Long ago the land was revered, and considered sacred. Families acquired land and worked to protect, cultivate and preserve it with the intention of passing it on to future generations. There was a shared understanding that a home was more than a building, it was more than a piece of real estate.

That way of thinking has changed. Land is now "real estate" and therefore a financial asset. And when things are seen only for their financial value, their significance is altered. Certainly, a home is a financial asset making it beneficial to a family's well being. But when that element of monetary usefulness surpasses the element of shelter and sacred space in which a family lives and celebrates their lives together, it is time to re-evaluate.

We have become a society that is fixated on the "bottom line." Money and what that money can buy is now more important than just about everything else. This is a harsh commentary but one that is becoming glaringly apparent. Why else would environmental issues become political footballs?

In 2003 the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a pastoral letter on the Christian duty to care for the environment: "You love all that exists…all things are Yours, God, lover of life." It is easy to read, full of theological wisdom, practical insights and common sense; it is also bold in its suggestions and it speaks to the entire global community.

We have a responsibility to preserve all elements of creation: the oceans and fresh water supply, the forests and the air we breathe. Yet, in parts of the world the air is so contaminated and the water so fouled that the health of the inhabitants of these regions are at risk. These regions often are mired in poverty.

There is a direct connection between preserving human life and the land on which that life exists. In support of this idea a group of influential evangelical leaders is developing a strategy to persuade Americans that being a good Christian includes dealing with issues of global warming.

Their premise is similar to that of the Canadian bishops, yet evangelical leaders are divided within their ranks. A counter-movement led by Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family contends that religious support to curb global warming is taking attention away from the important issues of abortion and family values and breaking from evangelical support of the policies of the White House.

Global warming and other environmental matters are not political notions that belong to one party or religious denomination. They are issues affecting all of us --- rich and poor, religious of all beliefs and citizens of every country. The formal call three years ago from the Canadian bishops and the current campaign of American evangelical leaders to put environmental issues on an equal plane with other life issues is a positive step in recognizing the interdependence human beings rely on for survival.

Global warming is a complicated issue, not fully understood by most of us. However, most of us do understand the need to protect the land and the air and we also understand that the cost to do so is worth the changes it would require. The environment is not ours for the taking. It does not belong to one country or one ideology --- it belongs to the world. This can make it seem vague and something for others to attend to.

However, as the Canadian bishops and the American evangelical leaders agree, we do not own the land, we are stewards of it. The climate is changing and we cannot pretend it is not despite the money it might cost to prevent further damage. It is not hysterical to say that the future of the whole world depends on it. We have a war on drugs, a war on terror; why not a war on global warming? It would save lives, not take them.

Pope John Paul II said in his World Day for Peace Message in 1990, "The ecological crisis is a moral issue…the responsibility of everyone." The Canadian bishops conclude, "We are called as co-creators to join God's work to repair some of creation's wounds, which have been inflicted due to our ecological sins." The evangelical leaders are planning a television ad: "With God's help, we can stop global warming for our kids, our world and our Lord."

We can join these religious leaders and make a difference locally by informing and educating, from the pulpit, the classroom and the dinner table.

Anne Hansen is a parent education consultant and a parishioner at Blessed Junípero Serra Church, Camarillo. Her e-mail address is familymail@aol.com.