Picture courtesy of interfaithpowerandlight.org
Faith & Climate Action Day will be held on October 12th at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. There will be an interfaith prayer gathering from 11-11:45 AM then from 12 to 3 PM state legislators will be speaking on the importance of climate change. To register and read the rest of itinerary, click here.
Credit: Earth and Spirit Council FaceBook Page
The Earth and Spirit Council is a 501(c)(3) volunteer educational organization located in Portland, Oregon that was formed in 1991. They are a group of environmental and spiritual leaders who are on a mission to connect individuals to the natural world through art, education, ceremonies and cultural events. Learn more about the Earth and Spirit Council on their website (here) and FaceBook page (here).
Picture courtesy of greenumbrella.org
Green Umbrella is partnering with the City of Cincinnati Office of Environment and Sustainability and the Department of Economic Inclusion, the Brueggeman Center for Dialogue at Xavier University, Hamilton County Planning and Development and the Greater Cincinnati Green Business Council to present a daylong conference to share the ideas and practices in environmental sustainability at the Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit. The 2017 Summit welcomes stakeholders throughout the Ohio Valley region and adjoining areas to exchange their practices, have thoughtful discussions, and celebrate the work that is being done throughout the Midwest. This year’s Summit will look focus on the issue of equity and its relationship to sustainability. It also includes Van Jones as the keynote speaker. Van Jones is a globally recognized, award-winning leader in the green economy along with being experienced in linking the economy, the environment and social justice. He is also the best-selling author of a book on green jobs, The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems. To read more on this summit, click here.
What: Congregation Tifereth Israel 2017 Scholar-in-Residence Weekend. Congregation Tefereth Israel will be sharing Judaism and Environmentalism/Sustainability this weekend. You can register below and check out the details on their flyer here.
Where: 1354 E Broad St, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
When: February 3rd, 5:30pm – 9:30pm & February 4th, 9:30am – 9:30pm
Photo Credit: http://ministeriumofideas.org/
The Ministerium of Ideas is an interfaith group of church leaders from various churches all around Columbus. They gather to discuss various ideas and intellectual thought, with a focus on religion, issues, and philosophy. To check out some of their topics of discussion, click here. If you are especially interested, they will be having a meeting on climate change on Tuesday, April 19th from Noon – 1:30 at the Newman Center.
Photo Credit: http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/ en_US/studio/multimedia/20151001/index.html
Karenna Gore, the director of the Center for Earth Ethics at the Union Theology Seminary was recently interviewed on the morning news segment, Ethics Matter. She and Stephanie Sy, the interviewer, discussed everything that is happening with faith communities and the environment. They discuss the bible, what past religious leaders did not do in regards to environmental stewardship, and how things have changed to be what they are today. To read the full transcript of this conversation, follow this link.
Here are live links and further speaker information for OOS44 and OOS56, two organized oral sessions on Religion and Ecology that were presented at the 100th Anniversary meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Baltimore, MD, in August of 2015:
OOS 44: Ecologists and Faith & Justice Communities: A Journey from Antagonism to Earth Stewardship Partnerships for the Next Century
(Wed. 8/12, 8am-11:30am; 337, BCC; primar organizer: Greg Hitzhusen; co-organizers: Leanne Jablonski and Terry Chapin)
David Lodge, Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, ESA President-Elect
Ecology, Environmentalism, and Religion: A Nexus in Flux
Including insights from the book Religion and the New Ecology; Recent essay in Nature: http://www.nature.com/news/faith-and-science-can-find-common-ground-1.18083
Mary Evelyn Tucker, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, CT
Global Perspectives on the Vital Relationship Between Ecology and Religion
Director, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology: http://fore.yale.edu ; see also related podcast
Leanne Jablonski, University of Dayton, OH, Marianist Environmental Education Center
Pope Francis’ Environmental Encyclical, Catholic Environmental Social Teaching, and Implications for Ecologists (co-author: Dan DeLio, Catholic Climate Covenant); http://meec.udayton.edu
George Middendorf, Biology, Howard University, Washington, DC
Skeptical Scientists Approaching Religion on Common Ground of Earth Stewardship
Related research: behavioral ecology and population demographics of lizards; race, ethnicity and gender in ecology and STEM
