Climate Cafe Multifaith & Updates & Boost!
Read events and climate news for Faiths4Future and Just Creation
June 6th - When your neighbor says no: The Yakama fight to save Goldendale, WA, from the renewable rush In Goldendale, Washington, the Yakama tribe raised a clear ‘no’ when the land they use for first-food gathering, life practice, and ceremony was sited for construction of a hydroelectric pumped-storage energy project. Addressing climate change is a moral imperative. But how should we go about it? Join us to learn more. June 6th, 11:00am Pacific Time / 2:00pm Eastern Time. Register.
June 20th - Jorge Rodríguez is a Guatemala-based photo-journalist with an eye for the natural world. He publishes photos and articles covering environmental justice and life in Guatemala. More upcoming.
An opportunity for action: Faith leaders make the moral case for a global just transition away from coal, oil and gas. Sign the letter asking governments to implement a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
If web viewing is easier, find all this on a webpage.
Past Cafes Articles, Videos + More on the Blog.
It's UP! For Faith Communities: IRA Environmental Justice and Funding. A conversation following the Power Up! Climate Reality Leadership Training.
Follow up upcoming. Sacred Sanctuary: The Fight to Save Oak Flat. Sarah Augustine joined us to talk about Oak Flat efforts of the San Carlos Apache to stop a proposed copper mine.
Boost!
Wild Church Launch Pad. This course will specifically be for anyone looking to start a wild church our outdoor community. 6 sessions starting mid-August. This course will be led by Rev. Corey Turnpenny, planter of Church in the Wild. Learn more about the course.
Biodiversity Crisis Discussion Course. A free online 4 week course from Professor Mark Davies, "Ecological Responsibility and the Global Biodiversity Crisis" sponsored in part by the United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s Leadership, Education, and Development (LEAD). June 2, 9, 16, and 23. Learn more and register.
Faith and Natural Regeneration: I missed this! It was a hybrid event with World Council of Churches. I am sure they will post a recording, so check the link “Caring for the Earth, Transforming Lives: Linking Faith & Natural Regeneration,” - help for churches and faith-based communities in responding more effectively to the challenges of environmental degradation and climate change.
WCC Eco-School Applications: World Council of Churches is accepting applications for this year's Eco-School. The school is open to applicants under 30 years old and will take place July 24-31 in Crete, Greece, applications are due by June 15. Learn more about the Eco-School. Download the brochure.
Theressa Hoover Community Service and Global Citizenship Award: This award/grant is sponsored by the United Women in Faith to a young woman, ages 21 - 35 with interest in travel and service. Other requirements also, application needs to be in by June 11.
Movement Cafe June 21st. The next Movement Cafe from the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement will speak to the Just and Equitable Interagency Commitment to Net-Zero out of the UMC. Speakers are Rev. Jenny Phillips, Senior Technical Advisor, Environmental Sustainability at General Board of Global Ministries and Jake Barnett, Managing Director, Sustainable Investment Strategies at Wespath. Learn more and register.
Christian Climate Action based in the UK. If you are interested learning more about them, see their pages. Upcoming on June 8th in the opportunity to find groups, and get to know people.
Climate Prayer - a monthly prayer group, Climate Intercessors, formed in the runup to COP 26 and still meeting. Check the websites for an update for the March prayer date and link.
Reports
Find reports on the reports page.
Plastics, Next Steps. Like it or not, plastic is everywhere. Ridding ourselves of it will not be easy, and our children’s children’s children will bear this burden. With the reality of that burden in view, the UN has issued a report examining the business and economic solutions. Read an article from The Grist about the report: UN calls on governments to reduce, reuse, recycle — for real this time Read an article from The Guardian about the report: Plastic pollution could be slashed by 80% by 2040, UN says Read the report: Turning off the Tap: How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular economy
Plastics, Forever Toxic. A new peer-reviewed report from GreenPeace. Read the report explainer from GreenPeace. Read an article about the report from The Guardian: Recycled plastic can be more toxic and is no fix for pollution, Greenpeace warns. Read the report: Forever Toxic: The science on health threats from plastic recycling
Canadian perspectives. A report from Tearfund /A Rocha Canada (thank you, Samuel!). Of church-going Christians, survey said 91% are worried about climate change and nature loss, and 92% believe that caring for creation is an essential act of discipleship and the Church’s mission.
Resources
More resources on the reports page.
Climate Hazard and other Real-Time Interactive Map. This is a WOW tool from Climate.gov, the CMRA, or Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation, It tracks climate-related hazards in real time across the US.
NOAA Voices - Oral History Archives. Another WOW resource, this one is a library of oral histories, it's just filled with listenable stories archived from Elder Samoan Fishermen, the Deepwater Horizon disaster, and so much more.
News this Week.
