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  • Engaged Organizations: Ignation Solidarity Network

    Ignation Solidarity Network discuss their work as it relates to Pope Francis's Laudato Si' encyclical to care for creation and our common home. As stated in their website:

    "In his historic encyclical on ecology, Laudato Si’, Pope Francis calls on all people to care for creation and our common home. Pope Francis makes clear that our care for one another and our care for the earth are intimately connected, noting that humanity is not faced 'with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather one complex crisis which is both social and environmental.' (Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home)."

    "We ask our government leaders to demonstrate bold leadership in addressing the climate crisis by honoring the Paris Agreement, contributing to the Green Climate Fund, implementing the Clean Power Plan and supporting just transition and job creation."

  • Engaged Organizations: Global Catholic Climate Movement

    Global Catholic Climate Movement discuss their identity and mission through the following excerpts from their website:

    "Who we are

    The Global Catholic Climate Movement is a first-of-its-kind international coalition of Catholics from many nations, continents, and walks of life. We are laity, religious, and clergy, theologians, scientists, and activists from Argentina, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Kenya, Australia, the United States, and many other nations. We are united by our Catholic faith and our work in various roles and organizations on climate change issues."

    "First, we recognize that conversations about the climate crisis have historically been more about intellectual arguments than about the profound spiritual and moral implications of our failure to care for God’s creation. Catholic leaders are thus called to speak with a prophetic voice and in a spiritual dialogue with all people, especially those political and business leaders and consumers who engage in climatically destructive policies and practices. And we recognize our own need for ongoing conversion to live more in keeping with the Creator’s intentions for life in abundance for all people. Until the moral implications of anthropogenic climate change are clearly established and accepted, it is unlikely that societies can or will transition in an appropriate timeframe to sustainable technologies, economies, and lifestyles."

  • Engaged Organizations: Association of United States Catholic Priests

    The Association of United States Catholic Priests discuss their climate change initiative on their website. The following excerpt list the first five "Green Commandments" from Fr. Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadamof's book on Laudato Si':

    "Earth, our common home, is in peril. Take care of it.

    Listen to the cry of the poor who are the disproportionate victims of the crisis of our common home.

    Rediscover a theological vision of the natural world as good news/gospel.

    Recognize that the abuse of creation is ecological sin.

    Acknowledge the deeper human roots of the crisis of our common home."

  • Baha'i Faith Statement on the Environment

    The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development posted a Baha'i faith statement, from the Baha'i Office of the Environment, on their website. Below is the introduction within the statement:

    "In this age of transition toward a world society, protection of the environment and conservation of the earth’s resources represent an enormously complex challenge. The rapid progress in science and technology that has united the world physically has also greatly accelerated destruction of the biological diversity and rich natural heritage with which the planet has been endowed. Material civilization, driven by the dogmas of consumerism and aggressive individualism and disoriented by the weakening of moral standards and spiritual values, has been carried to excess.

    Only a comprehensive vision of a global society, supported by universal values and principles, can inspire individuals to take responsibility for the long-term care and protection of the natural environment. Baha’is find such a world-embracing vision and system of values in the teachings of Baha’u’llah, which herald an era of planetary justice, prosperity, and unity. "

  • Sikh Faith Statement on the Environment

    This Sikh faith statement on the environment, based on the 1995 Windsor Statements, is posted on the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development. Below is the introduction to the statement:

    "The Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, declares that the purpose of human beings is to achieve a blissful state and to be in harmony with the earth and all creation. It seems, however, that humans have drifted away from that ideal. For the earth is today saturated with problems. It is agonizing over the fate of its inhabitants and their future! It is in peril as never before. Its lakes and rivers are being choked, killing its marine life. Its forests are being denuded. A smoky haze envelops the cities of the world. Human beings are exploiting human beings."

  • Judaism Ecology

    Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development posted a statement of Judaism ecology, based on the Windsor Statements, on their website. Key points include a warning with regard to altering creation, wasteful destruction, and the urgency for preservation.

  • North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) - Brochure on Christianity and Pollinators

    Various Christian groups in the United States (North American Pollinator Protection Campaign) have created this leaflet that discusses the importance of protecting endangered pollinating species in urban areas. The concluding section focuses on actions that congregations, and specifically youth groups can take to assist pollinators.

  • Anglican Views on Climate Change - a report compiled by the Climate Institute of Australia

    Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development posted a report, compiled by the Climate Institute of Australia, on Anglican views of climate change. A predominant them includes the toll that greed and selfishness takes on God's creation. It focuses on specific actions that individuals can take to reduce energy usage and foster environmental justice for the world population.

