Items

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  A Spiritual Dimension and Environmental Education: Buddhism and Environmental Crisis

  This article describes the Buddhist perspective on environmental crises and elaborates on the potential impact of pairing these beliefs with scientific research to effectively promote environmental education. The article also explains how some Buddhist principles could be used to create and develop environmental policies.
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  Green the Church: On a Mission of Faith for Sustainability

  Green the Church: On a Mission of Faith and Sustainability is an article by Betsy Lopez-Wagner for the non-profit Earth Justice. The article details Green the Church's history and founding. Lopez-Wagner also brings into discussion the work that Green the Church is doing.
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  Conservation Good Turn

  Conservation Good Turn is an article on the Boy Scouts of America website that describes the BSA's mission for conservation. As rooted in the Boy Scout tradition, conservation is an integral part of responsible citizenship. This article provides a general overview of scouting and its dedications, recognitions, and partnerships.
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  Interfaith Rainforest Initiative Faith Toolkits

  According to their website, The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative (IRI) "...is an international, multi-faith alliance that is working to bring moral urgency and faith-based leadership to efforts to end tropical deforestation." The IRI provides 8 unique "Faith Toolkits" to encourage the conservation of tropical forests and their inhabitants through guided reflections, prayers, meditations, lesson plans, and other teaching tools. Crafted to promote engagement with specific religions, the website provides kits for communities of the following faiths: Baha'i, Buddhism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Evangelicalism, and Protestantism.
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  Mother Earth, Sister-Spirit: A Sister-Led Retreat in Ohio

  This retreat led by Catholic nuns is designed to educate attendees on how to get involved in environmental justice action. It takes place at a 100-acre environmental education center near Dayton, Ohio. For the two-day event, they provide self-guided and collaborative events that include sessions specific to sustainability in the Dayton area as well as nature walks, art, social time, and prayer.
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  How Religion Impacts Americans' Views on Climate Change

  This article discusses the findings of a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2015. Surveys of Mainline Protestants, Hispanic Catholics, and Evangelicals demonstrated that views surrounding climate change vary by religious affiliation. More specifically, religious observance was also found to be correlated with specific views on climate issues.
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  Environmental Protection in Sikhism

  In this article, Dr. Dalvinder Singh Grewal explains Sikhism's commitment to protecting humans and the environment, highlighting the organization "EcoSikh," a five-year plan created by the USA-based Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE). In this article, Grewal also translates portions of Japuji, the Sikh sacred verse written by Guru Nanak, which describes an integral relationship between nature and God. This article helps readers from any religious background gain a deeper understanding of Sikhism and its connection to the environment.
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  A Greener Faith: Religious Environmentalism and Our Planet's Future

  Roger S. Gottlieb outlines principles of religious environmentalism and its implications for social and political issues. Gottlieb addresses issues of consumerism and fundamentalism while offering the perspective of religious environmentalism to guide how we should treat other beings. Through these discussions, Gottlieb proposes his dream for the future of our world.
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  Sikhism and Caring for the Environment in Practice

  This article describes Sikh values and how they relate to Sikh environmental beliefs. The Sikhs believe that every man and woman, regardless of status or creed, is born with unalienable rights to happiness and liberty. This belief leads to the Sikh stance on environmental ethics, arguing that fighting climate change is a universal effort that can only be achieved with love and compassion for humanity in mind.
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  Evangelical Group Releases Climate Change Report, Urges a Biblical Mandate for Action

  The article discusses a new report called “Loving the Least of These: Addressing a Changing Environment” by the National Association of Evangelicals that cites a “biblical basis” for stopping climate change. The report was written to spur fellow evangelicals to rally together and address the issue. It cites the Bible, with verses about caring for creation and each other, as well as basic climate science about air pollution as its reasoning. An interview about evangelicals’ current views on the issue with Dorothy Boorse, one of the authors of the report, is included.

• The Center for American Progress

  Many faith groups in The United States of America have been advocating for climate justice through bipartisan legislation. This source argues that it will require all religious leaders, activists, and elected officials to come together to keep up with the intensity of the climate crisis. More than 3,400 faith leaders have called upon federal leaders to invest specifically in 4 types of priorities: expanding renewable energy to modernize the electric grid; electrifying transportation and expanding public transit; ensuring clean water infrastructure for all communities; investing with justice. Federal and state leaders need to make investments and adopt changes to secure survival for humanity and to protect God's creation.

• Waycross Canoe/Wilderness Camp

  "Live in simple community with nature, with others, and with God. Learn wilderness skills, hike, canoe, make nature crafts, and cook and sleep out each night in the Hickory Hill wilderness of Waycross. Venture off-site to explore one of Indiana's lakes, rivers, or creeks by canoe or kayak. Grow personally and spiritually while learning how to live in communion with each other and with nature."
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  The Orthodox Fellowship of the Transfiguration

  The Orthodox Fellowship of the Transfiguration is based out of Santa Rosa, California, and is comprised of a dedicated group of Orthodox Christians who provide an Orthodox response to the environmental crisis on Earth. Although this group is based in the United States, its messages are heard around the world. Since the beginning of their organization, they have created lectures, conferences, and a newsletter. This group offers programs and resources that allow readers to engage themselves in conservation efforts with an Orthodox Christian philosophy.

