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Zero Net Energy Grants
The Mennonite Creation Care Network published information on how a Mennonite Church congregation can qualify and get approved for a grant from the Pam De Young Net Zero Energy Fund. The grant would allow congregations to install solar panels, car charging stations, or other sustainable improvements. Any Mennonite Church USA congregations willing to become more sustainable are eligible for the grant. -
"Clean and Affordable Water for All"
The Michigan Catholic Conference, in their "Focus" magazine, published an article titled "Clean and Affordable Water for All" to raise awareness of the water crisis in Michigan and worldwide. PFAs and the health effects of drinking dirty water are discussed, emphasizing the importance of bringing everybody clean water. The article has information on the problems around affordability and accessibility of water in Michigan and closes with a prayer over water from Reverend Canon Paul Robertson -
"In Africa's Great Lakes Region, the Church is Growing—and so is Climate Conflict"
Philip Jenkins created the article, "In Africa's Great Lakes Region, the Church is Growing—and so is Climate Conflict", in the Christian Century. The article discusses the impacts of climate change on the Great Lakes region of central and eastern Africa. Many communities are reliant on water sources, causing great concern for the effects of climate change on bodies of water. (A subscription to the Christian Century is required to access the full article) -
Wanted: Innovative Farmers to Help Slow Algal Bloom on Lake Erie
The Christian Science Monitor has written an article discussing how agricultural nutrients in the Maumee River, Lake Erie’s biggest source of pollution, are reaching record proportions. Most nutrient pollution is caused by large storms, and with climate change, these storms are becoming increasingly more common. The USDA reports that farmers are making headway toward reducing nutrient pollution on a voluntary basis, but many researchers say that these efforts are not sufficient. A recent report suggests additional outreach, an increased focus of conservation dollars, and mandated soil testing.
Wetland restoration – bringing back bits of the Black Swamp— can play a pivotal role in clearing algal bloom in Lake Erie. The Black Swamp Conservancy is currently working on turning 60 acres back into swamp in northwestern Ohio. William Mitsch, a retired Ohio State University professor and wetlands expert, hopes to eventually restore a tenth of the Black Swamp (about 100,000 acres) to provide a substantial cleaning of Lake Erie. -
Cleveland's St. Casimir Church Implements Green Infrastructure Practices
St. Casimir Church of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese wins the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's Green Infrastructure Grant! The church will be implementing permeable pavers, and rain water basins with the grant. This effort helps give stormwater new life and redirect water pollution. St. Casimir's expresses gratitude for their community's support. Read more at the link below. -
“Mama Earth Needs Better Loving”
In an opinion article for the Columbus Dispatch, Suzette Martinez Sandring offered a faith-inspired reflection on Earth Day 2019 that considers the necessity of change in our attitude and action toward the rest of creation. -
Huffington Post Interfaith Environmental Organizations
In 2014, Huffington post noted the trend of faith groups to make their voices heard in conversations about how to encourage and improve care for the environment. The author of the article, Antonia Blumberg collected fourteen interfaith organizations that are active across America in environmental efforts. -
Cardinal Turkson Generates Keen Response at OSU
This is an account of the presentation by Cardinal Turkson during his visit to the Ohio State University on November 2, 2015. Cardinal Turkson came to OSU to discuss Pope Francis' Laudato Si. This account's author, Gregory Hitzhusen, teaches Religion and Environmental Values at OSU and was an attendee. This detailed description makes the reader feel like they attended the event in reality! -
National Association of Evangelicals Approves Resolution on Creation Care
On Oct. 20, 2015, the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) announced a resolution to adopt the creation care principles of the Lausanne Cape Town Commitment. The NAE press release describes the following:
The Lausanne Cape Town Commitment calls Christians worldwide to:
Adopt lifestyles that renounce habits of consumption that are destructive or polluting;
Exert legitimate means to persuade governments to put moral imperatives about political expediency on issues of environmental destruction and potential climate change; and
Recognize and encourage the missional calling both of (i) Christians who engage in the proper use of the earth’s resources for human need and welfare through agriculture, industry and medicine, and (ii) Christians who engage in the protection and restoration of the earth’s habitats and species through conservation and advocacy. Both share the same goal for both serve the same Creator, Provider and Redeemer.
This resolution signals a strong commitment from the NAE, a member organization of Evangelical groups representing approximately 30 million Americans, and it follows from the principles outlined in an NAE report from 2011, Loving the Least of These: Addressing a Changing Environment.
