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Watch the Faith Pavilion for an enlightening keynote featuring global leaders and spiritual guides at COP 29 in Baku. Dive into insightful discussions on how we can blend science and spirituality to protect our planet. Watch more recordings from the Faith Pavilion here.
On September 19, 2024, the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS), and the Institute on Culture, Religion & World Affairs (CURA) hosted a panel discussion exploring the moral dimensions of climate action and the possible role of faith-based values in encouraging positive environmental and climate behaviors. The event featured İbrahim Özdemir (Uskudar University, Turkey), Afreen Siddiqi (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Mary Evelyn Tucker (Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology), and was moderated by Pardee School of Global Studies Dean Emeritus Adil Najam. The event was part of a larger collaboration between the Pardee Center and OCIS to establish a future-oriented, interdisciplinary, and structured research initiative to explore the possible links between climate action and faith-based values – particularly in the context of Islam and Muslim societies. Learn more about the initiative here: https://www.bu.edu/pardee/research/fa…
From COP27. Participants share cases about how different environmental issues, such as ecosystem protection, sustainable energy, pollution prevention and control, could synergize with climate action. They systematically demonstrate internal relation between the core concept of Ecological Civilization and tackling climate change. Speakers mainly come from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, international think tanks and relevant NGOs and enterprises which have rich experience and cases on different environmental issues.
Environmental activist Gopal D. Patel thinks the climate movement could learn a lot from one of the longest-standing social initiatives in human history: religion. Exploring three areas where frameworks from faith traditions could benefit the climate movement, Patel offers a playbook for discovering your big idea to build momentum towards powerful social change.
How to cool the planet, feed the world, and live happily ever after. 137 minutes. Watch the trailer.
Session #8 of the Laudato Si' and the U.S. Catholic Church focuses on the Laudato Si' Action Platform's goal of “Response to the Cry of the Earth” which “s a call to protect our common home for the wellbeing of all, as we equitably address the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and ecological sustainability.” Panelists included: Daniel R. DiLeo, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of the Justice and Peace Studies Program at Creighton University; Carlos J. Martinez, PhD, Earth Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research; Deacon Kent Ferris, OFS, Director of Social Action and Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Davenport, IA.
The broad impact of changing climate and issues for intergenerational climate justice are central to all global agendas, from economic and financial policies to political and cultural relations. Religious actors have central roles, both in the formal spaces such as the COP meetings and in national and community policies. Translating this into effective advocacy and mobilization and modeling action link religious and interreligious communities to global and especially G20 agendas. This discussion will take stock of actions to date and look especially to the 2023 COP 28 meetings in Dubai. Both the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative and Faiths4Earth mobilize and integrate religious communities, working side by side towards global climate objectives. Moderator: Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Secretary General, Global Interfaith Wash Alliance, India; Panelists: Dr. Katherine Marshall, Vice President ,G20 Interfaith Forum; Rev. Fletcher Harper, Executive Director, GreenFaith; Maja Groff, Convener of Climate Governance Commission; Rev. Dr. Samuel Richmond Saxena, Dean, Faculty of Interfaith and Religious Studies and Director, Centre for Advanced Religious Studies, North East Christian University, Nagaland; Gopal Patel, Co-Founder & Director, Bhumi Global; Pinaki Dasgupta, Member –Working Group on Pollution, Faith for Earth Initiative, Sr. Consultant, The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India.
The Temple of Understanding ECO JUSTICE FOR ALL Dialogues present “Youth Voices on Climate From Religious and Spiritual Perspectives.” Madeline Canfield, Jewish Youth Climate Movement/ Adamah; Aashna Patel, Hindu Climate Action UK; Alethea Phillips, Earth Guardians, Native Youth Alliance; Aly Tharp, GreenFaith USA. This event took place 06/28/2023.
A multi-faith panel of leaders introduce us to the jewels of their tradition’s teachings on care for the earth. Panelists include: - Dr. Prasad Bastodkar, Hindu Society of Minnesota; Payton Hoegh, Episcopal Los Angeles and Center for Spirituality in Nature; Rabbi Ricky Kamil Temple Israel, Minneapolis and Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative; Rev. Onryu Laura Kennedy, Buddhist priest/teacher.
