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Plant With Purpose
Plant With Purpose works to restore forests by planting trees in the most devastated and vulnerable parts of the world. They do this because they view the issues of global poverty and environmental damage as interconnected. -
Living Minimally
"The image shows my crew's pitched tents on a beautiful summer day in Indian, Alaska. We were firefighters living mostly out of our tents for the summer. Conservation work and living minimally were ways I practiced sustainability in my life and connected to nature." Taken by Kelsey Wolf. Submitted to the Sustainability Photo Contest. -
Keeping Our Campus Clean
"This picture was taken on my college campus in Missouri. If you’re looking at the photo and you think you see trash bags, then you would be correct. We were doing a nature walk around campus and collecting any trash or recycling that has made its way onto campus. Our grounds team does an amazing job at keeping our campus clean but because of how close neighboring houses are, sometimes trash blows into our little creek. This creek is home to a turtle who likes to pop his head out every once in a while and startle you. There are also quite a lot of different bugs in this area that like to stay near the water!" Taken by Erin Frink. Submitted to the RESTORExchange Sustainability Photo Contest. -
Engaged Organizations: A Rocha International
A Rocha International discuss their mission on their website:
"At A Rocha USA, our mission is to restore both people and places through collaborative, community-based conservation.
We resource Christians to care for creation where they live by building a network of hands-on conservation projects in communities across the nation. Through partnerships with individuals, churches, and community groups, we provide content, curriculum, and a network of support for improving local habitats and increasing biodiversity." -
Engaged Organizations: Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers
The following is an excerpt from the Catholic Association of Diocean Ecumenical and Interreligous Officers' call to care for creation on their website:
"Catholics now realize that the environment is equally as important as the social issues that have been given attention in the Church and that in fact, certain of these issues are tied inextricably to our care of the earth or lack thereof. Can even one individual live without clean air, water, or food? Can any life be protected without concern for the basic systems and networks required to sustain life? If we “teach a man to fish” but the water is so polluted that fish are poisoned or if overfishing causes them to become extinct, what then?
Catholics in past centuries were not concerned about air, water, soil and climate for the simple reason that these life systems were not endangered. Clergy and faithful had no need to be worried that the water, wheat, or grapes required for our sacramental life might be dangerously polluted or ruined by climate extremes. Current threats to creation are a sign of our times." -
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. " -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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." -
Engaged Organizations: Global Oneness Project
The Global Oneness Project was founded in 2006 as an initiative of Kalliopeia Foundation, and is focused on education aimed a planting seeds of empathy, resilience, and a sacred relationship to our planet. They are passionate about the power of stories and offer a rich library of multimedia stories comprised of award-winning films, photo essays, and essays as well as companion curriculum and discussion guides focused on world culture, social justice and sustainability. -
Environmental Stewardship
This book goes into detail about how the Christian religion goes about environmental stewardship. They look at how bible passages talk about preserving the Earth and the morals we should have surrounding it. It dives deep into how science interacts with human interaction with the Earth and the damage that we have done to Earth, as well as what we should do to correct ourselves. -
How Buddhist monks in Ladakh are fighting climate change
Buddhists Monks in the Himalayas are taking a stand to climate change. On Earth Day 2018, thousands of people came together in the village of Yerat to plant trees. The region is rapidly losing glaciers, causing a shortage in water supply to the villages in the area who rely on snowmelt for water. The volunteers were inspired to participate due to their devotion to His Holiness Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche and his vision for "a more verdant and organic Ladakh." -
Seeing true nature: Buddhism and the environment
John Worthington-Hill describes how Buddhism can encourage environmental awareness and sustainability. Embracing individuality is our disconnection from the natural world. In order to live in unity with the earth, we must find the 'middle way' (a buddhist morality based on self-discipline). "Self-centeredness is the great illness from which all imbalance, insensitivity and abuse ultimately stem – an illness directly linked to the Buddha’s ‘three poisons of greed, ill-will and delusion’. These poisonous mentalities seep into the collective consciousness and are instilled in the norms and structures of culture and society, helping to direct how politics and economics deal with the environment." "Environmental destruction is therefore an outer manifestation of an inner affliction. If our thoughts are polluted, then our actions will be polluted too, and so will their consequences." -
GOP Rep. Mike Simpson: "It’s my party, and I’ll fight climate change if I want to"
An article published on Grist.org that covers Congressman Mike Simpson's views on salmon conservation. Simpson's statements are noteworthy for sustainability and religion as he is going against Republican party views by acknowledging an issue with climate change and the environment with his religious views. It is reported that his speech was obviously fueled by a spiritual obligation to preserve salmon as he describes salmon as incredible God created creatures and that their cycle of life should not be messed with. It is also important to note he was already elected for his 11th term in the house, so it is less likely that his more left leaning statements come from a desire to secure votes. -
Indigenous peoples and local communities offer best hope for our planetary emergency
Indigenous peoples steward 80 percent of the world’s remaining biodiversity, yet their voices are often excluded from decision-making. Moreover, such environmental defenders remain a vulnerable group that is troubled by intimidation and torture. In this article, the authors cover a few organizations, such as Nature for Life Hub and Youth4Nature, established to empower and defend the voices of indigenous peoples, local communities, and the youths. -
Nature-Based Solutions Database
As a part of the Equator Initiative and the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), the Nature-Based Solutions Database connects communities through sharing thousands of viable eco-solutions from 500+ communities across five continents.
Explore the Solutions Database to learn how outstanding local communities and indigenous peoples around the world are making possible the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals through nature-based actions.
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Profile: Jerry Freewalt
Jerry Freewalt is Director of the Office for Social Concerns of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, Ohio. In this capacity, he serves as an educator and advocate to further the understanding of the Church’s social justice teachings. Jerry joined the office in 1995 as the respect life coordinator. Jerry also administers the respect life program, parish social ministry, rural life, jail and prison ministry, advocacy for persons with disabilities, and other education and advocacy efforts. -
Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
The Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach (CCAO) was founded in 1985 as the national advocacy office for the Missionary Society of St. Columban in the United States.
CCAO serves as the line of communication between Columban missionaries on the ground and policy-makers in Washington, D.C. Their mission is to work towards a more just, peaceful, and environmentally sustainable world by engaging in the political process guided by our faith and the Gospel. They work for structural change for the poor and marginalized populations Columbans serve around the world. Moreover, they advocate for policies and structures that bring society and the world into the right relationships with all of God’s Creation.
CCAO follows Catholic Social Teaching as their lens to engage in legislative advocacy and community engagement. -
Conference of the Parties (COP)
The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention. All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts and take decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the Convention, including institutional and administrative arrangements. -
Plant with Purpose
Plant With Purpose’s programs equip farming families around the world to increase farm yields, heal damaged ecosystems, improve nutrition, and increase household savings and opportunities. Always standing with the world's most vulnerable populations, this integrated approach solves two major issues facing the world today: environmental degradation and rural poverty.
You can plan a tree or fundraise in partnership with Plant with Purpose. -
The FEZANA Talks #9: Food Sustainability, Creativity & Conservation During COVID-19
COVID has changed the way we eat, cook and live in many ways — good and bad. This discussion hosted by FEZANA (the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America) focuses on the impact of the pandemic on the food supply chain, and how it affected the availability of the basics, leading people to get more creative in the kitchen. Everything from making our own bread to using leftovers to create new unexpected meals, has allowed people to ramp up their cooking skills, rely on sustainability and be more conscious of food wastage. Historically resembling the ways of our ancestors.