Dear Pollinators,
As the year approaches an end, I am reminded of how it began. In January, I was in the midst of working with a team to publish a new UCC environmental justice report on 100 super polluters in the United States and the communities suffering from their toxic air emissions. During a time in which we were witnessing an unprecedented dismantling of the EPA with the rollback of protections and a precipitous drop in enforcement, we wanted to shine a moral spotlight on those who suffer the most when protections are removed: children, especially children in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.
The report soon became important in ways we never envisioned, as many of the same communities that suffered high pollution rates would come to suffer from high COVID-19 mortality rates with the virus attacking already weakened respiratory systems. A sane response would have been to fight the pandemic with better environmental protections, and yet the opposite happened as the pandemic was manipulated as cover for more rollbacks.
Yet, there is now hope for change as a new administration takes office. With increased attention and action, there is the opportunity to ensure moral accountability. For this reason, the next Creation Justice Webinar is focused on just this. It will feature three leaders in holding the EPA to account. Caitlin McCoy comes from Harvard’s Environmental and Energy Law Program which has tracked the many environmental rules and protections that have been rolled back over the last four years. Vernice Miller-Travis is a celebrated veteran of environmental justice struggles and served as a contributing author to the UCC’s historic Toxic Wastes and Race report. Eric Schaeffer directs the country's leading EPA watchdog organization after having previously directed the EPA's Office of Civil Enforcement. Register now for this webinar on Wednesday, December 9th at 1 pm ET.
With gratitude for your ministry,
Help Turn Out Voters in Georgia Who Care about the Environment
Over the past months, the Rev. Roberta Rominger has organized volunteers across the country to form an online community dedicated to turning out voters who care about the environment. Rominger’s inspiring work in has been profiled online. This election cycle is not over and neither is the work. Sign-up to help text potential voters in the state of Georgia.
Safe and Sustainable Landscape Practices for Churches
After much research and discernment, First Plymouth Congregational UCC of Englewood, Colorado adopted new sustainable lawn care practices. Because shifting away from toxic pesticides and weed killers can be a contentious topic in churches, the congregation's wisdom and experience is passed along in this article as part of our ongoing series on best practices for churches written by the church leaders involved in their actual implementation. Learn from First Plymouth's Pam Schmidt.
Community Supported Agriculture and Churches
Community Supported Agriculture can be an invaluable way for churches to connect with local farmers, acquire delicious produce, and learn about sustainable practices for stewarding the gifts of God's creation. The Rev. Michael Mulberry draws upon his experiences as he introduces what Community Supported Agriculture is all about. Read about its many benefits in this article written as a resource for the Kairos Call to Action which provides ways for churches to mobilize to address climate and inequality.
A Transformative Book for Churches
For St. Paul's UCC in St. Paul, Minnesota, a crucial part of their journey to become a Creation Justice Church was reading a book by Chris Johnstone and Joanna Macy entitled Active Hope. Members used a “reflection circle” model to discuss the book. These circles provided deep and sacred experiences. Their transformative impact extended well beyond the time during which the book was read. Read as David Weiss shares about these circles and what they inspired.
Tear Down the Wall
The election has not stopped the decimation of mountains in the building of a border wall. An assault continues to be waged on the irreplaceable beauty, the critical ecosystem, and the sacred ancestral lands of the Tohono O'odham Nation. The Rev. Tracy Howe Wispelwey reports on what is taking place and connects it to the Psalms. Learn about the need to stop the destruction taking place.
The United Church of Canada Takes Climate Action
The United Church of Canada made a commitment to reduce the emissions of their churches in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. The denomination has committed to reducing its greenhouse gases 80 percent by 2050 and local congregations across Canada are already responding, aided by more than $3 million in available grant money from the denomination. Read more about this inspiring effort and what it is already accomplishing.