As part of the open programming at Congress 2023, the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC) hosted a keynote panel titled “Indigenous Knowing and Climate Futures.” Candis Callison and Deborah McGregor, two distinguished Indigenous researchers and communicators, spoke about how Indigenous knowledges can make the threat of climate change and strategies of confronting it matter to broader publics. Award-winning author and activist Naomi Klein provided a response. Candis Callison is the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous journalism, media, and public discourse and an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, jointly appointed in the School of Journalism, Writing, and Media and the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies. Deborah B. McGregor is an associate professor and the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Justice at Osgoode Hall Law School, cross-appointed with the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change at York University. Naomi Klein is Co-Director of the Centre for Climate Justice, and Associate Professor of Climate Justice at the University of British Columbia. This event took place on 5/31/2023.
Featuring Senator Ben Allen, Coastal Roots Farm’s Director of Jewish Life Cantor Rebecca Joy Fletcher, and CA Religious Action Center’s Lead Organizer Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller. Moderated by Jewish Center for Justice’s Founding Executive Director Rabbi Joel Simonds. Panel Convened at JPAC Capitol Summit 2023 which took place May 09, 2023 to May 10, 2023.
A public conversation with environmentalist, writer, and activist Bill McKibben. McKibben is interviewed by YDS student Tyler Mark Nelson '24 M.Div., followed by questions from those gathered.
This episode of Spotlights features Mallory McDuff. She is an author, educator, and mother, teaching environmental education at Warren Wilson College outside Asheville, North Carolina. Her writing stems from ordinary life–raising children and teaching students–amidst the enormity of our uncertain times, especially our changing climate. She talks about her new book, Love Your Mother: 50 States, 50 Stories, and 50 Women United for Climate Justice (Broadleaf Books, 2023). The book tells stories about women of diverse ages, backgrounds, and vocations–one from each of the fifty US states–as inspiration for a new kind of leadership focused on the heart of the climate crisis. More information about the book is available on the publisher's website: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/… More information about the author can be found on her website: https://www.warren-wilson.edu/people/…
Posted 3/13/2023
This episode of Spotlights features Amber X. Chen, a freelance journalist from Southern California whose work focuses on environmental justice. She contributed to several publications, including the climate and culture magainze Atmos, where she recently wrote a piece about the relationship between psychedelics, climate change, and environmental justice, “Tripping for the Planet: Psychedelics and Climate Change.” She discusses the problems and promises that psychedelics hold for the climate action toolkit, noting the particular importance of prioritizing the Indigenous communities for whom sacred plant medicines are part of their culture. You can read the full story here: https://atmos.earth/psychedelics-plan…
Posted 1/30/2023
How can we bring our faith tradition into the world at this time of climate, ecological and social crises? What does Buddhism have to offer the world at this time? Can engagement be part of the spiritual path? In this talk we acknowledge the deep roots of engaged Buddhism, and what an appropriate response might look like at this unique time in our planetary trajectory. Examples of engaged Buddhism will be drawn from Extinction Rebellion Buddhists. Given at the Triratna Earth Sangha Conference 2022 - Fear, Grief, and Faith: A Buddhist Approach to the Climate and Ecological Crises.
This episode of Spotlights features Andreas Karelas, the founder and executive director of RE-volv, a nonprofit organization that empowers people around the country to help nonprofits in their communities go solar and raise awareness about the benefits of clean energy. He is also the author of Climate Courage: How Tackling Climate Change Can Build Community, Transform the Economy, and Bridge the Political Divide in America. Andreas talks about new developments in renewable energy, particularly in light of the Inflation Reduction Act in the USA. Signed into law in August 2022, the IRA includes almost $400 billion in spending on energy and climate change. Along with the IRA, Andreas discusses some new projects he is working on, including a partnership with Green The Church and Interfaith Power & Light, aimed at accelerating the deployment of solar energy in underserved communities by assisting BIPOC houses of worship around the country go solar. You can learn more about Re-volv here: https://re-volv.org/ More information about Climate Courage is available here: https://climatecourage.us Go here for more information about the Solar for BIPOC initiative: https://re-volv.org/solar-for-bipoc
Posted 9/26/2022
Our economic, historical and emotional entanglement with oil gets ever more complex as we hurtle towards climate catastrophe. Can we break our addiction? 81 minutes. Watch the trailer.