  • Engaged Organizations: Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus

    Sadhana is a non-profit organization that is committed to promoting environmental and social justice through the values of the Hindu faith. The NYC Service website summarizes what Sadhana is about:

    "We have mobilized Hindus in New York City and beyond to stand up for social justice causes including environmental justice, racial and economic justice, gender equity, immigrant rights, and anti-casteism. We bring a Hindu voice to the interfaith justice movement. We have chapters and members around the country and abroad. We engage and mobilize progressive Hindus nationally and internationally using social media."

  • Climate Change and the Common Good: A Statement of the Problem and the Demand for Transformative Solutions

    The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences prepared the following statement on climate change. It covers a wide range of associated sustainability issues. Various suggestions for societal interventions are also included within the statement.

  • Declaration of Religious Leaders, Political Leaders, Business Leaders, Scientists and Development Practitioners

    Business and political leaders, and scientists from around the world have congregated at the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences to address the climate change crisis. The introduction to the declaration is stated below:

    "We the undersigned have assembled at the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences to address the challenges of human-induced climate change, extreme poverty, and social marginalization, including human trafficking, in the context of sustainable development. We join together from many faiths and walks of life, reflecting humanity’s shared yearning for peace, happiness, prosperity, justice, and environmental sustainability.

    We have considered the overwhelming scientific evidence regarding human-induced climate change, the loss of biodiversity, and the vulnerabilities of the poor to economic,social, and environmental shocks."

  • Catholic Bishops' statement in Lima on the road to Paris

    During the High-level event at the COP20 in Lima, Bishops from around the world called for a fair and legally binding climate agreement to be signed at the COP21 in Paris, 2015. One segment of the introduction is shown below:

    "Following the evangelical option for the poor, we work closely with the most vulnerable communities and the excluded and as such are closely attuned to how the problem of climate change is affecting them. Our message to political leaders and all people of good will is rooted in the experience and suffering of these poor communities.

    Humankind on the Planet Earth is ordained to live in equity, justice and dignity, peace and harmony in the midst of the order of Creation. Humankind is ordered to treat respectfully Creation, which has a value in itself. We Catholic Bishops recognize the atmosphere, rainforests, oceans and agricultural land as common good that require our care."

  • Address at the United Nations Climate Change Conference given by H.E. Archbishop James Patrick Green

    H.E. Archbishop James Patrick Green provides a statement on the impact of climate change on poverty at the United Nations Conference in Lima, Peru on December 10, 2014. He discusses the interdependence of humans and the Earth. He emphasizes Pope Francis's call for intervention to fight against global warming in order to protect the planet and, in particular, those at the poverty level.

  • Global Climate Change A Plea for Dialogue Prudence and the Common Good

    A Statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops was issued on June 15, 2001. This document covers a multitude of current environmental problems and the resulting negative impact on populations around the world - especially with regard to indigent populations. It stressed the connectivity of human behavior and it's impact on the planet.

  • America Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) Creation Justice Congregations Bulletin

    America Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) has created a bulletin insert that discusses how congregations can earn certificates of achievement for implementing eco-justice measures. Further details are discussed below:

    "Creation Justice Congregations is an environmental education, stewardship, and justice program sponsored by the Creation Justice Network of the American Baptist Churches USA. Through this program your congregation can earn certificates of achievement for implementing eco-justice measures in your building, within your congregations, and in your ministries of outreach and justice.

    Creation Justice Congregations has three stages, each with a checklist of suggested education, worship, and other action items that can help bring Baptist churches into the wider movement for peace, justice, and reconciliation with all of God's creation. "

  • Message of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the Day of the Protection of the Environment

    Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople delivered a speech on January 9, 2018 for the Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Environment. The following one salient excerpt from the speech:

    "The Ecumenical Patriarchate’s ecological initiatives provided a stimulus for theology to showcase the environmentally-friendly principles of Christian anthropology and cosmology as well as to promote the truth that no vision for humanity’s journey through history has any value if it does not also include the expectation of a world that functions as a real “home” (oikos) for humanity, particularly at a time when the ongoing and increasing threat against the natural environment is fraught with the possibility of worldwide ecological destruction. This evolution is a consequence of a specific choice of economic, technological and social development that respects neither the value of the human being nor the sanctity of nature. It is impossible to truly care for human beings while at the same time destroying the natural environment as the very foundation of life, essentially undermining the future of humanity."

  • Lenten Call for ‘Carbon Fast’

    This circular Lenten Call for ‘Carbon Fast’, addressed to the Bishops of the Churches in South India, was provided on February 8, 2017 in Chennai, India, at the Church of South India Synod Secretariat. The circular emphasizes the desecration of the Earth as sinful. However, the call for a Carbon Fast can be considered one way to repent.