Cal DeWitt, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Evangelical Contributions to Earth Stewardship: Laudato Si’ and Stewardship as Con-Service
Paper available at: http://faculty.nelson.wisc.edu/dewitt/
Kerry Ard, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University
Social Science Perspectives on Ecology and Religion: Implications for Environmental Justice and Ecology (co-author: Greg Hitzhusen, Ohio State University)
The Most Reverend Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop, The Episcopal Church
Comprehensiveness and the Middle Way: Anglican Perspectives on Religion and Ecology
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/katharine-jefferts-schori-biography
Terry Chapin and Carl Safina; University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Safina Center
Religious, But Not Necessarily Theological
http://terrychapin.org; http://carlsafina.org
Munjed Murad, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University, MA
Islam and Nature Today: Insight Into Traditional Discernment
Related work: http://hds.harvard.edu/news/2014/09/23/conversation-on-sustainability-and-religion# ; http://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news/seeing-god-everywhere
Ron Trosper, American Indian Studies, University of Arizona, Tucson, for Nigel Haggan, Interdisciplinary Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Creative Justice: Restoring Art, Indigenous Spirituality and Religion to Environmental Impact Assessment and Ecosystem-Based Management
http://www.fisheries.ubc.ca/students/nigel-haggan ; http://courses.ais.arizona.edu/people/ronald-l-trosper
OOS 56: Ecologists and Faith & Justice Communities: Evaluating Opportunities and Challenges for Outreach and Partnership for the Next 100 Years
(Wed, 8/12, 1:30pm-5:00pm; 341 BCC; primar organizer: Leanne Jablonski; co-organizers: Greg Hitzhusen and Kellen Marshall)
Shantha Ready Alonso, Executive Director, Creation Justice Ministries
The American religious environmental landscape: Opportunities and challenges for ecologists
Creation Justice Ministries serves 38 member Christian denominations; its 2016 Earth Day Sunday study and prayer resources will focus on biodiversity and endangered species. (co-author: Cassandra Carmichael, National Religious Partnership for the Environment)
Indigenous perspectives on ecology, justice, ways of knowing, and the Earth
(Gail Woodside CANCELLED) Speakers to be introduced
Dorothy Boorse, Professor of Biology, Gordon College, Wenham, MA (see Boston Globe coverage)
Loving the least of these: Lessons from the climate change report of the National Association of Evangelicals; available at: http://nae.net/loving-the-least-of-these/; see also God and Nature
Dan Misleh, Executive Director, Catholic Climate Covenant, Washington, DC
Growing catholic engagement and voice in climate change, environmental justice and policy: From St. Francis to Pope Francis to people and planet
Lisa Benham, Insight Garden Program, San Quentin State Prison, CA; Department of Environmental Studies, San Jose State University, Buddhist Eco-chaplain
From longing to belonging: Combining mindfulness practice and ecological understanding in prison rehabilitation; Related research: From utility to significance: Exploring ecological connection, ethics, and personal transformation through a gardening and environmental literacy program within San Quentin Prison: http://gradworks.umi.com/15/67/1567980.html
Kellen Marshall, Department of Biological Science M/C 066, University of Illinois at Chicago
Ecological equity and spatial assimilation: A justice paradigm for 2nd Centennial ecologists
Jacqui Patterson, Director, Environmental and Climate Justice, NAACP
Lessons for ecologists from the NAACP’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program
Related Research: Just Energy Policies: Reducing Pollution, Creating Jobs
http://www.naacp.org/blog/entry/naacp-just-energy-policies-report-released;
Equity in Resilience Building for Climate Adaptation Planning: An Indicators Document:
http://www.naacp.org/blog/entry/equity-in-resilience-building-for-climate-adaptation-planning
Jessica Lewis, Right to Housing Alliance, Baltimore, MD
Working at the intersection of water, housing, and economic and environmental justice
(co-authors: Vicente Lara, Daisy Gonzalez, Colin Bailey, Environmental Justice Coalition for Water)
Greg Hitzhusen, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University
Ecologist dialogue and outreach with faith communities: Lessons from experience and study in the Ecological Society of America (co-author, Leanne Jablonski, University of Dayton)
Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Rabbi, D.Min., representing Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation (www.adatshalom.net); Interfaith Power and Light (www.gwipl.org); Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (www.coejl.org)
Old-time religion and cutting-edge climate: Jewish and interfaith intersections with ecological science;
available at: https://scherlinders.wordpress.com/2015/08/10/esa-presentation-august-2015/