The session ‘Indigenous peoples, climate change and the role of decent work for a just and peaceful transition’ was organized in partnership with Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development, International Labour Organization and Right Energy Partnership with Indigenous Peoples at the 2022 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development (#SthlmForum) held on the theme ‘From a Human Security Crisis Towards an Environment of Peace.' This session focuses on the interlinkages between indigenous peoples’ rights, climate action, the world of work, human security, and peace. It provides insights from the perspectives of indigenous peoples and government officials. The discussion aims to identify actions for increasing policy coherence and building innovative partnerships that (a) address the risks faced by indigenous peoples from the impacts of climate change; and (b) seek contributions from indigenous women and men to advance climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Moderator: Manuela Tomei, Director, Conditions of Work and Equality Department, ILO; Speakers: Oscar Pérez Ramirez, Vice Minister of Sustainable Development, Ministry of Energy and Mining, Guatemala; Lucy Mulenkei, Vice president, International Indigenous Women’s Forum; Ivan Zambrana-Flores, Minister Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Bolivia to the United Nations in New York; Joan Carling, Executive Director of the Right Energy Partnership with Indigenous Peoples. This event took place on 06/23/2022.
Do you find it hard to meet the feelings that arise in you as you consider the state of our planet? Join us as we transform our anxiety into empowerment. Together, we can hold space for our grief and care, rekindling a sense of connection with nature and with our unique calling to serve the world.
The Passionist Earth & Spirit Center has partnered with Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Louisville, KY to capture stories surrounding our connection to nature in the midst of the climate crisis. Why should we care about climate change and where can we find hope? Through reflecting upon such questions, we are drawn to a greater appreciation for the natural world as we consider what individual steps we might take to ensure future generations can live on a healthy planet for years to come.
Environmentalist, academic, and author Bill McKibben engaged with Mary Evelyn Tucker, co-founder of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology on the topic of the “Climate Emergency”. This conversation took place at Sanders Theater in Cambridge, MA during the 50th reunion of the Harvard/Radcliffe class of 1971. This was the first of three reunion programs on the topic of climate change, the area of concern that 81% of the class members said was a “very big problem”. All told, twelve HR ‘ 71 classmates presented work their organizations are doing to address climate change. The objective of these presentations was to make known the actions classmates have undertaken so that significant, future HR ’71 collaborations might develop. This event took place on June 6, 2022.
Part of the 2022 Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org
This panel was held at the 2022 Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop. The 2022 Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop was part of the CFR Religion and Foreign Policy program. The goal of the workshop is to advance understanding of the forces shaping international relations and provide members of the religion community with a forum to discuss issues with colleagues and experts in order to better inform their networks. Held on an annual basis since 2007, this event brings together clergy, seminary heads, scholars of religion, and representatives of faith-based organizations from across the country for discussions on global concerns with policymakers, CFR fellows, and other experts. Speakers: Gerald L. Durley, Rosalyn LaPier, Kilaparti Ramakrishna. Presider: Mary Evelyn Tucker
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Indigenous communities have looked after their ancestral forests for millennia, cultivating immense amounts of knowledge on how to protect, nourish and heal these vital environments. Today, 470 million Indigenous people care for and manage 80 percent of the world's biodiversity – yet their legal rights to these lands are inexplicit and subject to exploitation by illegal loggers, miners and companies. Human rights lawyer Nonette Royo describes how her team at the Tenure Facility, an organization that provides legal assistance to Indigenous people by taking their land rights battles to court, will help these communities secure and defend 50 million hectares of forests over the next five years. Watch more: https://go.ted.com/nonetteroyo. This talk was recorded on April 2022.
Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy, and professor at Texas Tech University, shares her expertise and thoughts about “Faith and Hope as the Climate Changes.” This event was hosted in collaboration with Mormon Environmental Stewardship Alliance, LDS Earth Stewardship, and the LDS Action Team of Citizens' Climate Lobby.
This talk is entitled: Climate Justice and the Jewish Community: A Call to Action Through Dialogue, a facilitated panel discussion with a Q and A session where the speakers discuss the current action and movement within the Jewish community towards an environmentally-just future. The event features several panelists who offer various perspectives on what the next steps can be.
Speakers include Rabbi Ellen Bernstein, a pioneer in the field of religion and ecology and a eco-theologian, spiritual leader, writer and creative; Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein, a Black Jewish Rabbinic Scholar and Public Affairs Advisor at Jewish Federations of North America and leader of the JEDI (Jewish Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) and racial justice initiatives; Kristy Drutman, a Jewish-Filipina environmental media creator and founder of Brown Girl Green, a media platform exploring the intersections between media, diversity, and environmentalism; Sophia Rich, an Ann Arbor high school junior who is passionate about connecting Jewish principles and climate justice and a member of the National Leadership Board for the Jewish Youth Climate Movement; Vicki Kaplan, Director of Organizing at Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action, as well as an activist and campaigner committed to movement-building and anti-racism work; and Ariel Mayse, assistant professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Stanford University and researcher on resources of Jewish thought and theology for constructing contemporary environmental ethics. This conversation was streamed live on 03/27/2022.
Prof. Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, Regents Professor, Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism, Professor of History, and the Director of Jewish Studies at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. This talk was delivered on March 21, 2022.
The risks posed by climate change, and in particular climate’s impact on marginalized communities, have further exposed the linkages between climate change, environmental degradation, racism, and social injustice. Often missing from conversations focused on these injustices, however, is an awareness of the agency and knowledge that Indigenous communities bring to climate response. As the global community ramps up efforts to address climate change, incorporating Indigenous knowledge into those efforts could serve to inform scientific best practices for climate resilience and boost multi-stakeholder engagement at local, regional, and national levels. How can Indigenous knowledge help shape efforts to address climate change? What kinds of partnerships can ensure that Indigenous knowledge is incorporated into decision-making at various levels (i.e., from the local to national and international)? Join us for a discussion with leaders who are working to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into climate decision-making.
Moderator: Lauren Risi, Program Director of the Environmental Change and Security Program at the Wilson Center. Panelists: Cat Brigham, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in northeast Oregon; Sineia do Vale, Coordinator of the Environmental Division of the Indigenous Council of Roraima and a member of the Climate Change Committee of the Coalition of Indigenous Peoples in Brazil; Dalee Sambo Dorough, International Chair of the Inuit Curcumpolar Council.
This event was recorded on November 3, 2021.
This talk premiered on Nov 2, 2021.
Join Uri L'Tzedek and Rabbi Yonatan Neril for a Zoom webinar. A few weeks before the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow, Rabbi Yonatan Neril explores Jewish teachings that relate to climate change and why it’s so critical that Jewish communities mobilize to address the climate crisis. This webinar took place on Oct 8, 2021.
This week’s episode of Spotlights is a clip from our full episode with Dr. Todd LeVasseur, visiting assistant professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. We discuss the importance of integrating activism into academia in order to facilitate viable responses to the climate emergency. We reflect on this issue for academia in general and for the academic field and activist force of religion and ecology in particular.. You can learn more about his work here: https://toddlevasseur.wordpress.com You can watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/LAn0KBt2mH4.
Posted 09/13/2021.
This week’s episode of Spotlights is a clip from our full episode with Dr. Todd LeVasseur, visiting assistant professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Reflecting on his new book, Climate Change, Religion, and our Bodily Future, he discusses the profound importance of religious studies and academia getting climate change right. You can learn more about his work here: You can watch the full episode here. Posted 09/06/2021.
