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Seattle University Becomes the First Catholic, Jesuit University to Fully Divest from Fossil Fuels "As of June 30, 2023, Seattle University (SU) has withdrawn all investments in fossil fuel companies from its endowment portfolio, becoming the first university in Washington state and the first Catholic, Jesuit university in the country to fulfill their commitment to divest from fossil fuels. SU is now charting a new course of socially conscious investing. SU is a leader in the divestment and sustainability movements globally and nationally. In 2018, SU became the first Jesuit university in the country to pledge 100 percent withdrawal from publicly traded fossil fuel investments. Since then, six other Jesuit universities followed SU’s lead and made some level of commitment to divest, according to the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities..." -
St. Patrick Parish Green Kits "St. Patrick Parish in Iowa City, a participant in the Victory Noll Sisters Small Grants Program, offered each household in the parish a free kit with native plant seedlings, a kitchen compost container, and LED bulbs. The 162 native plants arrived just in time for Laudato Si Week in late May, and more than thirty households signed up in this inaugural effort." -
Faith in Place Personal Reflection "I consider the Waukegan Harbor and Beach the gem of my city. Nostalgia rushes back from my favorite memories at the lake. From running on the pier with my cross-country teammates to watching the most beautiful pink sunsets with a cone of ice cream in hand - it is still one of my favorite places to be today. Growing up, I did not realize the factory on the shore of our beach was a coal plant polluting our air and water. I feared how much this coal plant might have affected me, my family, my friends, and the cherished gem of my community. My work with Faith in Place is driven by my hope that future generations of Waukegan do not have to wonder and fear how the plant on their beach is affecting their health and environment. The Waukegan Harbor and Beach remains one of my favorite places in the city – but I’m excited to reimagine it without the coal plant on its shore. Michelle Luu" -
Household Carbon Footprint Calculator This interactive resource allows the user to input information on their housing situation and energy usage to calculate their estimated carbon footprint. It can show you where the most waste is and any possible ways to reduce the carbon footprint. -
Reclaiming Food, Reclaiming History "To reinvigorate the global, contemporary Jewish kitchen with the folk wisdom embedded in Ashkenazi Jewish food, with food that is naturally seasonal, sustainable, and organic will require a bit of imagination, but it’s possible. That imagination begins with an exploration of history, and that history is far closer than you think. The one crucial ingredient remains: our desire and will to reclaim it." -
The Delicious Story of the Jewish People, Connected by Food, and Ever-Evolving "Time and again, I am reminded that food is not just a means to feed ourselves, but a visceral connection to our culture, carrying on memories and traditions that tell the delicious story of where we’ve been, and where we’re going." -
Reinvigorating Tradition, One Bowl of Borscht at a Time "...My generation was inheriting only a small taste of this glorious tradition. I felt this potential loss in my kishkes. What would a Jewish holiday be without the smell of chicken soup pervading every corner of my home? But when I met Jeffrey Yoskowitz, a passionate pickler and food entrepreneur and the grandson of a remarkable Jewish woman from Poland who cooked like a real balabusta, my path grew clear. We were going to turn the tides by reinvigorating our tradition, bringing together our present day values and culinary skills with the wisdom of the past." -
Laudato Si' and the U.S. Catholic Church Recordings "The 2023 Laudato Si’ and the U.S. Catholic Church (June 14-July 27, 2023) national conference, is part of a biennial conference series co-sponsored by Creighton University and Catholic Climate Covenant to equip and inspire Catholics to more deeply integrate Laudato Si’ and its creation care teachings into the U.S. Church. The purpose of this year's conference is to encourage a greater understanding of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform’s seven goals – Response to the Cry of the Poor, Ecological Economics, Adoption of Sustainable Lifestyle, Ecological Education, Ecological Spirituality, Community Resilience and Empowerment, and Response to the Cry of the Earth – and encourage Catholic individuals and groups to enroll in the Platform, providing them with a clearer path for accomplishing each of the goals through speaker presentations." -
Heat and Health: A Faith Response to Building Stronger Communities "Today, more than 40 percent of Americans are at risk of extreme and excessive heat. July has been a hot month across the country with historic temperatures. Our resource and toolkit are now available to support you and your community! You can find download the resources here. We have an information briefing paper and shareable resources that show the warning signs of heat-related illnesses." -