• The Language of Science and Faith: Straight Answers to Genuine Questions

  This book discusses the links between science and faith and attempts to reconcile the two communities by demonstrating ways in which Christians can find God in scientific theories. Written by Francis Collins, a leader in the Human Genome Project, and scientist Karl Giberson, it offers a holistic view of the intersection between science and religion.
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  United Methodist Church Climate Resources

  The United Methodist Church has provided a webpage that combines most of their environmental resources. This statement calls on Methodists to form a ministry of reconciliation between God, humankind and creation. More specifically, they focus on work in and alongside frontline communities experiencing environmental injustices. Through this link, you can also find more information about clean water, climate justice, food justice, and sustainability.
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  Religious Americans Demand Climate Action

  This article offers a unique perspective on the intersection of environmentalism, religion, and politics. On the one hand, the current established consensus of virtually all religious groups is that climate change is real and human-induced, with certain religious groups placing extra pressure on politicians to advance climate legislation quickly. On the other hand, politicians have interacted with important religious leaders to rouse motivation among congregations to mitigate the effects of climate change. The article also includes actions being taken by religious groups toward fighting climate change on both national and local platforms.

• Climate Change Impacts on the Water Resources of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the U.S.

  This article is an overview of the impacts climate change has had on tribal water resources and, consequently, on the lives of Alaskan Natives and American Indians. The articles discusses the increasing hazards of the land they live on and how changes in climate and the ecological landscape significantly affects their daily lives.
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  Lakeside Chautauqua Environmental Sustainability

  Lakeside Chautauqua, a broadly Christian organization historically associated with the mainline Methodist church, routinely hosts environmental sustainability lectures from experts in the field. Some lectures are merely science-based while others are more intently focused on the spiritual aspects of environmental stewardship. A multitude of different topics are discussed, from local topics affecting Lake Erie to worldwide environmental stewardship.
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  Season of Creation 2022 Kick-Off

  Various church leaders including those within the ecumenical Catholic communion (including various sub-traditions of Anglicanism and Eastern Orthodoxy) met on June 23, 2022, to unveil this year's theme for the Season of Creation, which is "Listening to the Voice of Creation". This year's symbol is the burning bush as a reference to God speaking through Creation about the effects of climate change.
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  Bellwether Farm

  Bellwether Farm is a Christian organization which applies Biblical principles of creation stewardship to land use sciences to provide hands-on environmental education to the public on responsible land use. Responsible land use benefits human society and the earth both physically and spiritually, and this beautiful farm offers programs that help to exemplify this principle. Bellwether Farm routinely partners with the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio to educate the members of its congregations on environmental stewardship.

• Religion and the Environment in the Rhetoric of Thomas Berry and Pope Francis

  This academic journal entry is based on reflections by geologian Thomas Berry and religious figure Pope Francis as they draw a connection between the environment and religion. The article covers various perspectives to cumulatively demonstrate the need for environmental change, whether it is rooted in the Judeo-Christian belief in the biblical responsibility of man to protect the earth, or other non-religious roots of responsibility. Both figures agree that there will be consequences for not implementing better environmental practices.

• Lessons from Islamic Environmentalism: Interconnection, Structural Change, and the Limitations of Religious Environmentalism

  In this article, Rosemary Hancock explores the lessons of religious environmentalism within the Islamic faith and discusses how these lessons were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and the current environmental crisis.
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  The Bhumi Project Hindu Plans for Generational Change

  This article outlines the Bhumi Project's nine-year plan to encourage better environmental practices among Hindu communities. This plan is broken down into three sections: Networking, Action, and Education. These sections are derived from Hindu traditions and creatively suggest how such traditions can be tailored to be more environmentally friendly. The Network section details how the plan will be dispersed throughout Hindu communities and provides incentives for those who choose to follow the plan. The Action section focuses on what can be done at the organizational and individual level to promote sustainability in Hindu communities. The Education section of the plan discusses how the Bhumi project intends to provide informative resources for communities, schools, and priests to learn about the interconnectedness of the Hindu faith and the environment. Overall, the Bhumi Project intends to inform Hindu communities about environmental issues and encourage them to adopt pro-environmental behaviors that are in line with the Hindu faith and traditions.
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  Should Rivers Have Right? A Growing Movement Says It’s About Time

  “Should Rivers Have Rights?," published through the Yale School of Environment, addresses not only the growing impact of river degradation but also the spiritual connection that indigenous cultures have with river systems around the world. Attributing legal rights to rivers and other bodies of water will contribute to their protection from further human pollution as well as restoration of these natural areas. Through legal policy, rivers can be brought back to a safe state of equilibrium while also being preserved for indigenous groups.
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  The Miracle Garden

  The Miracle Garden is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 with the intention to convert vacant lots in the Columbus area into gardens that provide healthy produce for food-insecure areas. This organization relies on volunteers to maintain the garden and donate supplies, which provides a great opportunity for churches to volunteer outdoors while serving the local community and bringing about positive change.