Search

144 items
list | grid

144 items

  • Saving India’s Rivers: Ecology, Civil Society, Religion, and Legal Personhood

    "Abstract: In recent decades, India’s environment has been severely compromised by riverine pollution combined with large-scale dams and exacerbated by diversion for irrigation. Most prominent among the rivers so affected has been the Ganges and its tributaries in northern India, which for Hindus include the country’s most sacred bodies of water. This paper examines three campaigns opposing dam construction, arguably the most widely publicized and analyzed efforts of this kind since independence in 1947. One campaign was essentially secular with virtually no religious component, the second mostly secular with some religious support, and the third almost totally a religious initiative. In the end, only the third attained any real success, and that rested on circumstances unlikely to be replicated. The possibility that future campaigns of this scale can be taken up again appears remote. Meanwhile, riverine pollution has continued to increase everywhere despite massive governmental programs to reduce it. Theoretically, it would seem that environmentalists and Hindu devotees with their veneration of nature should be able to work in common cause to reduce pollution, but any large-scale cooperation seems unlikely between these two disparate realms. More recently an effort to protect rivers by endowing them with legal personhood enjoyed an initial success, holding the promise that lawsuits could be brought on behalf of a river against those polluting it. The paper concludes that while the legal personhood strategy is currently stalled, it offers the best chance for eventual success in attenuating riverine pollution. In the course of the paper, a comparative theoretical framework for assessing anti-dam protests will be tested."

  • Its promised land drying, Mormon Church works to save the Great Salt Lake

    Due to overuse and climate change, the Great Salt Lake is drying and is estimated to disappear in about five years. In response to this, the Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has started public conservation and water-saving efforts. This article describes these efforts and the role of the Great Salt Lake in the local environment and culture.

  • The Intellectual Martian Society of “Stranger in a Strange Land” by Robert Heinlein

    This chapter from the student-written book “Emerging Perspectives on Religion and Environmental Values in America” explores the environmental ethics and spirituality of the book Stranger in a Strange Land. Specifically, the author discusses the importance of water and the environmental impact of the book. Below is the first paragraph of the chapter to introduce the discussion.

    "In 1961, the accomplished science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein shared his latest work with the world. In the fashion of a fairytale, Stranger in a Strange Land begins 'Once upon a time,' and goes on to describe the fantastic culture of Mars and its impact on human society. The timing of its publication in the early 1960s allowed for a short digestion period, so that it was ripe in the mind of the counterculture in the latter half of the decade. Themes of religious reform, free love, and a oneness with the cosmos permeate the book, and coincidentally rose to popularity during this time. The alignment of the novel with the counterculture cannot be understated: in 1967, the Freak Scene recorded a song entitled 'Grok!,' an homage to the word coined by Heinlein in Stranger in a Strange Land, and a year later the Byrds referenced water brotherhood in their song 'Triad.' The verb 'grok' even found its way into the vernacular of the counterculture (Blackmore, 1995). Messages about the sanctity of clean water and the positive potential of religion reached tens of millions, securing the legacy of Stranger in a Strange Land as one of the books which shaped religious and environmental values in the United States (Library of Congress, 2012)."

  • The Spirit of the Rillito

    This article explores the ideas of animism and new animism. Animism is the belief that all things, living and non-living, have a spiritual essence. The author connects this system of beliefs to their local river, the Rillito.

  • Catholic Diocese of Columbus: Creation Care Guide

    The Creation Care Team of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus has created a Creation Care Guide based on the teachings of Laudato Si’. This guide contains information on energy conservation and efficiency, purchasing and recycling, transportation, and water conservation. Additionally, they have a section on making Laudato Si’ more accessible to younger generations. The inspiration for this guide came from the Archdiocese of Atlanta who wrote a document titled, An Action Plan for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta.

  • The Clan of One-Breasted Women

    In this excerpt, Terry Tempest Williams reflects on her family's long-running history of developing cancer that traces from nuclear testing in Nevada. Williams emphasizes her experience of coming to terms with deviating from Mormon norms if it means advocating for the U.S. government to take responsibility for liabilities regarding human health. Williams decides blind obediance will not get her anywhere, and she needs to start asking questions.

  • Save Soil

    This resource details a campaign to improve soil practices to be more sustainable through building up consciousness. The leader of this movement is Sadhguru, a spiritual leader. Sadhguru advocates for connecting inner spiritual processes to an affinity for nature. This is an international organization that started in Tamil Nadu, India.