To Love Judaism, Be Jewish in Nature-Based Community "For thousands of years, the Jewish people didn’t have Jewish summer camps. We didn’t have Sunday school. We didn’t have day school. And yet, we transmitted our heritage, intact, from generation to generation. What cultural elements were in place, in those times before modernity, that made it possible to so strongly maintain our tradition? Which of these elements can we best draw from now, in today’s increasingly complex world? First, we lived directly off the land – we had an intimate, reciprocal relationship with our natural environment. Secondly, we lived in villages, in which each person was likely to feel a sense of purpose and role within the larger community." -
All Creation Gives God Praise: An Earth Day Webinar "Every year, Catholic Climate Covenant produces a one-hour educational program. This year [2019] we are focusing on the issue of protecting biodiversity to complement the Earth Day Network's 'Protect Our Species' campaign. In the webinar we explore why the Earth day Network chose the theme of 'Protecting Our Species' and all the wonderful resources and toolkits that they have available for your use. We also delve into the Covenant's Earth Day program and how you can facilitate a program in your parish, school, or religious community." -
Querida Amazonia Beloved Amazon Study Guide on Select Themes "This reflection/discussion guide, for use with Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, Querida Amazonia [Beloved Amazon], can help individuals and small groups explore and dialogue with aspects of this important document related to listening to “the cry of the poor,” the rights of indigenous persons, solidarity, and action to care for God’s creation. It does not cover all themes in the apostolic exhortation. The guide includes a template for small group discussion, as well as questions for either individual or small group reflection on particular themes in the document." -
Laudato Si' Discussion Guide "Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’ was released in June 2015. Five years later, in 2020, Pope Francis invited all Catholics and people of good will to celebrate the fifth year anniversary of this important encyclical and to take action to better care for our common home. Also in 2020, Pope Francis issued an apostolic exhortation, Querida Amazonia [Beloved Amazon], which drew heavily from Laudato Si’ and from the reflections of participants in the Special Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazonian Region on October 6-27, 2019 on topics such as “the cry of the poor,” exploitation of the resources and the original peoples of the Amazon region, and action to care for God’s creation. The guide includes materials for prayer, reflection and discussion, as well as ideas to help Catholics respond to Pope Francis’ call in Laudato Si’. The discussion section of the guide includes quotes and discussion questions on a variety of themes highlighted in Laudato Si’. The facilitator should decide in advance which topics will be covered during this session. Given the number of rich themes on which Pope Francis focuses in Laudato Si’, you may wish to spread the topics among several sessions. A separate study guide for Querida Amazonia is also available." -
Querida Amazonia This post-synodal exhortation by Pope Francis draws and continues from Laudato Si'. It specifically addresses the region of the Amazon and Pope Francis' ideals for supporting its environment. In summation, he says, "I dream of an Amazon region that fights for the rights of the poor, the original peoples and the least of our brothers and sisters, where their voices can be heard and their dignity advanced. I dream of an Amazon region that can preserve its distinctive cultural riches, where the beauty of our humanity shines forth in so many varied ways. I dream of an Amazon region that can jealously preserve its overwhelming natural beauty and the superabundant life teeming in its rivers and forests. I dream of Christian communities capable of generous commitment, incarnate in the Amazon region, and giving the Church new faces with Amazonian features." -
Laudato Si' for Children This video is an animated synopsis of Pope Francis' Laudato Si'. It was made to be consumed and understood by children as an introduction to faith and environment. -
Practical Steps Towards Protection of the Environment "These days the environment- the source of life for all beings in the world including Tibet, the Land of Snows- is undergoing extensive degeneration. At this time it is extremely important that every human being, according to his or her ability, consistently puts effort into ensuring the conservation and protection of this planet's environment and its inhabitants." -
Dharma Action Network for Climate Engagement (DANCE) "Dharma Action Network for Climate Engagement (DANCE) is a space for connecting to explore the breadth of possible Dharma responses to climate change and related issues. As well as an opportunity to network and form more localized groups of support, activity and political action, a wide range of creative ideas and experiments in passionate and compassionate engagement may be shared, incubated, and hatched together through this space. It can also serve as a more central forum to discuss perspectives and to voice feelings about the environmental crises we face; and as a hub for information on relevant events and resources, including related retreats, workshops, artistic and other enterprises." -
One Earth Sangha
