A new book entitled "A climate for change: Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions" is beginning to make rounds in the blogosphere. Authored by husband-wife team Katharine Hayhoe (a professor of geosciences at Texas Tech) and Andrew Farley (a religious scholar at Texas Tech and an active pastor), the book has two goals: i.) to provide some truth in the nonsense-filled world of global warming "debates" that have overridden media and the internet, and ii.) to provide insight into what role the faith-based community can play in combating climate change. The book has already gotten several high-profile endorsements, including a glowing one from the past president of the Association for the Advancement of Science.

 Although I haven't read the book yet (it is still on preorder and is due out this month), it exemplifies an important advance that needs to be made not just in dealing with climate change but with a whole host of environmental issues: collaboration between scientists and the faith-based community. It's hardly a secret that the effects of climate change are going to be felt by everyone, regardless of religious affiliation. And with 83% of the nation listed as affiliated with some form of religion, it's also glaringly obvious that it's going to take efforts on their part to mitigate those effects. In other words, climate change is simply an issue that can't be solved by science alone.

 But whose job is it to make this connection? One could argue that the faithful play a role, and they would be correct. And it appears the faithful are holding up to their end of the bargain. A number of denominations, from Southern Baptists to Catholics, are beginning to form environmental coalitions and inject environmental stewardship into their overall theology. In response, the scientific community has begun to reach out across the same divide. Conservation International, as one of many examples, has a program in place specifically designed to work with faith-based groups in conservation efforts.

 Outside of these efforts, however, it seems that a large part of science may be failing - miserably - when it comes to translating its research into education and action, a fact that is made embarrassingly clear with recent polls highlighting our nation's level of scientific illiteracy (just 25% of Americans, for example, think humans originated via evolution). In light of these poll numbers, as well as calls from respected scientists and books to bridge this divide, however, engaging the religious seems to be low on the list of scientists' priorities. Instead, some leading scientists are running (quickly) in the opposite direction, holding contests to come up with the most mocking labels for scientists and others willing to engage the faithful. Blog exchanges on the topic by respected scholars have reached zero consensus and read like they belong more on an elementary school playground than in any serious, forward-looking public forum. As a scientist speaking about his own field, there's little more to call this than a disgrace - especially so if we ever expect to apply science effectively beyond peer-reviewed journals.

 Let's be clear: philosophical discussions about the differences between science and religion are vitally important, and they need to be happening. But if we expect to make any progress on issues that may very well change our world for the worse should they go unchecked, so do discussions about how we can get these two sides to work together. Both sides are responsible for this disconnect, but it's also going to take effort from both sides to correct it. Hopefully Hayhoe and Farley's book will be a welcome change of pace in terms of building bridges - not breaking them down - and will help us realize that, if we spend all our time fighting "enemies" in a culture war, all of us are going to lose.