  • Roots for Change

    "'Roots for Change' is the culmination of a multi-year process in which CEE conducted research, hosted grassroots dialogues, and organized high-level consultations with communities across the globe. This initiative engaged diverse groups—including religious, spiritual and Indigenous communities—in conversations with UN partners, advocacy organizations and local government officials. By highlighting the ways cultural and spiritual traditions support and sustain ecosystem restoration projects, these consultations informed the 10 principles. ..."

  • Mid-Winter Stroll on a Pier

    "A mid-winter stroll on a pier in beautiful Lake Erie. This lake is the most valued fishery in all of the Great Lakes. Keeping this lake clean is important for the human and non-human residents that depend on this water source. A resource that sustains all life." Taken by Gabriel Sanchez. Submitted to the RESTORExchange Sustainability Photo Contest.

  • Compostable

    "A compostable outhouse made from recycled/reused wood and aluminum, built with tools fueled by solar and biodiesel." Taken by Ashley Murphy. Submitted to the RESTORExchange Sustainability Photo Contest.

  • Envisioning the Daoist Body in the Economy of Cosmic Power

    "From a sociological perspective, religious traditions represent and construct the collective values and systems of meaning of human societies. As such, religious traditions influence the way their adherents interpret their experience of the world and, consequently, influence their actions upon it. Religious ideologies, however, are themselves always in medias res. Even though their adherents may uphold an eternal vision of archaic principles handed down from the gods, in actuality this vision is continuously renegotiated and reconstructed in conversation with the changing demands of historical and cultural context."

  • Lake Yojoa

    "This is a photo of Lake Yojoa, Honduras. It is one of the biggest lakes in Honduras, but it has been shrinking. Because the lake is vital to the local economy, the municipal government has prohibited bathing and fishing to protect the lake from contamination." Taken by Cristian Vallecillo. Submitted to the RESTORExchange Sustainability Photo Contest.

  • Ignite the Passion

    "To be passionate about sustainability, one must align themselves in nature and ignite the passion. To live a life dedicated to sustainability means reigniting that flame is necessary to remind oneself of the reasons the effort." Taken by Kenedy Witherow. Submitted to the RESTORExchange Sustainability Photo Contest.

  • Krka National Park

    "Admire the peaceful charm of Krka National Park: a majestic waterfall draws attention, and a small cabin can be found away among dense trees. Here, travelers appreciate the peace of nature while finding shelter from the busy life of the city. This picture serves as a reminder of our responsibility to protect these havens for coming generations and is the epitome of sustainable peace." Taken by Balint Horompoli-Toth. Submitted to the RESTORExchange Sustainability Photo Contest.

  • Dryness

    "Dryness". Taken by Mohammed Ashraf. Submitted to the RESTORExchange Sustainability Photo Contest.

  • Reusable Water Bottle

    "A reusable water bottle, covered with natural imagery stickers, is placed on a picnic table outside on a college campus. The water bottle and the natural background reflect how sustainable practices emphasize doing what you can to preserve and connect with the natural world around you." Taken by Julia Dellapena. Submitted to the RESTORExchange Sustainability Photo Contest.

  • Fifth National Climate Assestment, Chapter 16: Tribes and Indigenous Peoples

    In this chapter of the Fifth National Climate Assessment, the NOAA outlines and describes three key messages regarding the relationship between Native communities in the U.S and our changing environment. This report goes over how Indigenous peoples face a high risk of changing livelihoods due to climate change and environmental injustice, and how they are responding to these threats. The report also explains the nature of their resilience to such change and how Indigenous leadership can guide our response to climate change.

  • From Egoism to Ecoism: Psychedelics Increase Nature Relatedness in a State-Mediated and Context-Dependent Manner

    This article describes the correlations between psychedelic use and nature relatedness. The surveyors used questionnaires 1 week before, 2 weeks after, 4, and 2 years after the dose given. They concluded that due to the consistent positive affects on the subjects, the use of psychedelic treatment bears relevance on mental and planetary health.

  • El Niño caused the greatest ever mass extinction

    This article describes new updated research that shows the weather event El Niño has led to the worst mass extinction. El Niño causes the ocean to become warmer all leading back to climate change. Marine ecosystems and terrestrials are suffering greatly because of volcanic eruptions occurring. Mass extinctions are very damaging and mess up multiple ecosystems causing more destructiveness than we realize.