On the Repealing of Clean Power Plan
ISNA finds the decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan goes against the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which is to protect people and the environment. Deregulating the energy industry will lead to an increase in carbon emissions which will adversely affect the most vulnerable among us, disrupt the booming renewable energy industry, and create market uncertainty for the energy sector.
In Islam, we are directed in the Quran “to walk softly on the earth” (25:63). This is a call from scripture for us to adopt a healthy and wholesome low-impact sustainable lifestyle characterized by reducing our carbon footprint. Addressing climate change by reducing our carbon footprint is a moral responsibility as caretakers, stewards, and guardians of the earth.
ISNA‘s Green Masjid Taskforce has made protecting our environment a priority. Last year, ISNA became the first national Muslim organization to divest from fossil fuels as a step toward reducing our carbon footprint. It’s essential that we continue to work toward solutions that acknowledge the devastating impact of human-induced climate change, invest in existing alternatives that generate energy and jobs, and support sensible regulation like the Clean Power Plan that include coal as a diminishing part of our nation’s energy mix.
We encourage cities and states to continue to forge ahead with sensible solutions. Local communities as a collective can have an even greater impact than federal regulation, and we remain hopeful that their actions will help safeguard a clean and prosperous planet for all of God’s creation.