News, Boost, Updates
11 March Weekly(ish), Climate Cafe Multifaith, Creation Justice
Ramadan Kareem! Ramadan begins and I wish my Muslim siblings peace, blessings, and much delicious Iftar! A few things to read about to better understand Islam and the environment include Green Ramadan and the Green Ramadan Campaign, and gratitude for Muslim voices in the Al Mizar: A Covenant for the Earth.
Scroll for info and links in this week’s weekly(ish):
JustCreation prior weeks of this Weekly and other articles.
Upcoming events—Divestment and Sikh World Environment Day!
For Faith voices this week, link to my article on PFAS.
Reports and Studies
There is Good News, too!
Lent Resources: See last week’s news for the list. Adding one link, this is a Lent Reflection I wrote for Methodist Federation for Social Action.
Boost
Divestment. For those who missed it, the Conversation on Divestment went really well!! The recording and follow up information and links are here: Divestment Conversation: Follow Up.
Please Sign-On! The UMC is still investing (a lot) in fossil fuels. This is heartbreaking especially from a faith institution. Hundreds of faith groups have divested, and I am asking, please support the Fossil Free UMC effort. Please sign on to this Letter. You can sign as an individual or as a group, church, or organization. You can sign if you are a United Methodist, or if you aren’t. If you aren’t please consider signing on in support, we need your voice to show the power of witness outside the denomination.
Happy World Sikh Environment Day on March 14! To celebrate, on March 11, the Guru Gobind Sikh Foundation in Rockville, MD will celebrate with an environmental walk & street clean up. The first World Sikh Environment Day was 14 years ago when Dr. Rajwant Singh, Founder and President of EcoSikh initiated the Generational Change Programme with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), UK. Find out a lot more in the Sikh Environment Day from EcoSikh's website and check out the resources + toolkit.
Reports & Studies
Find more reports on the reports page.
PFAS and Petrochemicals. A couple of really helpful explainers from Earth Justice: How Big Oil is Using Toxic Chemicals as a Lifeline – and How We Can Stop It. Petrochemicals are an environmental and public health disaster. What you need to know. And also, Inside EPA’s Roadmap on Regulating PFAS Chemicals. I also want to add this excellent explainer from The Maine Monitor, Making the connection between PFAS and fossil fuels.
Petrochemicals and Health, Crisis. The warning lights don’t blink much brighter than this. New research is screaming from the hilltops that we must rein in petrochemical production and pollution. Read about the research in The Guardian, ‘Explosive growth’ in petrochemical production poses risks to human health. New report warns of deadly health risks from fossil fuel pollution, including alarming rise in neurodevelopmental issues. Read the study from the New England Journal of Medicine, Many fossil fuel–derived chemicals found in air, water, food, and manufactured products affect hormonal function. Exposure is associated with health risks, including cancers, cardiovascular disease, and infertility.
Coral Reef Restoration. There is some good news to be found in this study. A restoration technique that has proved effective is essentially a type of seeding, where pieces of healthy coral are put in a section of sand which is put into the dead area of the reef. These transplants thrived and in four years restored the damaged area. While this is fantastic, things that need to happen to make this stick is that we cannot continue to decimate coral reef, especially not without at least four years in between events. Read from NOAA, Researchers assess Florida Keys coral health following marine heat wave. Right now we have events every year. Also, this effort relies on using healthy coral taken away from other reef areas. Still. Restoration is possible!! Read about the study from Earth.com; Restored coral reefs can bounce back in just four years. Read the study.
Latest Heat Attribution Report. In climate-speak, ‘attribution’ means that some change or disaster in the natural world (heat, storm, drought) can be directly attributed to climate change. The latest report from Climate Central, then, tracked December - February heat and showed the temps were because of climate change. Read about the report from Axios, Earth had warmest February on record as this year trends hotter than 2023. Read the report. Read also about the rising heat in Phys.org, Carbon emissions and El Nino push oceans to record temperatures.
Emissions Report - IEA. Another report from the International Energy Association, reporting that emissions in 2023 were at at all time high, an increase of 1.1% (410 million tons) over the previous year. Ironically, climate change contributed to this high number as hydropower generation was negatively impacted by drought. A couple of bright bits of news in this: ‘advanced economies’ have reduced emissions and are now where they were 50 years ago. This drop is attributable to the increasing use of solar, wind and other clean energies, and clean energy in general limited what would have otherwise been a much larger increase of emissions overall—as in 2022 emissions increased by 490 million tons. Read an article about the report in E&E News, Global energy CO2 emissions hit all-time high — report. Read about the report in Energy Global, Growth of clean energy limited rise in global emissions in 2023, reports IEA. Read the report.
