Current Events

Church of England to Divest from Companies that Neglect Paris Agreement Goals

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Picture courtesy of churchofengland.org

The Church of England will divest its $16 billion fund from companies that are not aligning themselves with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The decision, which passed by a majority of 347 to 4 votes, states that the church will sell stakes in companies not taking steps towards climate goals by 2023. On its website, the Church of England said, “We believe that responding to climate change is an essential part of our responsibility to safeguard God’s creation. Our environmental campaign exists to enable the whole church to address—in faith, practice and mission—the issue of climate change.” To read more, click here.

University of Dayton Divests from Fossil Fuels

Image courtesy of udayton.edu

In June 2014, the University of Dayton became the first Catholic university in the United States to announce their divestment from coal and fossil fuels. Members of the university staff see this move as part of the university’s commitment to “being a responsible steward of the Earth’s natural resources.” This decision was commended by the president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. Their decision was one inspired by faith reflection as well as a commitment to financial stability for the university.

Beyond divesting from coal and fossil fuels, the university has taken further steps to move their campus toward efficiency and sustainability. A signatory of the of The American College and University President’s Climate Commitment (ACU PCC) and a member of other sustainability committees, the university now has two full time employees who work to improve campus sustainability and offers academic programs in these areas as well.

The University of Dayton is also home to the Hanley Sustainability Institute.

Click here to be linked to The University of Dayton’s site on their efficiency and sustainability initiatives. Click here to be directed to the Hanley Institute homepage.

“Pope Tells Oil Executives to Act on Climate: ‘There Is No Time to Lose’”

Image courtesy of NYT and CreditMaurizio Brambatti/EPA, via Shutterstock

Pope Francis continued his efforts to uplift climate change as a focus of global Catholic action with a conference of oil company executives at the Vatican in early June 2018. The pope, who has called for a swift energy transition away from fossil fuels and to more renewable energy sources, praised progress made by big oil companies while pushing for even further change.

In his statements on climate change, Pope Francis argues for our present duty to care for the gift of the earth for ourselves as well as future generations. He also recognizes that the poor will be disproportionately affected by global warming.

The Global Catholic Climate Movement has followed the pope’s directive and removed funding from organizations which support fossil fuel. Catholic universities, like Notre Dame, are working on plans to remove fossil fuels from their own energy production.

For more on Global Catholic Climate Movement click here. To be directed to the article originally published on the New York Times click here.

World Environment Day in Ruvu Mungano Tanzania

Picture taken by Natalie Georgalas at the ceremony

On July 5, I spent the day at a World Environment Day celebration in a camp known as Loresho on the outskirts of the village of Ruvu Mungano in the district of Same in Tanzania. Loresho camp has been established by the Tanzanian government to help relocate people who have been affected by the flooding of the Ruvu River. The guest of honor for the ceremony was the Regional Commissioner who spoke of the relief the government was providing to the people and also how all the people of Same can make a difference on World Environment Day. The focus for the celebration was planting trees, which was done at the end of the ceremony to show a good example.

After the regional commissioner spoke, the regional bishop of the KKKT (in Swahili it is Kanisa la Kinjili la Kiluteri Tanzania) Northern Diocese Lutheran Church spoke about World Environment Day as well. Because the ceremony was given in Swahili, Mr. Gerry Mmbaga, who works for the Kilimanjaro Hope Organization (Kiho), did his best to translate it for me.

The Bishop spoke about the Bible, and how God created the world but he created the man last. As he created the first man, Adam, he ordered him to take care of each and every thing concerning the environment. He also discussed how conserving the world was ordered by God because the environment is life; without the environment there is no life. He emphasized that God created the world first and the man last and ordered the man in the Eden Garden to take care of the environment.

The translation from Swahili to English can sometimes be tough, but the main idea remains. If you would like to read more about Kiho, you can click here. If you are interested in learning more, I will be posting more about the religious organizations in Marwa, a village in the Same district, and how they engage with sustainable community development.

Meditation Monday – Let’s Welcome God Home

Picture courtesy of godspacelight.com

This guided meditation, written by Christine Sine from Godspace, is meant to provoke thought on what it would be like to welcome God home to an earth restored, transformed and made new. It also includes helpful ways to focus your thoughts and what you can do to make this world a more inviting place. To read more, click here.

Interfaith Day of Community Service

Picture courtesy of faithclimateactionweek.org

Columbus Global Academy is holding an event on Earth Day, April 22nd, from 12:30 to 4:30. People of all faiths and cultures are invited to attend and participate in a day of community service and fellowship. The goal of this service day is to make the school building a more welcoming environment for the wide variety of students. Projects will include painting and gardening in the courtyards and helping to construct a soccer field for students to use. A community potluck and celebration with music will follow the work portion of the day. To read more about this event, click here.

Getting Ready for Earth Day

Picture courtesy of godspacelight.com

Godspace has created a list of resources that are helpful when preparing for Earth Day. There is a list of books related to creation and gardening, garden liturgy, and other web pages that contain Earth Day resources related to different faiths and spirituality. Click here to read the full list.

Catholic Climate Covenant Earth DayVideo

Picture courtesy of catholicclimatecovenant.org

Catholic Climate Covenant has created a video to go with their Beyond  a Throwaway Culture Earth Day theme. The short video gives a brief explanation of the importance of protecting the planet and the problem of throwaway plastics. To watch the video, click here.

Nationwide Climate Prayer

Picture courtesy of interfaithpowerandlight.org

Faith Climate Action Week, an initiative from Interfaith Power & Light, has created a nationwide prayer for the climate. You can add your name to a list to commit to participate and join together to pray for action on climate change. To add your name or download the prayer, click here.