  • A Bishops’ Letter about the Climate

    Below is a section of the introduction from A Bishops’ Letter about the Climate, which covers a multitude of critical environmental issues, from the 2014 Bishops' conference:

    "We have lived with reports and forecasts of climate change since the 1980s. Our climate is the result of the interaction of complex systems and there is often a great distance between cause and effect in terms of both space and time. There are uncertainties and a lack of clarity. However, the knowledge we possess today does not allow us to postpone until tomorrow
    what needs to be done now. Our human climate impact must decrease for the sake of the earth, for the sake of the world that God so loves that God gave us Jesus Christ."

  • Episcopalians Confronting Climate Change

    This article discusses American Episcopalians' concern over climate change and the impact with regard to those facing poverty. The introduction to the article is stated below:

    "In September 2011, the House of Bishops in the Episcopal Church, attending a meeting in Quito, Ecuador, sent a pastoral letter to Episcopal clergy worldwide expressing 'mounting urgency' to address climate change within church membership. The letter argued the critical need for Christians to care for all of God’s creation and urged that justice be sought for the poor, who it said will suffer most from climate change."

  • Preachable Moments: Evangelical Christians and Climate Change

    This article by Yale Climate Connections provides encouraging news of how some evangelical Christians are re-examining their stance on climate change. The following is an excerpt from the article:

    "About 60 percent of evangelicals think climate change has nothing to do with human activities. By comparison, less than half of all Americans, or 47 percent, share that view. (Both figures are in sharp contrast to the overwhelming majority of climate scientists who agree that climate change is occurring and primarily caused by human actions).

    Richard Cizik sees climate change as ‘top-tier issue’ for younger evangelicals. But the theological doors are beginning to open. Signs are that more evangelicals now are addressing climate change as a moral issue that appeals to the conscience of their Christian communities."

  • Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action

    This statement on climate change from members of the Evangelical Climate Initiative encourages church leaders and congregation members do what they can to take action to protect the Earth. A brief description of the group is provided below:

    "The Evangelical Climate Initiative (ECI) is a group of over 300 senior evangelical leaders in the United States who are convinced it is time for our country to help solve the problem of global warming. We seek to do so in a way that creates jobs, cleans up our environment, and enhances national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, thereby creating a safe and a healthy future for our children. Our deep commitment to Jesus Christ and his commands to love our neighbors, care for “the least of these,” and be proper stewards of His creation compels us to act. Our views are articulated on the ECI statement page."

  • ELCA issues statement on Pope Francis’s encyclical on climate change

    In an effort to demonstrate solidarity of interfaith-based environmental action, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America released a statement in support of Pope Francis's encyclical on climate change. The following concluding excerpt emphasizes the movement of solidarity within the statement:

    "Today we join with Pope Francis in calling on world leaders to embrace our common responsibility as work continues toward a global agreement on climate change. We urge leaders to support an ambitious agreement that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, encourages development of low-carbon technologies, and supports the ability of countries to cope with the effects of a changing climate and build resiliency for a sustainable future."

  • Lutherans Reflect on Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen

    This article discusses some of the sentiments regarding proceedings from the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. While some attendees expressed disappointment in the outcome, others were more optimistic about steps which may lead to more effective action for climate change in the future. The following excerpt provides a brief description of the event:

    "More than 3,000 ELCA members, along with a coalition of U.S. faith leaders, sent some 20,000 postcards to President Barack Obama, urging him to be at the meeting, she said. Obama attended the conference and urged leaders of Brazil, China, India and South Africa to join the United States 'to fund developing nations' projects to deal with droughts,
    floods and other impacts of climate change, and to develop clean energy,' among other agreements, according to a U.N. news release."

  • Why Lutherans Care for Creation

    This article discusses how various concepts of Lutheran theology are woven into ecological messages with regard to God as creator, human interactions, and ways of worship. The following is a section from the introduction of the article, emphasizing human responsibility towards care for the Earth:

    "For Christians, care of the Earth is not an 'environmental cause.' Rather, it is central to our holy calling to treasure the Earth and to care for it as our common home, fully integrating creation-care into our love of God and neighbor. Without sacrificing the transformational effects of the 16th-century Reformation, we are called to embrace an eco-reformation that will re-examine and rethink how we read the Bible, how we can expand the scope of our theology, how we can reconfigure our personal vocation and our common ethic, how we worship, how we organize our church life together, and how we understand ourselves as creatures within creation as a whole. This call to continuing reformation is for the whole church, not solely for the committed. Earth care is not an add-on. It is not just for those who happen to be interested in it. It is a call for all Christians to participate in this great work of our time."

  • Caring for Creation Today

    This video, put forth by the Evangelical Church in America, encourages individuals to act as stewards by both assisting those in need and caring for our land, as God had intended. The salient message is to do what you can to work for change and care for God's creation, as this is our duty as humans.