"While insecurity is inherent in being alive, life on Earth is pervasively more and more vulnerable. The biosphere’s ability to support all forms of life, including human society, is increasingly uncertain. While impacts and timelines vary consistent with existing patterns of oppression, none will ultimately escape the pervasive loss of ecological health currently underway. Average global temperatures, ocean acidification, and sea levels all rise while dramatic fires and storms punctuate Earth’s changing atmosphere. At the ground level, fresh water and fertile topsoil are in decline around the world. Meanwhile, the loss of life other-than-human, the creatures and rooted ones crafted by nature over millennia, goes on in the background in numbers and consequence largely unknown." -
Quench Their Thirst "Welcome to the Quench Their Thirst Fundraising Project! Water is a basic necessity of life, yet millions of people around the world lack access to this essential resource. By setting up a fundraising page, you can make a difference and help quench the thirst of those who need it most. The money you raise will build water wells, boreholes and water filtration plants in rural communities in Africa and Asia, where people currently have no choice but to walk for miles to collect dirty, contaminated water. This not only puts their health at risk, but also takes up valuable time that could be spent on education, work, or caring for family members." -
Muslim Hands "We have long been prioritising environmental sustainability in all our projects. Many of the people in the developing world suffer the consequences of our irresponsible and indulgent lifestyle choices so it is our responsibility to be aware of the environmental impact that our actions have on others. At Muslim Hands, we believe in operating projects in partnership with communities to deliver effective support that works in harmony with the surrounding environment. This means working locally to find sustainable solutions to the problems that people face. This can take many forms. Rather than flooding markets with foreign produce, we purchase food, clothes and other necessities in the vicinity, or as close by as possible which reduces the carbon footprint and also boosts business for local traders. Rather than clearing land for farming, we encourage the planting of orchards to bind the soil and provide people with a natural, long-term income source. Instead of using generators to produce electricity on new builds we use solar energy to reduce CO2 emissions. And environment forms an important part of our school curriculum, ensuring that the green message is passed onto future generations." -
Green Muslims "Green Muslims is a volunteer-driven 501(C)3 headquartered in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area working to connect Muslims everywhere to nature and environmental activism. We host educational, service, and outdoor recreational events and strive to serve as a bridge connecting the Muslim community with local climate action organizations." -
Environmental Sustainability in Islam "Islamic beliefs, traditions and values provide an effective and comprehensive solution to the current environmental challenges faced by the human race. Islam has a rich tradition of highlighting the importance of environmental protection and conservation of natural resources. According to Islamic law, the basic elements of nature – land, water, fire, forest, and light – belong to all living things, not just human beings. The Holy Qur’an and Sunnah are a guiding light to promote sustainable development in Islamic countries as well as around the world. Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) commands human beings to avoid doing mischief and wasting resources as these acts cause degradation of the environment. The privilege to exploit natural resources was given to the mankind on a guardianship basis, which implies the right to use another person’s property on the promise that it will not be damaged or destroyed." -
Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education (JOFEE) "JOFEE stands for Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming & Environmental Education. These experiences connect people to Judaism, community, and the natural world through hands-on, thoughtful and engaging Jewish content across different ages, Jewish backgrounds, and religious approaches. Tens of thousands of people engage in JOFEE activities every year, from learning about Jewish harvest rituals to starting a CSA, to greening their institutions by rethinking their consumption decisions. Combining methods from existing secular models (like outdoor education) with Jewish learning, wisdom, and traditions, JOFEE programs create unparalleled entry points to Jewish life and social action." -
All Education is Environmental Education "[This is the final article in a series about the connection between Jewish identity, food, and the natural environment, written by grantees and partners of The Covenant Foundation.] As we too slowly wake up to the human-made climate emergency, it’s critical to consider the role of the Jewish educator. We know that the answer to this crisis is not simply the acquisition of more knowledge. Rather, the question becomes: How can we teach our students in ways that help them become better equipped to engage with the climate emergency and other environmental crises?" -
Hindu Faith Statement on the Environment This statement consists of three sections reflecting the major strands of Hindu thought: Sustaining the Balance, Sacrifice and Protection, and Breaking the Family. It was compiled as a statement of the stance of the Hindu faith on environmental issues and how to approach nature.
