Ocean plastic pollution treaty
The United Nations has adopted a historic resolution that is intended to lead to a global treaty by 2024 to eliminate plastic pollution, especially in the world's oceans. Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen on Unsplash
A United Methodist Insight Column
With all that’s wrong in the world today, there’s some good news on both the climate change and coronavirus fronts this week. Let’s start with the big piece of encouraging climate news that United Methodist creation stewards can celebrate and support.
According to the Washington Post headline, “U.N. adopts historic resolution aimed at ending plastic pollution.” The subhead reads: “The measure at the United Nations lays out plan for developing a legally binding treaty by the end of 2024.”
The article by Tik Root amplifies the situation: “Millions of tons of plastic end up in the oceans each year, leading to alarming images of turtles and other wildlife caught in the waste. Even Mount Everest has not escaped microplastics pollution. The United States contributes most to this deluge, according to a National Academy of Sciences study, generating about 287 pounds of plastics per person.”
Now’s the time for faith-based activists to step up our advocacy for creation care. Combined with last week’s report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, science and spirit can save our beautiful Earth and all that lives on it from the folly of humans’ action. For ways to start or enhance creation care, see the website of UM Creation Justice Movement, the ecumenical Creation Justice Ministries, the General Board of Global Ministries, EarthKeepers and United Methodist Women’s Just Energy 4 All.
Coronavirus falling in the USA
Another piece of good news from Washington Post: the U.S. is changing its coronavirus strategy after two years of severe restrictions. Part of the change stems from what may not seem at first glance like good news: Blood tests show over 140 million Americans have had the coronavirus.
“That’s about 43% of the country, according to new CDC estimates, and about double what national coronavirus case counts show,” says the article by Dan Keating.
The data comes from more people showing coronavirus antibodies in January tests, meaning that more people potentially are resistant to the virus. In the latest report says 49 of the 50 states have reported declines in the number of new infections, which led President Biden to announce a new strategy in his State of the Union address March 1.
As always, experts advise reasonable precautions at in-person gatherings for our most vulnerable citizens, but we should be able to have more community events without the overwhelming fear of deadly infection. And we sure could use more community these days.
Recovering from disasters
From the UM Creation Justice Movement’s March newsletter, the following essay by Crys Zinkiewicz, who writes the monthly Tips column, underscores our collective need to increase creation care efforts.
“The people of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference have experienced multiple natural disasters in the last two years—a tornado that ripped through Nashville, predominately through lower income neighborhoods; devastating flooding in the Waverly area; and the tornado cluster that flattened so much of western Kentucky.
“In that tornado, friends of our daughter and son-in-law, made it to their safe room. When they walked out unharmed, the rest of their home was gone. Rev. Joey Reed, pastor at Mayfield, Kentucky, First UMC (also a friend and classmate of our daughter), was in the church with his wife when the tornado tore the building apart. Thankfully, they survived and are leading the congregation and community in recovery, along with UMCOR.
“Disaster no longer is something that happens somewhere else.
"For me, it’s now personal.
“I was so thankful when our Bishop [William] McAlilly wrote to all of us, giving not only a calming reassurance but also some very practical ways to be in solidarity with those who were directly affected. I am thankful to know Christy Smith, who for years has been working with UMCOR and helping survivors move to thriving again. I am also thankful for my friend and teacher, Ted Klontz, who wrote about his experience in the recent fires in Colorado that nearly swallowed up his home. His insights give me a way to be when my turn comes.
“Thanks to climate change, more and more of us are vulnerable. The church can help us! Let us prepare our hearts and minds.” —Crys Zinkiewicz
How annual conferences are faring after disasters
More from the UM Creation Justice Movement’s March newsletter:
Disasters are daunting. Here are some stories from UMC Annual Conferences to offer guidance, examples, and inspiration for dealing with disasters.
Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference – Stepping Into the Challenge: Statement by Bishop McAlilly
Desert Southwest Conference – Las Vegas Boldly Expands Grass Ban
Mountain Sky Conference – The Fire, Report on Marshall Fire
Oregon-Idaho Conference – Help Needed Bracing for Wildfire Impact Across the GNW
Pacific Northwest Conference – Flood recovery cases nearly closed as Walla Walla Valley finishes disaster cleanup from 2020
And here’s one that Insight found from the Louisiana Annual Conference: Shepherding Survivors through Disaster Recovery
To further encourage one another, send your disaster recovery stories to UM Creation Justice Movement at umcjnews@gmail.com
Disasters are “when” not “if”
Some day, your church will need resources after a disaster, which are now “when” not “if. To prepare, check out these options:
Disaster Resources from Discipleship Ministries
When Disaster Strikes, What Is the Church Doing?
Emergency Communication Plan for Houses of Worship
Media Mentions as of March 1, 2022
How to assist the Ukrainian people - Global Ministries
Halifax United Methodist Church Donates $7,000 to cancer group | Local News | yourgv.com – Gazette-Virginian
First United Methodist Church reopens after Hurricane Laura - KPLC
Methodist Men's Group hosts Habitat dinner in Seaford | Cape Gazette
Shipping container filled with supplies departs Richmond for Tonga – Richmond Standard
Community members unite to make mats for the homeless population - Sturgis Journal
United Methodist parishioner donating land for Habitat home in Saratoga Springs; Plan ... – The Daily Gazette
First United Methodist Sets Example for Reparations with Major Gift - Evanston RoundTable
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.