A United Methodist Insight Column
Two weeks have passed since the last Crisis Watch column because of the press of other UMC news, so this issue will hit highlights, trusting to readers' interest to follow through on links.
There's still time to register for UM Creation Justice Movement's November Cafe on Nov. 15 that will feature a panel on setting up "green teams" in your church and annual conference. Says the announcement: Green Teams "help the church and the church community in a variety of ways to develop sustainable practices, such as energy efficiency, conservation, and the use of clean energy sources. Their efforts range from replacing Styrofoam coffee cups to building community gardens to leading the effort to install a solar roof. They may also encourage advocacy and engagement in policy and environmental justice issues."
The Cafe meets on the third Wednesday of the month, at 10:00am Pacific Time / 11:00am Mountain Time / 12:00pm Central Time / 1:00pm Eastern Time. This month's panelists are Crys Zinkiewicz, who writes the movement's "Tips" column published on Insight, along with UM EarthKeepers Kim Richmond and Bob Downs, Anita Dygert-Gearheart, who with her husband Dr. Robert Dygert-Gearheart developed "Wake Up World, A Curriculum on the Climate Crisis for Faith and Community Groups;" Marty Toepke-Floyd, senior pastor at First UMC in Jamestown, ND, and frequent leader of Mission U studies and Dawn Lewis, who founded the Green Team at her church. Register Here
News studies give climate response updates
Three major studies on the world's response to the climate crisis came out this week. Fortunately for faith-based climate advocates, the Washington Post has summarized the reports so we don't have to read them. Find WashPo's take in its Climate 202 column.
Among the reports is the National Climate Assessment, an evaluation of how climate events have affected the United States, the world's biggest polluter of greenhouse gases. Our friends at Climate Central have provided enough graphics to get a big-picture look at the NCA (see graphic at top and below), which hasn't been published for five years because of, well, let's say political inaction.
The Washington Post reports that extreme weather events are worsening and costing the United States an average of $150 billion annually. How has your church been affected?
It costs a lot to gain a climate-friendly lifestyle
No doubt about it, says our favorite climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, changing over to a more climate-friendly lifestyle "can be pricey." In her Nov. 12 "Talking Climate" newsletter she writes:
"Making changes to cut down on our household carbon emissions can be pricey. Dealing with the repercussions of climate change on our homes and businesses, on the other hand, can be even costlier; and in those situations, nobody gets to choose when disaster strikes. That’s why I’m encouraged to hear about microloan programs that are helping people take the steps needed to reduce their emissions and cope with the impacts of climate change.
"... Kicking Gas, a coalition of six local groups on Whidbey Island in the western U.S. is helping residents save 20 to 50 percent on the cost of installing a heat pump. They are also giving out low-interest microloans to low-income residents who can’t afford the rest of the purchase."
Are there any microloans available in your region to help you and your church cut down on your carbon emissions?
Another reason to work for climate crisis mitigation
If saving the planet isn't enough to spark climate advocacy, here's another word via The Guardian's Ajit Niranjan, "Politicians who delay climate action should be prepared to live with the human fallout of their choices, the World Health Organization’s top environment expert has warned."
Niranjan quotes Dr. Maria Neira, who's in charge of WHO's environmental health section: “Anytime you postpone, OK, are you ready to cope with that? You have to live with that weight on your shoulders of the fact that you are at least not saving those lives – I don’t want to say killing – but at least not protecting the lives of those people.”
But wait, there's more.
"Speaking to the Guardian on the sidelines of the world health summit in Berlin last month, Neira said doctors would make policymakers understand the damage done by burning fossil fuels at the upcoming COP28 climate conference, which will devote a day to health for the first time in its history.
“'Nobody will be able to say "I didn’t know",' said Neira. 'No one will leave COP this year saying ‘Oh, I didn’t know health was affected’. We will make sure that this will not be the case. Everyone needs to know this is not just about climate, polar bears and glaciers. This is about my lungs and your lungs.'”
How's the air pollution where your church is located? Does it affect your church's outdoor activities, such as recess for a church-related school or Sunday school outings? Something to think about!
Farewell to another iconic tree
Dakota News Now reports from Sioux Falls, S.D. that "a beloved and iconic tree in downtown Sioux Falls soon will be no more. The 50-foot tree near the First United Methodist Church has died. The tree has been in the spot along Minnesota Avenue since the 1990s and was decorated every Christmas. Church leaders informed the congregation this week that the tree had died and would be cut down in the coming weeks before becoming a safety hazard. A 40-foot artificial tree has been purchased and will be put up every year in its place with the first official lighting set for Nov. 26."
Media Mentions Nov. 1-14, 2023
A&M United Methodist Church to celebrate historic landmark designation with dedication ceremony – KBTX
Overflowing crowd celebrated 100 years at Clayton First United Methodist Church – The Clayton Tribune
Local church honors hard work of Pataskala Police Department - The Newark Advocate
Calvary United Methodist Church members talk history, annual Holiday Bazaar and cheeseballs – The Frederick News-Post
United Methodist Church celebrates three-quarters of a century - Sweet Home New Era
Ganta Methodist Hospital Faces Financial Crisis - Liberia – Liberian Observer
Chicken pies and dumplings: Can 75 years of tradition survive at Mt. View Methodist? – Hickory Daily Record
Methodist church choirs from throughout southern W.Va. join to perform cantata at Concord University – Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Montgomery Judge dismisses lawsuit from Methodist churches seeking to disaffiliate ... - 1819 News
Lake Geneva United Methodist Church installs blessing boxes – Lake Geneva News
Rayne United Methodist Church Hosts Noted Methodist Historian, Dr. Ashley Boggan – Louisiana UMC
Rekindling hope: New Daytona veterans shelter to provide a path to a happier, stable life – Daytona Beach News-Journal
Macon church helps throw out over $1.1 million in debt for people across Georgia - 13WMAZ
Bulldozer mishap kills one in Waynesboro, house and church struck - The News Leader
Local church to honor its veterans with Quilts of Valor | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound – Cross Timbers Gazette
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An award-winning religion journalist who has reported on The United Methodist Church at all levels for 35 years, Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, an online journal she founded in 2011. "Crisis Watch" forms part of Insight's participation in Covering Climate Now, an international collaboration of 600-plus news outlets around the world committed to enhanced climate coverage, focusing especially on solutions. To reproduce this content elsewhere, please email Insight for permission.