While notably tepid, the about face by the Southern Baptists on climate change last week was, of course, big news for the environmental movement. It was followed this week by the Vatican listing pollution among its "new sins." But the fact that these traditionally conservative groups have adopted more progressive-minded talking points on environmental issues doesn't necessarily create inroads for the left. Nay, for the most part environmentalists and the left in general have both done a poor job of looping right-leaning greens into the movement. Over at Scholars & Rogues, Dr. Slammy has a very interesting post about talking to these new greens, and does some content analysis of a regular old green site, a "creation care" site, and a so-called "crunchy conservative" site. Slammy's study found that the religiously minded green folks talked a lot about God, and the secular greens talked about, well, largely secular notions of environmentalism. The findings raise an important question: as action on climate change becomes less of a partisan issue, how can the environmental movement draw folks like the Southern Baptists into the same conversation? Right now we don't even seem to be speaking the same language.
I don't think the environmental movement as a whole needs to start preaching the gospel (that would probably be seen as pandering). But more non-partisan partnerships on environmental issues is a start. The bigger, older environmental groups haven't done much of this, but the youth movement is starting, with folks like the Energy Action Coalition leading the way by partnering with groups like Restoring Eden. Some reevaluation of how we talk about environmental subjects is another step; it probably wouldn't hurt to drop a few references to caring for Creation here and there.
--Kate Sheppard
