I am constantly reading magazines and am always on the lookout for an article about green living. I was a bit taken aback when I was reading an issue of The Week (great magazine BTW) and there was a small blurb about a case in Britain in which a man claimed he was dismissed from his job for his beliefs…in global warming.
Now, we’ve all heard of religious persecution, but could this going too far? Tim Nicholson claimed he was let go from the property management firm in July 2008 for which he worked because of his beliefs in man-made global warming. Tim said that the global warming situation was “the most important issue of our time” and that “nothing should stand in the way of diverting this catastrophe.” He apparently shared this opinion with co-workers and that led to “clashes.”
There were other problems at the office. Tim refused to fly because of his concern of CO2 emissions. He was also upset when the CEO of the firm had someone fly from London to Ireland to get his Blackberry.
I supposed the firm had finally had enough and fired Tim. But, he decided to sue the firm under Britain’s Employment Equality Act. The act states that people cannot be discriminated against for “religion or belief.” Tim stated that “Belief in man-made climate change is…a philosophical belief that reflects my moral and ethical values.”
Of course, his former employer didn’t agree. The firm stated that Tim’s “green views were political and based on science, as opposed to religious or philosophical I nature.”
In the end, the judge ruled in Tim’s favor, stating that “a belief in man-made climate change…is capable, if genuinely held, of being a philosophical belief” and was covered under the Employment Equality Act.
Many now wonder if this ruling will cause other employees to embrace a “green religion” and demand that employers cater to their green lifestyles by demanding recycling facilities and offering low-carbon travel options.
Actually, I can see both sides of this story. I am sure Tim feels passionately about environmental issues, perhaps as strongly as some people feel about their religion. But, if it is causing clashes at work, I also see a problem there. What do you think?