I need to be shrill for the Christians. No one else will. So I'll do it.

Iain Murray is such a world class asshole, it's hard to know where to begin. Here he goes again. The article starts out with the usual BS we've come to expect from the CEI: there is no global warming and even if there is, it's not so bad and even if it is bad we can't do anything about it. Lather, rinse, repeat. But then he goes on to criticize the evangelical Christians I wrote about yesterday:

There is a terrible opportunity cost to drastic action to reduce climate change, and that cost would likely weigh heavier on the world’s poor than the effects of global warming itself.

Moreover, it is acknowledged by every responsible economist that drastic action to reduce fossil fuel use would increase energy costs, which would in turn reduce household income. Wealthier is healthier, and richer is cleaner. Limiting economic activity therefore can have a dramatic impact on quality of life, not least by reducing life expectancy. Researchers have found a direct correlation between income and mortality, with a disproportionate impact on poorer communities. Thus, policies that reduce societal wealth can be expected to induce premature mortalities, as well as to increase disease and injury rates.

For example, it is often asserted that global warming already kills 150,000 people per year worldwide. Yet a recent econometric study by Johns Hopkins epidemiologist Harvey Brenner found that replacing U.S. coal with higher-cost fuels for the purposes of energy production would result in at least 195,000 additional premature deaths per year in the U.S. alone. Given that recent “Kyoto-lite” measures proposed in the U.S. Senate such as the Climate Stewardship Act proposed by Senators McCain (R., Ariz,) and Lieberman (D., Conn.) would result in the replacement of about 78 percent of coal with high-priced fuels, it is entirely plausible that even “baby steps” towards climate mitigation would result in the deaths of more people in the U.S. than global warming would worldwide. The effects of such strategies if adopted across the globe could be far more devastating than global warming even if alarmist predictions come true.

The evangelical leaders need to give more thought to the unintended consequences of their well-intentioned acts. By devoting spiritual and temporal energy to reducing carbon-dioxide emissions, the evangelical leaders will probably hurt the poor more than they help them. As Matthew 7: 15 says, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” By adopting a green agenda, the evangelicals may have thrown the poor to those wolves.

Now, go on over to the Evangelical Climate Initiative website and check out their plan of action:

10 Things You Can Do as an Individual and Family Member

Pray that God will help all of us become aware of and address this problem, especially our leaders.

Study the Bible in light of the impacts global warming will have on people and God's other creatures.

Keep informed by signing up for our email updates/action alerts.

Organize your life so that it is easier and more desirable to walk, bike, car pool and use public transportation.

When a new passenger vehicle is required, purchase the most fuel efficient and least polluting vehicle that truly meets your needs.

Keep your car's engine tuned up, the tires properly inflated, and don't carry weight unnecessarily in the car (e.g., using the trunk for storage).All save gas.

Weatherize your home to conserve energy and cover your water heater with a fire-safe insulator. (Check to see if your utility or your local or state government offers an incentive or rebate program to help you weatherize your home.)

Purchase compact fluorescent light bulbs and energy efficient appliances. (Look for the "Energy Star" label.)

Choose electricity produced from renewable sources if available in your area.

Support businesses that are reducing their global warming pollution by your investments and purchases.

5 Things You Can Do as a Church Leader or Church Member

Ask your church to pray that our country will help solve global warming, and pray for those who are impacted by its consequences.

If you are a senior evangelical leader, contact us to sign our Statement, Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action. If you are a church member, let your senior pastor know about our Statement and encourage him or her to sign.

Have your church offer an educational session on global warming utilizing our Statement, Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action. (See also our Resources page.) Contact us about having one of the leaders of the Evangelical Climate Initiative speak.

Encourage your church to make its buildings more energy efficient, its vehicles more fuel efficient, to establish a car pool program for attendance at church services and activities, and to choose electricity produced from renewable sources if available in your area.

Have your church donate the money it saves from fuel savings and energy efficiency measures to missions.

3 Things You Can Do as a Citizen and Community Member

Contact your Senators and Representative and let them know that as a Christian you are concerned about global warming's impact on the poor and your children's future and you want them to support legislation that significantly addresses the problem. (See How to Contact Congress.)

Write a letter to the editor of the local paper about the Evangelical Climate Initiative and a Christian perspective on global warming. (See How to Write a Letter to the Editor.)

If you are a business leader, encourage your employees to use public transportation and participate in ride-share programs, avoid subsidizing parking, and purchase fuel-efficient business vehicles. Check to see if your city offers discounts for your employees to take public transportation. Invest in making your building and appliances energy efficient. Check to see if your city and/or state offer incentives or rebates for energy efficient upgrades in your workplace.

Up until the very last portion, there is not a single mention that evangelicals should pursue affecting public policy. And even then, all they say is go ahead and write a few letters. How the fuck does Iain Murphy come up with this notion that the evangelicals will increase poverty by praying to God about global warming?