of the Center for Judaism and Sustainability, said religious concern about the environment is a growing trend. "In each of our spiritual traditions there are significant traditions and practices about caring for Earth and all of creation," he said.

Tom Meersman can be contacted at meersman@startribune.com © Copyright 2001 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.