The season of renewal is about to spring forth and faith-based creation justice organizations have offerings useful for local churches' environmental ministries.
The ecumenical organization, Creation Justice Ministries, offers a special resource for Earth Day Sunday in April. According to the sign-up page, "This resource provides stories from people committed to caring for our planet through the food system, reflections, sermon starters, prayers and more to guide you and your congregation in faithful action."
Meanwhile, United Methodist Creation Justice Movement will hold a webinar at 2 p.m. EDT on March 20 to help United Methodist climate advocates prepare annual conference resolutions focused on climate care. The webinar will address resolutions specifically for the local church: Green Team Formation, Church Land Use, and Just Partnerships. Register.
Also on March 20, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release the final installment in a series of global scientific assessments, according to Climate Central. Says the organization's website: "The recent series of IPCC reports establishes, with higher confidence than ever before, how and why our planet is changing—and what can be done about it."
Climate Central cites some key findings of past IPCC reports:
- Global temperatures were 1.1°C (2° F) higher in 2011–2020 than 1850–1900.
- It is “unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.”
- Limiting warming to 1.5°C or 2°C will require global emissions to peak by 2025 at the latest—and “deep, rapid and sustained emissions reductions” throughout 2030–2050.
- Exceeding 1.5°C (2.7°F) of global warming would cause unavoidable increases in climate hazards and related risks to natural ecosystems, human health, and livelihoods.
Regarding climate solutions in the U.S., Climate Central says, "Every tenth of a degree of avoided warming counts toward a safer future, and nearly 200 countries have joined the Paris Agreement to limit warming. The U.S. has set national goals to reduce emissions 50% (compared to 2005 levels) by 2030, and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. ... Beyond national climate goals, 22 states have official clean energy goals, and 33 states have Climate Action Plans."
On Earth Day 2021, 11 United Methodist church-wide agencies committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In September 2022, Church property experts Rev. Thomas Frank and Rick Reinhard urged local congregations to address their property issues to achieve net-zero emissions as well. UM News also has compiled a collection of recent articles on net-zero emission that can be used as background for local-church creation care ministries.
Third Act Demonstration
Artwork Courtesy of Third Act
Service Before Climate Finance Demonstration
Third Act, an advocacy organization for elders co-founded by United Methodist climate activist Bill McKibben, will hold a Faith: Service of Solidarity March 20th at 8:30 pm EDT/ 5:30 pm PDT. Says its announcement:
"Folks of any religion, or of none, are invited to join TA Faith in spiritual reflection. This virtual event will take place the evening before the Day of Action and will be a moment of gathering with readings, reflections, music, prayers and blessings to remind us of our ties to each other, to the natural world, and to those who are bearing the brunt of the climate disaster."
Third Act's Day of Action "Stop Dirty Banks" on March 21 will confront banks and financial institutions that have been funding climate-damaging fossil-fuel companies. Details.
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011 as a media channel for marginalized and under-served United Methodists.