Young EarthKeeper, Agency Staff Urge Churches to Take Action on Climate Change

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Disasters and Climate Change

UPDATED Aug. 12, 2021

When Caleb James first read the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released this week, his initial reaction was that “young people, people of color and low-income households will be hit hardest by the consequences of climate change.”

Caleb, 15, is a Global Ministries EarthKeeper, a training program that equips United Methodists to lead environmental projects in their communities. He also serves as youth council president and a member of the Green Team at Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C., where his father, the Rev. Cary James, Jr., is pastor. Rev. James also is an EarthKeeper.

“This isn’t just about the weather and the environment,” Caleb said in an email responding to United Methodist Insight’s invitation for comment. “It’s about justice, because people of color benefit the least from activities that produce planet-warming gases but suffer the most from the consequences."

“The IPCC report is harsh, but not hopeless if we act now to keep below 1.5 degree warming and avoid the grim prediction, especially for people of color and those living in poverty,” he said. “It is clear that we need to change our human activities in order to preserve God’s creation. We are a part of God’s creation, and if we continue these unsustainable practices, the land God created for us will perish.”

Staff at United Methodist agencies spearheading the church’s environmental ministries concurred with the young man’s assessment.

“The new IPCC report confirms what United Methodists around the world are experiencing every day: extreme weather events, drought, wildfire, flooding, unreliable weather patterns, and loss of species and habitats,” said the Rev. Jenny Phillips of Global Ministries in an email. “The losses are so deep, so visceral, and so overwhelming that those with enough resources to insulate themselves from the worst impacts can easily slide into numbness and despair. But those who are losing their homes, livelihoods, and ecosystems need everyone else to stay awake and engaged.”

John Hill, Deputy General Secretary for Advocacy and Grassroots Organizing Director of Economic and Environmental Justice for the General Board of Church and Society, also stressed the need for immediate action.

“The IPCC report underscores the urgency of acting swiftly to avoid the worst impacts of catastrophic climate change,” said Mr. Hill in an email. “These actions must include rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and scaling up our efforts to support communities already suffering from climate disruption. This report confirms that our window for action is closing and the time for us to act is now.”

Elizabeth Lee, United Methodist Women’s executive for economic and environmental justice, concurred with Mr. Hill’s assessment.

“The climate crisis is an existential threat impacting all of creation,” she said in a press release. “It is no longer a matter of ‘if,’ it is a question of ‘how’ and ‘when’ we will see the catastrophic impact of the climate emergency. The extreme heatwaves, intense rainfalls, flooding, and drought that women, children, and youth are already experiencing are projected to get worse and are the result of carbon and greenhouse emissions chiefly from fossil fuels."

“It is incumbent on all people, from all political affiliations, religions, and groups to push for a collective switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy,” Ms. Lee said. “This transition must be equitable and just, but there are few things as dire as this situation we find ourselves today.”

All four climate activists urged United Methodists not to be paralyzed by the serious warnings contained in the IPCC report. Instead, they noted that United Methodists increasingly are active in efforts to reduce the church’s adverse effects on the planet. For example, earlier this year eleven United Methodist agencies agreed to seek net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The interagency group plans to release a report on its efforts in spring 2022.

Rev. Phillips said her agency has a “threefold” response to the climate impacts raised in the IPCC report:

  • “We work to alleviate the suffering and mitigate risk caused by climate impacts through the ministries of UMCOR.
  • “We support United Methodist churches in efforts to reduce emissions through initiatives like our energy efficiency webinars.
  • “We work to increase energy access while reducing emissions by supporting renewable energy and environmental sustainability with partners around the world.”

Mr. Hill and Ms. Lee both encouraged United Methodists to advocate with government officials for policies that will reduce humans’ impact on the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change.

“United Methodists must continue to raise our voices in support of action – at all levels of government – to rapidly and justly reduce emissions and build climate resilient communities,” said Mr. Hill. “At Church and Society, we are encouraging United Methodists to contact their elected officials and share how the climate crisis is a moral crisis and demands a solution that centers equity and justice for God’s people and God’s planet.”

Ms. Lee said: “The good news is that we still have a chance to turn the tide on the climate crisis. The report is a clear call to action that as countries gather in November for COP26, governments can and must increase their ambition to transition from fossil fuels to clean renewable energy like wind and solar. The largest emitting countries like the United States have a moral responsibility to take on their fair share to reduce their emissions more drastically while financially supporting those least responsible to transition towards a just renewable energy future."

“As people of faith, if we are not raising our voices to demand change, we are failing ourselves and future generations. The existence of our world, as we know it, depends on the steps we take today and in the immediate future. This is no time for skepticism or reticence; sustained, bold action is our only hope.”

Rev. Phillips encouraged United Methodists to pray about how they as individuals or as congregations can respond to the climate crisis. She and Caleb James offered practical steps for responding to the IPCC report.

“Join the Global Ministries Creation Care Network to meet other United Methodists in your area who are taking climate action,” Rev. Phillips suggested. “Support the Global Ministries Environmental Sustainability Advance. Sign up for action alerts from Church and Society and United Methodist Women. Get an energy audit for your church and follow the recommendations. Consider solar. Offer spaces to grieve the losses of creatures and ecosystems.”

Caleb said: “United Methodists can increase their use of alternate forms of energy like solar energy and wind. Some examples of practical steps could be becoming an EarthKeeper, starting a Green Team, starting a plant-based diet, planting gardens, minimizing the usage of gas, switching to energy efficient lights and appliances, refusing plastic products, reusing bags and cups, and much more.”

The young EarthKeeper suggested his fellow church members consider his future and that of other youths and children in responding to the climate change report.

“As the impacts of climate change intensify with each passing year, more and more young people like me are joining the movement for positive change,” he said. “I hope the IPCC report is the catalyst for change to create a more sustainable society.

“If the world's countries care for God’s creation by stopping the burning of fossil fuels and taking other immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, we have a pathway to a positive future!”

Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011. This article is part of United Methodist Insight's ongoing coverage as a member of Covering Climate Now, a worldwide collaboration of more than 400 publications committed to enhanced reporting on the global climate crisis.