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  • World Council of Churches Endorses Fossil Fuel Divestment

    This message from the World Council of Churches (WCC) discuss their endorsement of fossil fuel divestment (2014 Geneva, Switzerland). WCC is one of a growing number of religious groups to support the fossil fuel divestment movement. The introduction is stated below:

    "The Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), a fellowship of over 300 churches which represent some 590 million people in 150 countries, endorsed fossil fuel divestment this week, agreeing to phase out its own holdings and encourage its members to do the same."

  • Care for Creation and Climate Justice

    The World Council of Churches provides a brief description of their stance on care for creation and climate justice on their website. The following is an introductory statement, urging individuals forgo over-consumption and greed:

    "The present world development model is threatening the lives and livelihoods of many, especially among the world's poorest people, and destroying biodiversity. The ecumenical vision is to overcome this model based on over-consumption and greed."

  • WCC Executive Committee: global biodiversity crisis reaches urgent level

    This article from the World Council of Churches discusses the current biodiversity crisis. The majority of land surfaces and ocean areas are significantly modified, and over 85% of the wetlands are gone. The following excerpt notes how this subsequently affects the poor and vulnerable:

    "The statement notes that, increasingly, the drive for relentless expansion built into dominant economic systems are endangering the survival of many of God’s creatures. 'Ultimately our significant and adverse impacts on ecology will impact humanity’s own future,' the statement reads. 'Already they are destroying the very basis of sustenance of our income-poor, vulnerable and Indigenous sisters and brothers, who contribute least to the ecological damage for which human beings are collectively responsible.'"

  • Climate Change

    The World Council of Churches calls individuals to modify their consumer lifestyle for the greater good - to improve shared environmental conditions for all and with less negative impact among the poor. This excerpt provides a sense of urgency to act to reverse the threat of climate change:

    "The urgency of the threat of climate change requires our generation to take immediate action and go beyond simple declarations and statements. New alternative models of life are called for. We challenge all people to move towards a style of life that derives its quality from the attentive enjoyment of nature and human relationships, from mutual care, dependence, trust and solidarity instead of the illusions of individual autonomy and material wealth, from spirituality and feelings of community, connectedness and intimacy instead of one-dimensional self-centredness. We draw strength from insights gained from the rich, community- oriented and simple lifestyles of indigenous and other marginalized communities. We are conscious of the significant contribution these communities, with their low carbon economies, deliver to the stabilization of the climate. We recommend the creation of 'just, participatory, sustainable and sustaining communities' for mutual support and call upon the churches and authorities to join them on this journey with reflection and practical support."

  • Economic globalization and ecology

    In this message, the World Council of Churches (WCC) focuses on how economic globalization affects the environment, with a specific focus on economic justice. The following excerpt provides a succinct summary of what WCC strives to achieve in this area:

    "In this context of growing inequality, concentration of power, social exclusion and ecological destruction, people are longing for life with dignity in just and sustainable communities. If that goal is to be attained we need to work for equity as basic fairness that also extends to other life forms, respect for diversity as recognition of the complementary of, for example, cultures species, religious traditions, accountability as a way of being responsible towards one another and Earth itself, participation as the optimal inclusion of all involved, sufficiency as a commitment to meet the basic needs of all, and subsidiarity as determining the most appropriate level for decision-making, supporting the downwards distribution of power."

  • Manifesto for an Ecological Reformation of Christianity

    This Manifesto by the World Council of Churches is a call to examine Christian practices that may be harmful to the Earth, humans, and other species. It urges individuals instead to focus on what various “eco-congregations” or “green churches” are doing. The following manifesto excerpt provides a rationale for the need for ecological reformation:

    "The need for an ecological reformation of all Christian traditions is of course manifested in different ways in various parts of the world. The pain impulses associated with ecological destruction have been registered especially in those areas that lie on the periphery of current constellations of economic power. The call for an ecological reformation of Christianity has come with particular urgency from Christians in such areas (the Pacific, Africa, Asia, Latin-America) as they are more exposed and vulnerable. This call is echoed by churches which belong to (mainly protestant) countries in the global North which have contributed heavily to the exploitation of natural resources, industrial production and a style of consumption that causes environmental degradation."