Squamish Nation Councillor and community leader Khelsilem joins Am Johal on this first episode of Below the Radar’s Climate Justice & Inequality series. In this episode, they discuss the climate crisis as a result of the colonial project, how climate change hits hardest for those already at a disadvantage, and the spaces where colonialism has existed within climate movements. Khelsilem speaks to his critique of fossil fuel infrastructure, the false narrative of individual responsibility, and the role governments play in worsening the crisis through policy decisions that favour oil and gas. We also hear about innovative affordable housing projects, such as Squamish Nation’s Sen̓áḵw Development, and how to build climate-friendly design into new housing models. This podcast was released August 31, 2021. Follow link and scroll down the page to listen to podcast.
This week’s episode of Spotlights features Dr. Todd LeVasseur, visiting assistant professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, where he is also the director of the Sustainability Literacy Institute. We discuss his recently published book, Climate Change, Religion, and our Bodily Future (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021), including topics related to posthumanism, queer ecologies, ecological animisms, indigenous knowledges, material feminisms, deep adaptation, and more. We also discuss “A (Tough) Love Letter to Religious Studies,” which he wrote for Religion Dispatches in February 2021. You can learn more about his work here. You can learn more about the book at the publisher’s website. You can find his Religion Dispatches piece here. Posted 08/30/2021.
This 20 minute interview with Joanna Macy will help answer an essential question: How are we going to live our lives fully, with inner peace and courage (and even joy) as we confront a world that is destroying itself?
This week's episode is a remix of previous interviews with guests who have written books that explore religious perspectives on climate change. First, we hear from Andreas Karelas, executive director of RE-volv — a nonprofit organization that empowers communities to invest in solar energy — and author of Climate Courage: How Tackling Climate Change Can Build Community, Transform the Economy, and Bridge the Political Divide in America (Beacon Press, 2020). The next guest is David Haberman, Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University Bloomington, and author of Understanding Climate Change Through Religious Lifeworlds (Indiana University Press, 2021). Third, we hear from Robin Globus Veldman, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Texas A&M University, and author of The Gospel of Climate Skepticism: Why Evangelical Christians Oppose Action on Climate Change (UC Press, 2019).
Links to each guest's full episode:
Andreas Karelas: https://youtu.be/I0e-xIzWKW0
David Haberman: https://youtu.be/xnonKkOL6go
Robin Veldman: https://youtu.be/0FDglcseT5Y
More information on religion and climate change is available at the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology website: https://fore.yale.edu/Climate-Emergency
Posted 08/02/2021
Filmmaker Emmett Brennan walks the length of the Los Angeles aqueduct in search of a vision for humanity worth living for - what he discovers has everything to do with water. 79 minutes. Watch the trailer.
How can Jewish texts help us to think through the social politics of the contemporary climate crisis? Bringing feminist disability insights to ancient Jewish narratives, Julia Watts Belser argues that Jewish stories about the destruction of Jerusalem can be a powerful companion for thinking about climate disruption and the contemporary pandemic. This talk will grapple with the politics of risk, examining how race, class, gender, and disability intertwine to force certain bodies to bear the brunt of the storm. It will also explore how these stories invite us to reconsider the spiritual work of navigating tumultuous change so that we can reimagine hope from within the heart of crisis. This talk was given 05/25/2021.
This week's episode of Spotlights features David Haberman, PhD, Professor and former Chair in the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University Bloomington. We discuss his wide-ranging work in the field of religion and ecology, with particular attention to his newly released anthology on religion and climate change, Understanding Climate Change Through Religious Lifeworlds (Indiana University Press, 2021). This is the first part of a two-part episode. In part two, we discuss his research into the worship of stones, rivers, and trees in northern India. You can find more information about his work here: https://religiousstudies.indiana.edu/…More information about the book is available on the publisher's website: https://iupress.org/9780253056047/und….
Posted 05/24/2021.