The NAE’s position on care of creation adds another significant voice to the examples of environmental statements from religious communities in 2015, alongside the Pope’s encyclical, Laudato Si’ and many others -
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. -
Muslims and Water Conservation
The United Nations recognizes World Water Day on March 22. The Muslim community is taking this message to heart with discussions of water conservation. The following excerpt provides a brief summary of the Muslim khutbah with regard to the topic of water scarcity:
"The purpose of today’s khutbah is to remind us that the conservation of water and more broadly environmental consciousness should be an integral part of what it means to be a conscientious Muslim. An environmentally conscious Muslim is someone who lives in reverence and harmony with nature and uses water and all other natural resources frugally and sparingly." -
The Importance of Forests to Faith
The Alliance of Religions and Conservation is working with faith communities all around the world to help them manage and preserve sacred forest lands. In almost every religions, trees have a powerful symbolic role. Partnering with churches will allow ARC to further promote conservation of trees and the rapidly disappearing forested lands on the earth. -
Changing the Columbia River Treaty
Many groups, including faith communities, have called for a restructuring of the Columbia River Treaty. The original treaty was written in 1964, and has become outdated. The people calling for the change want the river to be valued for its ecosystem services that were not included in the original treaty. -
Laudato Si’ in Columbus: Bishop Campbell Regales OSU Students with Historical Overview of Catholic Tradition
Bishop Campbell spoke to OSU students about Laudato Si', specifically regarding how Catholic tradition develops the context for it.
"Bishop Campbell highlighted four themes in his talk, including how Catholicism has considered nature for 2,000 years, a Catholic imagination of nature, historical trends of alienation from nature in the Western world, and a discussion of how sin – light and shadow of the world together – plays a role in our ecological situation."
Please click on the link below to view the entire article. -
Surpassing Political Parties
Environmental issues have increasingly become a partisan problem. However, faith groups are trying to build bridges by advocating that environmental issues not only affect the planet, but all humans as well. They offer that environmental protection and economic prosperity can go hand in hand if political parties attempt to work in harmony. -
A Sinking Island
Many people who currently inhabit one of four small islands in the Pacific Ocean are being forced to evacuate their homes. The rising sea levels have washed away their homes and eroded their beaches. In addition, their sources of freshwater are being contaminated. This unfortunate circumstance is a prime example of Pope Francis's message on the impact of climate change. -
Faith Community Impacts on Earth Day
Since the founding of Earth Day in 1970, faith communities have become more and more involved with the activities of the day. Various religions have taken the lessons to heart, urging individuals to be more aware of their personal impact on the environment as well as their impacts as a community. The focus of Earth Day for 2008 is climate change and its detrimental effects have become pressing issues for the world community -
A Hymn for Hurrican Relief
This article was written to showcase the hymn that was a tribute to prayers for the damage from the recent severe storms in Texas, Louisiana, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, the Caribbean, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. In addition to comforting those impacted by the storms, the hymn also serves as a message for government leaders to work for policies that help to counter climate change. -
Tu B’Shvat: Trees’ ReBirth Day
The Jewish festival of Tu B’Shvat, also known as the New Year for Trees, celebrates the ReBirthDay of earthly trees and of the sacred and supernal Tree of Life. The celebration begins on January 30th and ends January 31st. It is celebrated with a Seder in which the menu is the fruits and nuts that are given by the trees. As a special aspect of their climate-crisis work, The Shalom Center is inviting people to create a special Trees of Life Fund for reforestation in the US. -
Activism by Jewish Women
The Jewish faith is, like many other faiths, becoming more and more environmentally conscious each and every day. One of the biggest reasons for this change is because of leaders and individuals in a faith community. In the Jewish community, many women have stepped up in a number of different ways to pave a path towards sustainability. -
Food Security: Dream of Feeding Hundreds Comes True
Brother Paul Kennedy, a member of the Dominican Order, grew up in Cincinnati with a dream of running a restaurant. Today, he is fulfilling that dream in an unexpected way. Every weekday, he is in charge of feeding the physical and spiritual hunger of more than 300 people at the Holy Family Soup Kitchen in Columbus. Brother Paul offers that, “What always was important to me about the restaurant business was the chance to communicate with people as much as the chance to feed them. But regardless of what I did, every job I’ve had in the past was focused on service to people. Here at the soup kitchen, I get the chance to do the kind of work I wanted to while growing up, while at the same time getting to know the people we serve and developing a rapport with them.” -
Beyond the Bin
St. Anthony Parish in Cincinnati, Ohio has starting their own recycling program. One of the parishioners had recently discovered that nearly 50% of all trash could be diverted by being recycled or composted. Their creation care committee launched the Beyond the Bin program by installing a 96-gallon bin in an alcove near the rectory. Word spread through the congregation, parishioners have started to bringing in their own recycling, and the program has been embraced by the entire church community. -
The People’s Pilgrimage
COP-21 was recently held in Paris, where leaders from countries all over the world met to discuss potential climate change plans. In addition, hundreds of thousands of people of various faiths made their way to the convention. They journeyed to Paris in a pilgrimage of solidarity. People of all faiths were in attendance to rally together and show how religious consciousness is now linked with environmental stewardship.
One group walked 1,500 km. from Rome to Paris. Among this group was Yeb Saño, the representative of the Philippines in COP-19. He has become a well-known activist, as his homeland was ravaged by Typhoon Haiyan during COP-19. The pilgrimage brought copies of Laudato Si, the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change, and the Buddhist Climate Change Statement to World Leaders 2015 to show how invested the faith communities are when it comes to climate change and environmental issues. -
The Francis Effect
With the release of Laudato Si’ and the visitation of Pope Francis to the United States, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of both Americans and Catholic Americans who have demonstrated concern over Climate Change. Individuals of various faiths have expressed more trust the Pope due to the overwhelmingly positive reception of his message.