  • Episcopal Church, Church of Sweden, ELCA commitment: "Sustaining hope in the face of climate change"

    The heads The Episcopal Church, the Church of Sweden, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) signed a joint commitment to climate statement. The following are five salient points from their commitment:

    "1) Advocate for national and international policies and regulations that enable a swift transition from dependence on fossil fuels to clean, safe, renewable energy, and for economic systems that are fair and just.

    2) Sustain an interfaith, international conversation around climate change and social and economic justice while working to keep climate change in the public’s attention.

    3) Encourage our faith communities to deeper theological reflection on the moral and ethical response to climate change, and then to make public witness about climate change through advocacy at the local, national and international levels.

    4) Invite our communities to prayerfully consider how their own actions, lifestyle choices – particularly our energy consumption -- affect the environment.

    5) Offer our communities continued opportunities to learn about climate change and the universal church’s response to this crisis."

  • Profile: John Hill

    John Hill is a member of the General Board of Church and Society (GBSC) for The United Methodist Church. His work there includes overseeing their advocacy and organizing department. He also directs the economic and environmental justice program work. Having previously worked as a lobbyist in the private sector, John soon realized the difficulty of integrating faith into his occupation. Since joining The United Methodist Church in 2002, John enjoys the opportunities he has to work with individuals in ways that allow them to integrate faith more fully into their daily lives.

    One example of John's passion projects, building a green roof for the United Methodist agency, can be found here https://www.umc.org/en/content/green-roof-reflects-united-methodist-care-for-earth. John discusses how this type of project is a way to show the organization's faith in action, serving as environmental stewards that can be seen by many throughout the D.C. area. In addition, their administration has switched to 100 percent renewable energy and installed water bottle fillers to reduce waste.

  • Profile: Shantha Ready Alonso

    Shantha Ready Alonso serves as Executive Director of Creation Justice Ministries. Since the start of her appointment in 2015, Shantha has prioritized racial-ethnic equity in support of protecting, restoring, and more rightly sharing God's creation. Shantha's work has appeared in The Hill, the Colorado Gazette, The Day, Sojourners, Patheos, and Justice Unbound. She has also been interviewed by NPR, Religion News Service, U.S. Catholic, and various podcasts.

    Shantha has taken the initiative to arranged numerous stakeholder meetings between people of faith and policymakers. She has testified before the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Department of Interior, and the White House Office of Management and Budget. Shantha is listed among the 2018 “Grist 50 Fixers," an annual list of emerging leaders from across the U.S. who are working on fresh, real-world solutions to our world’s biggest challenges.

  • Engaged Organizations: Friends Committee on National Legislation

    The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) was founded in 1943 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). FCNL is a nonpartisan organization that seeks to live their lives based on values of integrity, simplicity, and peace as they build relationships across political divides to move policies forward. FCNL is comprised of an expert team of lobbyists on Capitol Hill who work with a grassroots network of tens of thousands of people across the country. They lobby Congress and the administration in order to advance peace, justice, opportunity, and environmental stewardship.

  • Engaged Organizations: St. Vincent de Paul School, Mt. Vernon, OH

    Creation care work at St Vincent de Paul School, Mt. Vernon, began in 2006 when the school received funding from the Knights of Columbus to purchase a dishwasher for their kitchen. Following this, the school began participating in the Hope Now program – an organization that provides used old donated doors to build tables. The school provides transportation to their annual K-6 field trip to The Brown Family Environmental Center at Kenyon College and their annual 5th grade summer camp through Lutheran Outdoor Ministries in Ohio (students take turns weighing food waste). Additional sustainability projects include collaboration with the parish and the local community. The school participated in an all-parish project through the Green Tree Plastics company’s A Bench for Caps sustainability program (students collected and sorted bottle caps in exchange for three benches). The school plans to create a grotto area using their three recycled benches. In order to foster green living and healthy community-school relations, the school provided planter flowers to local businesses.

    Administrators at St. Vincent de Paul acknowledge the importance of maintaining social justice programs in accordance with Laudato Si's urgent message to care for the poor. Students from Beth’s Robinson's 6th grade social studies classes participate in a demographics project. Each year students select one continent, usually Africa, to learn more about the conditions of poverty. The class then raises money through various fundraisers and donate to parts of the continent through Catholic Relief Services. An upcoming project includes having students sew plastic bags together to create tarps to be donated to homeless shelters in the area.