Find our news archive here.
Deeper Dive - Plastics.
Some bubbling in the news about a Plastics Treaty this week, as May 26 - June 2 is the Second Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution with the goal to ‘to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.’ Here’s an explainer from The Grist: World agrees to negotiate a ‘historic’ treaty on plastic pollution The WWF is very engaged in this effort, their pages raise a call for a treaty to end plastic pollution, I am copying their 1.5 minute video here, it’s a great nutshell call to act.
Two new reports (see report section above) are available ahead of the second session of treaty negotiation, including a report from the UN and Greenpeace. The UN report focuses the feasibility of recycling and reductions from an economic perspective: Turning off the Tap: How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular economy. The GreenPeace report focuses on the chemical pollutants and problems that shine yet more light on the problems of recycling, including that recycled products can be more toxic: Forever Toxic: The science on health threats from plastic recycling.
A few key articles that help summarize the issues this week: From the Grist Experts sound the alarm on toxic chemicals ahead of plastic treaty negotiations ; From The Guardian: Developing country voices will be excluded at UN plastic talks, say NGOs [as] Limits on numbers at Paris summit mean some of those ‘most needing to be heard’ will not be in attendance and an opinion piece from Common Dreams: Don't Let Big Oil Sabotage Global Plastics Treaty, 170+ Groups and Scientists Tell UN.
While global nations work on formalizing the treaty, regionally there is some progress—actual good news!—to address plastic pollution, including in the Pacific Northwest: A cascade of victories against plastic pollution in the Pacific Northwest
Continued Spotlight
Goldendale - A key water permit has been issued and the project continues to proceed despite the efforts of the Yakama to stop it. Said Councilmember Jeremy Takala, “…our church is our land.” From the Seattle Times: Proposed pumped-storage energy project on sacred Yakama Nation site gets key permit
Earth & Spirit. I wasn’t really sure where to put this, but definitely wanted to share. As we grapple with the teachings of our faith traditions, and weigh those teachings against what we see in our natural world, a lot of questions rise up. I see this happening and I think this article captures this: ‘Big Earth energy’: A new era of nature spirituality is here
Good News:
World Bicycle Day June 3. On yer bike! An adorable headline from The Scotsman encouraging people to celebrate that green conveyance, the humble bike. There are events planned to highlight the good clean fun of biking, read about the effort from the United Nations. And a nice article from EcoAmerica: Bikes, Equity, & Climate Change
Eat Honey! Faith and Pollinators. Yum! Rev. Tim Olsen shares biblical wisdom and beekeeping in this lovely article on CreationCare.org, Eat Honey, For It Is Good (Did you know World Bee Day is May 20th? Mark your calendar for next year.)
Sheer that sheep! Sustainable Textiles. I have been glad to see a few articles this week about sustainability, fashion and fabrics. But this one was utterly charming and a showcase of sustainable, community handcraft. In a Sheep to Shawl competition, you have 5 people, 1 sheep, and 3 hours — good luck! That headline sums it up. :-)
Wildlife. More news of the adorable and this amazing planet with Lemurs and more! The ancient seafaring fauna of Madagascar
Bad News:
Struggling Farmers. In climate circles, there is a lot of information about the material problems in our food systems from the soil up. This article addresses the people who are struggling right at the center of climate change—floods and droughts—the pandemic, price fluctuations and more are adding stress and anxiety to farm life. This story speaks to that: Saving the Farm. Heartland Clergy Train to Prevent Agricultural Workers’ Suicides.
Climate Change and Biodiversity. To coincide with World Diversity Day (May 21st), acclaimed climate scientist and evangelical Katharine Hayhoe offered this piece published in Scientific American: One Planet, Two Crises: Tackling Climate Change and Biodiversity in the Fight for Our Future. Another article also speaking to the biodiversity crisis: Global loss of wildlife is ‘significantly more alarming’ than previously thought, according to a new study
Energy Investments. This is bad news wrapped in some good news. The good news is Solar investment set to overtake oil production and attract over $1 billion a day in 2023, IEA says The bad news is Fossil fuel investment set to exceed $1 trillion in 2023, 'more than double' levels needed for a net-zero future: IEA. Two headlines, same article.
Unlivable heat: A reminder that we are continuing to emit greenhouse gasses and we are on track for unsustainable and unendurable heat in many parts of the globe. An update on that reality from The Guardian: Global heating will push billions outside ‘human climate niche’ World is on track for 2.7C and ‘phenomenal’ human suffering, scientists warn
___
Prayers this week. Watching the movement of Super Typhoon Mawar, which is the strongest storm we have seen so far in 2023. Prayers for those in Guam without power and dealing with the aftermath. Prayers for the people in the Philippines, for that is where the Typhoon is now headed.
Prayers Up.
Richenda