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Venezuelan Oil and Environmental Justice: A United Methodist Call to Action
The environmental crisis facing our planet demands urgent attention from faith communities, and the
current situation of the U.S.’s involvement with the Venezuelan oil industry makes our attention even
more urgent. As United Methodists committed to environmental justice, we must examine how fossil
fuel extraction—currently in particular Venezuelan oil production—contributes to global climate change
while disproportionately harming vulnerable communities.

The Climate Crisis Reality
Over the past two centuries, carbon dioxide levels have surged more than 50 percent due to heat-
trapping pollution from vehicles, power plants, and industrial facilities burning fossil fuels like
Venezuelan crude oil. This has driven global temperatures up 1.2°C since pre-industrial times, with
2024 marking the warmest year on record. Scientists warn temperatures could rise another 2-4°C
without immediate action to stop greenhouse gas emissions.

Venezuela's oil industry exemplifies the environmental challenges we face. As one of the world's largest
petroleum producers of heavy oil, Venezuela's extraction and refining operations contribute significantly
to global carbon emissions. The country's aging infrastructure has led to repeated oil spills, devastating
ecosystems and poisoning water sources that local communities depend upon for survival.

Environmental Justice and Faith
The United Methodist Church's social principles affirm that "all creation is the Lord's, and we are
responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it." This stewardship extends to recognizing how
climate change disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income populations—the same
communities often living near oil refineries and extraction sites in Venezuela and beyond.

These vulnerable populations experience higher temperatures, more extreme heat days exceeding 100°F,
and greater health risks including respiratory problems, violent crime increases, and psychiatric distress.
Environmental racism is real: those who contribute least to climate change suffer its worst
consequences.

A Methodist Response
As people of faith, United Methodists are called to both personal action and prophetic witness. We must
reduce our carbon footprints by choosing sustainable transportation, consuming locally-sourced foods,
and conserving energy. More importantly, we must raise our voices to demand systemic change.
This means urging elected officials to invest in clean energy futures, reduce emissions, and provide
adaptation assistance for struggling communities. It means standing in solidarity with Venezuelan
communities harmed by oil extraction. Our faith compels us to work toward a just and equitable
transition to net zero emissions—not someday, but now.