  • Engaged Organizations: Trinity Catholic Elementary School, Columbus, OH

    Creation care work at Trinity Catholic (see link below) began when one teacher there took the initiative to organize student gardening activities on school grounds. Following her retirement, the school subsequently began an annual Earth Day project in which students pick up trash around the school and surrounding area. Additional creation care projects were added over time. As a means to support social justice issues in accordance with Laudato Si' principles, the school contributes to food pantries on a regular basis. The proceeds from the monthly cereal mornings are designated to various local charities as well. As a way to physically demonstrate to students how much food is wasted in a typical day, students could weigh and record the wasted food from the cafeteria over a two-week period.

    Years ago, one of the technology instructors had received a small grant from a computer company, which was designed to have students complete various environmentally based activities in a contest format. At the end of the contest, the class had accumulated enough points to receive two computer cameras. Additional events and projects includes 4th and 5th grader participation in a 5-day environmental camp "Messages of the Earth" at the Stratford Ecological Center (see link below), two water fountains updated to accommodate individuals with disabilities, design of the water fountains to fill water bottles, and lights throughout the school buildings switched out to LED lights through the Diocesan grant program.

  • Engaged Organizations: Springs Dominican motherhouse, Columbus, OH

    The Springs Dominican motherhouse hosts 150 individuals (maintaining 76 beds). Initial green projects included replacing their lights with LED bulbs and replacing seven boilers, which had been there since the 1940s, with just one new one. Recently, Innovative Organic Recycling composting company had been invited to speak with house members, and their composting program took off from there. Jean Sylvester, Motherhouse Administrator, had found it easy to do at her own house and was also aware of Shepherd’s Corner success with it. Both staff and residents adapted quickly and the process is streamlined at this point. Composting is done by the sisters themselves, with administration providing the bags and cans. In addition to composting food, even the bones, all of plates and cups, including coffee cups, can be composted as well.

    For administration, this is a business model that makes practical sense. Management had been quoted at $35 per pick up, so they decided to give it a two-week trial period. Overall, composting has been a "win-win" for them, with its ease of implementation and minimal ongoing efforts. In addition, their dock smells better because the food waste bags are not left open in the dumpster now. There is also less garbage for RUMPKE to take, so the project cost savings of waste management will be reaped over time .

  • Engaged Organizations: Catholic Diocese of Columbus, OH Development and Planning

    Andrea Pannell, Episcopal Moderator for the Columbus Catholic Diocese, has been instrumental in the progress of creation care work within the office of development and planning. She views part of her job as to "plant seeds" whenever possible. The Bishop Pastoral Council, comprised of representatives from deaneries within the metro area, attend periodic meetings to address critical creation care issues. One project takes place at Andrea's own parish, St. Dominic’s Church, in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood of Columbus. They had maintained a vegetable garden to provide food for those in the area, some of whom rely on walking to get their groceries. The garden continues to be the only place for some locals to receive fresh food, as the area is considered to be a food desert. The development office was also key in linking the diocese's 150th anniversary and Laudato Si' with their tree planting initiative, as well as connecting the themes of the anniversary with salient points of Laudato Si'. Additional plans for further connections with development, planning and stewardship are still in the works.

  • Engaged Organizations: Orita's Cross Freedom School

    The mission of Orita's Cross Freedom School is to cultivate student's natural sense of curiosity and skills to become agents of change within their community. They are a solution-oriented group, addressing pressing societal issues such as racism, gentrification, gender inequality, and the prison industrial complex. Some ways that the school promotes learning through doing includes civic engagement demonstrations, mentoring, and cultural awareness programs.

  • Engaged Organizations: Black Church Food Security Network

    The Black Church Food Security Network strives to provide fresh produce to historically Africa American churches within the Baltimore Metro area. Their popup farm stands provide convenience to the public as they are able to set up during times when congregation members typically gather. Ideally, members will either start their own gardens on site or expand ones that they currently maintain. Often, the farmers or urban growers will offer to lead bible studies and include food security issues as part of the sessions.