Clean Energy Market Monitor Report - IEA. This is a first of what will be ongoing reports looking at the Clean Energy market. This new report steps up in “providing a timely, concise and up-to-date overview of clean energy deployment.” There are some bright spots here to celebrate, such as a reported 50% increase in clean energy investment over the last 4 years. Read an article about this report in Solar Quarter, IEA’s Clean Energy Market Monitor Report 2024: Accelerating The Global Transition Towards Clean Energy. Read the report.
Deep Dive
Waterways. I am including an opportunity for a bit of a deeper dive. Two stories came up this week than need amplifying.
One is from The Atlantic (gift link), The Oceans We Knew Are Already Gone. As far as humanity is concerned, the transformation of our seas is “effectively permanent.” The heartbreak of what has already happened to our oceans needs to be named and mourned. The rising heat and hot-blobs have upset marine migration paths and impacted not only sea life, but sea birds as well. Increased carbon absorption means acidic water, interfering with shelled animals. Plastic waste is everywhere. The oceans have been hot before, this ended up being over a hundred million years of rain. We must stop the madness.
The other article is from Mongabay, In climate-related flooding, a Ugandan river turns poisonous. The story focuses on Uganda’s Nyamwamba river where catastrophic flooding is sweeping copper mining waste from the river banks into the water. The poison water then gets into people, animals, plants, and soils from which crops are grown and food plants harvested. The thing is, this is happening everywhere. Subsidence, heavy rain, violent typhoons/hurricanes, sea level rise, globally industry—toxic industries—have been built on shorelines and coastlines for easy access of transport to markets. All of this mess, refineries, chemical plants, mines, and agricultural run-off is going into the water.
Faith Voices in the News This Week
My focus for Faith Voices this week is PFAS, and as often happens with a ‘special section,’ the links and information required its own post: PFAS, Faith and Human Rights.
Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Hindu. This charming article is the answer to the question, ‘can’t we all just get along?’ This is what happens when love is at the center of relationships and faith. From the Express Tribune, India, Sikh mother, Christian father, Muslim brother: Vikrant Massey opens up on his 'beautiful house.'
Empowering Women. We know from studies that if we are going to address the climate crisis we have to empower women. The Lutheran World Federation is doing just that with support and training for women in Ethiopia. Ethiopia: Increasing awareness of gender just leadership in the church.
Community Investment. An inspiring article from Sojourners highlights the difference faith communities can make in their neighborhoods and beyond, Churches to Play Key Role in Spending $1 Billion Toward Climate Change. Already this good work is underway, with collaborative partnerships including with Calvary Reformed Church in Cleveland and the US based Pentecostal denomination, the Church of God in Christ.
International Faith Partners in Support for East Africa. A locally led climate fund through Act Alliance and partners has launched new projects: East Africa: two new Climate Justice projects. The worst of the impacts of climate change is hitting those who did the least to cause the problem. There are a number of efforts to right this wrong, including pressure to pay for loss and damage to people, land, farmers, and ecosystems, and develop local strength in people and leadership.
Good News
Lots of good news this week!! Find more news in the news archive here.
Conservation. After years of conservation work, endangered bat populations in Pennsylvania are improving. From the Pittsburg-Post Gazette, After near extinction, some bats are coming back courtesy of Pa. biologists and others.
Clean energy! A sand battery is a thing. And the Finnish are all about it. (And no, this isn’t yet another plug for Dune 2 :-) From EuroNews, ‘A very Finnish thing’: Big sand battery to store wind and solar energy using crushed soapstone.
Transition and accountability. Efforts everywhere by people of goodwill are seeking to hold industry not only accountable for their pollution, but in the push to do thing differently. Two stories of such efforts, from Grist, Under pressure from activist investors, big brands agree to report and reduce plastics use. Shareholder advocacy groups have already won plastics-related concessions from companies including Disney, Hormel, and Choice Hotels. And from The Guardian, The Māori climate activist breaking legal barriers to bring corporate giants to court.
Taking Action. A story to encourage you from Inside Climate News, ‘Insure Our Future:’ A Global Movement Says the Insurance Industry Could Be the Key to Ending Fossil Fuels. As insurers cancel policies in regions threatened by sea level rise and wildfires, activists around the world rallied for a week of actions pressuring the companies to drop oil, gas and coal projects driving climate disasters.
Cultural celebration. An event that hits home, a first-ever gathering in celebration of native culture, skills, and life-craft. From Indian Country Today, ICT, First Gathering of Native Weavers of Oregon. At a conference on the Oregon Coast hosted by the Portland All Nations Canoe Family, traditional weavers of all ages and skill levels shared stories and knowledge, stitch by stitch.
Prayers up!
Richenda
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Just to say… my updates are not endorsements, and links are usually third party. Please make your own determinations. My goal here is to amplify the conversation and encourage engagement, learning, and resilience. And of course, to bless your efforts!