Coalition Of Religious Leaders Urge Automakers To Create Cleaner Cars, Calling Car Purchases A Moral Choice

Detroit, MI (November 19, 2002) – An interfaith alliance of religious leaders is demanding that the top three American automakers – Ford, GM and Chrysler – create cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars. At the same time, these leaders are calling upon their congregants to weigh fuel efficiency more heavily when they purchase a car.

On Wednesday, November 20th, 2002, an open letter from over 100 heads of denominations and senior religious leaders from 21 states to automobile executives will be hand-delivered by a delegation of Jewish and Christian leaders riding in a convoy of fuel-efficient hybrid-electric vehicles. They will meet with the leadership of Ford Motor Company and General Motors at their Detroit headquarters, as well as with the United Auto Workers.

The campaign, led in part by the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL), has active state-wide coalitions in 20 states. Religious leaders in 17 states have participated in events this month highlighting the moral dimension of fuel economy.

The Interfaith Climate and Energy Campaign is a partnership between COEJL and the National Council of Churches. The local events leading up to the national effort in Detroit marks the first time religious leaders have reached out directly to congregants to discuss environmental, public health and national security implications associated with the cars they choose to drive. The event in Detroit will showcase interfaith efforts including the announcement of the evangelical Christian “What Would Jesus Drive?” ad campaign.

The campaign and open letter argue that polluting cars are “warming the planet, contributing to causes of war, and increasing the burden on the poor. Because automobiles are having such extraordinary global impact, choices about what cars to build raise fundamental moral issues.”

“Increasing fuel economy is a moral imperative because it is a pragmatic solution to global warming, air pollution, and dependence on Middle Eastern oil,” said Sharon Bloome, COEJL chair. “We are going to Detroit to find out why automakers which already have technologies that can make oil go a lot further aren’t putting them in vehicles and marketing them. We want to work together with them to help achieve a common goal to ensure the health of our planet for our children and grandchildren, from generation to generation.”

In addition to local mobilization efforts, COEJL encourages activism through a letter-writing campaign to Congress and automakers. Their letter can be found at www.coejl.org.

Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and one of the four speakers at Wednesday’s event said, “Technology exists to build cars that better reflect our values, protect our children and preserve God’s creation.” Rabbi Saperstein went on to say, “Reliance on fossil fuels compromises our national security by creating dependence upon oil producing nations, causes and exacerbates illness for millions of our citizens, and threatens the majesty of God’s creation.”

Click here for the full letter in PDF format.

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