  • Engaged Organizations: National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs

    The National Council of Churches (NCC) discuss their work through their eco-justice programs on their website:

    "The National Council of Churches has been a prophetic voice for justice and peace for its entire existence. In recent years, the NCC has been involved in a diverse range of issues such as poverty alleviation, protecting the environment, racial justice, and responding to the particular concerns of women. The NCC continues to remain engaged in these areas; however the primary program work in some cases has been spun off to new organizations that continue to bring the ecumenical community together to struggle for justice."

  • Engaged Organizations: Web of Creation

    The Web of Creation website discuss their organization aim and services that they provide:

    "The Web of Creation was established to foster the movement for personal and social transformation to a just and sustainable world from religious perspectives. To that end, the information at this site will:

    -Connect you with ideas, resources and strategies for doing eco-justice
    -Inform, inspire, encourage, educate you about eco-justice
    -Support you in your efforts to live, work and pray in ways that promote eco-justice

    The Web of Creation has also been developed to provide information and connections for theology students interested in environmental ministry."

  • Pedal Power Report

    Technology for the Poor, a non-profit charitable organization based in Westerville, Ohio, discuss their design and construction of their dual-purpose bicycle in this excerpt from their manual below:

    "This manual describes the design and construction of a device which, when attached to a standard bicycle, will permit it to be used as a pedal‑power machine. The resulting machine, known as a dual-purpose bicycle, can be used to power numerous small‑scale mechanical devices such as grain threshers, grinders, water pumps, electrical generators, and a variety of small machine tools. When desired, the dual-purpose bicycle can be converted from its transportation mode to its pedal‑power mode, or vice versa within a matter of minutes."

  • Wind Energy for Earthkeepers

    Technology for the Poor, a non-profit charitable organization based in Westerville, Ohio, discuss their design for low cost wind energy in this excerpt from their manual:

    "In recent decades due to the search for renewable energy, many efficient wind generators have been developed and tested. Today, we see enormous wind generators dotting the landscapes of many states. Wind generators, especially the recent ones, are quite sophisticated, costly and needs expertise to maintain and operate. The most appropriate wind machine for use in less income countries was found to be a simple machine invented by a Finnish Engineer, Savonius."

  • Bloomberg Business Posts Infographic to Show “What’s Really Warming the World?”

    Occasionally, an outstanding graphic emerges to help us understand some of the complexities of climate science, such as this recent series of graphs published by Bloomberg Business. If you have wondered how all the various factors and forcings involved in global warming interact, these infographics based on data from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies are very helpful.

  • The Jewish Cantor Raises Up Themes of Thanksgiving

    Before the Thanksgiving holiday fades entirely from memory, I wanted to share a thoughtful op-ed published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch by Rachel Rhodes, a Jewish leader in Virginia. The link below discusses her reflections on Jewish links to the natural world and good tidings from the mountains.

  • Living the Laudato Si'

    Pope Francis encourages all people to take to heart what is written in the Laudato Si' encyclical. The Catholic Multicultural Center in Madison, Wisconsin has strived to live out the message of Laudato Si' even prior its release. This community seeks to live as stewards of the environment and care for their less fortunate neighbors. Some examples of how they are achieving their goals include installing solar panels to cut costs and reinvest the money in charitable programs and running a local food garden. Members of this community have also helped to install rain gardens and find innovative ways of serving their neighbors. These activities help to bring people closer together as well as care for the planet.

  • Iowa Interfaith Leaders and Earth Day 2016

    A group of religious leaders met at the Iowa statehouse today to discuss a call for action on climate change. The event was organized by Reverend Susan Hendershot Guy, the executive director of Iowa Interfaith Power and Light. Regardless of the political debate between the two parties regarding climate change, Gerald Sorokin of the University of Iowa Hillel Foundation said he and the other faith leaders at the capitol that day can find some consensus on the issue.

  • OSU Prepares to Host Earthkeeping Summit on Sept. 24, 2016

    On Saturday, September 24, 2016 The School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) will co-host the 2016 Earthkeeping Summit with Ohio Interfaith Power and Light, the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, and multiple community and university partners. The Summit provides resources and inspiration for the creation care work of Ohio faith communities, and will be held at the Nationwide 4-H Center on OSU’s Columbus campus. Keynote speaker, Dr. Melanie L. Harris of Texas Christian University, will address the Summit’s themes of hope and renewal in environmental justice work, and panels and workshops will follow to highlight current examples of creation care work across Ohio faith communities.