Conclusion and Summary

While we, as Torah Jews, receive our guidance from the Torah and its teachers, this does not mean we should close our eyes and ears to other sources of information. Although all truth can ultimately be found in the Torah, we do not possess the tools to be able to access all truth exclusively through it. As we have demonstrated, the Torah itself instructs us to consult external sources in order to know how to apply Torah principles, and this is how we must proceed in relation to climate change as well.

Summary

• Rabbinic response to climate change a work in progress: Although our rabbinic leadership has not yet widely alerted us as to the importance of climate change, this is starting to change. There are several reasons why rabbinic engagement with this issue would take a significant amount of time to develop.

• Radical environmental doctrines are a distraction: Indeed there are some tensions between Judaism and some extreme environmental ideologies. However:

• Concern about climate change should be based primarily on science, not on ideological affiliations.

• Climate change relates to public safety and not just the environment.

• Many aspects of environmental thinking are indeed consistent with Torah.

• Applying Torah principles requires reliance on scientific wisdom:  Although the relationship of Torah and secular wisdom has been a complicated one throughout history and until today, the Torah recognizes the importance of scientific wisdom, recognizing that it is our prime means of understanding the physical world. While historical tensions may justify a degree of skepticism in certain areas, there is no basis for this in relation to climate science.