“We’re trying to save the planet,” says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who blocked votes on drilling, before flying off on a book tour, presumably in a solar-powered jet. “Our very health and economic well-being are at stake,” insists a misguided black, political studies group who purport to be guardians of minority interests.

The real dangers to poor and minority families will come from policies implemented in the name of environmental protection. Those policies would send energy prices soaring, destroy jobs and economic growth, and force people to choose between food, fuel and pharmaceuticals.

The poorest families are already spending half of their incomes on energy. For families earning $50,000, energy expense amounts to a quarter of their income. This cannot continue.

Environmental activists want higher prices to force Americans to stop using oil. If prices are used to force energy conservation, the net effect will be greater economic pressure on the domestic poor. The Congressional Budget Office says cap-and-trade measures to slash emissions by 70% would raise average household annual energy costs by $1,300 and cost America trillions of dollars in lost economic output.

These increased costs would make it harder for families to afford a home or college education. The costs would also send airline, tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and other industries into tailspins, costing millions of jobs that will not be replaced by so-called “green-collar” jobs.

In recent years, opinion pioneers have challenged evangelical Christians to take a stand on the environment. They rightfully argue that God commanded us to be stewards of his entire creation. Unfortunately, some radical environmentalists forget that this stewardship is both of animal and human life; wildlife habitats and poor families all need to have faith-based advocates. We can’t save polar bears, yet stand idly by while elderly people die because they can’t afford heat for their homes. By emphasizing production, conservation, efficiency, new fuels, and technologies we can assure that human needs are met.

I believe the faith community will be instrumental in breaking the ideological environmental deadlock. Several groups are emerging that see the environment as one of the important moral issues of our day. These groups are attempting to base public policies on a common sense mix of biblical principles and factual evidence. Groups like the We Get It campaign, The Cornwall Initiative, and The Stop The War on The Poor campaign address real environmental challenges. They understand God’s commandments to be responsible stewards in His wise design.

Become part of the solution. Combine your faith and your understanding of environmental issues to make a difference. Join one of the campaigns above and help us break the deadlock on environmental policy. For more information on how to do this visit www.stopwaronpoor.org.