This week's episode of the Forum on Religion and Ecology podcast is the second part of a two-part interview with Robin Globus Veldman, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Texas A&M University, and an Associate Editor for the Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture. She discusses more about her book on Evangelical Christian perspectives on climate change, The Gospel of Climate Skepticism: Why Evangelical Christians Oppose Action on Climate Change (UC Press, 2019). You can find more information about her work here: https://robingveldman.wixsite.com/mysite More information about her book is available on the publisher's website: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/97805203… This episode was posted 05/17/2021.
The question around disasters is not if a disaster will happen here but when—especially as we see climate change increasing the severity and frequency of severe weather events. When disasters occur, congregations can offer vital care and resources for their members and wider communities. Advance preparation and planning can position churches to respond well. As we enter another season of climate-driven disasters, it is time to step back and ask: How can our congregations be hubs of climate resilience, helping our communities weather the spiritual and physical storms of the climate crisis? In this workshop, participants will learn about the domestic and global context of climate disasters, get connected with resources for disaster response and recovery, and engage in conversations and activities for developing context-specific disaster preparedness and response plans.
This week's episode of the Forum on Religion and Ecology podcast features Robin Globus Veldman, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Texas A&M University, and an Associate Editor for the Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture. She discusses her work at the intersection of religion, culture, and climate change, including the research that went into her book, The Gospel of Climate Skepticism: Why Evangelical Christians Oppose Action on Climate Change (UC Press, 2019). This is the first part of a two-part interview. You can find more information about her work here: https://robingveldman.wixsite.com/mysite More information about her book is available on the publisher's website: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/97805203… This episode was posted 05/10/2021.
As we are called to activate our faith communities to bolder climate action, what do we do right now? We must continue talking about climate change as a moral, justice and faith issue in pulpits, educational programming, and in our communities, but we must do more. Faith traditions are deploying powerful new programs and resources and building networks to achieve climate solutions at the local, state and federal level. Hear about these new and innovative efforts to not only activate those already concerned about climate, but to reach others and build a broader base for faithful climate action and advocacy.
Faith leaders of various traditions speak together about how they are mobilizing their communities toward action in the face of planetary crisis. With Rev. Jim Antal, UCC; Sofia Gilani, Green Muslims; Rabbi Warren Stone, American Conference of Rabbis; Hari Venkatachalam, Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus; Peterson Toscano, Citizen's Climate Radio.
In this panel on water equity and climate resilience in recognition of World Water Day, three Muslim women environmental activists discuss the principles of environmental justice as they relate to Islamic climate action and issues surrounding water. This event was streamed live on March 22, 2021.
The Environmental Justice Symposium 2021 is happy to present John Paul Jose. Kerala-born John Paul Jose’s journey with environmental activism began when he joined a protest against the Yettinahole project around five years ago. Later, in 2018, John set out to discover what steps India’s politicians were taking to address the climate crisis, as one of the Fridays For Future youth leaders in India. Now 22, he is still a passionate activist, criticising climate action (and the lack of it) from an Indian viewpoint, and especially how global warming affects India’s forests and ecosystems.
This week's episode of Spotlights features the artist, researcher, and writer Christina Conklin. She discusses the ways that her work integrates art, data, science, and spirituality, and she talks about her forthcoming book (co-authored with Marina Psaros), The Atlas of Disappearing Places: Our Coasts and Oceans in the Climate Crisis, which will be released this summer. For more about her work, go here. More information on the climate emergency can be found at the website for the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology. Posted 03/15/2021.
This week’s episode of Spotlights features Sean Kelly, PhD, professor of Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He discusses his new book, Becoming Gaia: On the Threshold of Planetary Initiation (Integral Imprint, 2021). He describes the interlocking emergencies of climate change, mass extinction, and planetary apartheid in terms of a collective near-death experience (NDE). We talk about the ecological, philosophical, and spiritual implications of this critical moment in human and Earth evolution. Posted 3/8/2021.
In a session of the 2021 Jewish Science and Medical Group Conference, three Jewish professionals—Bernice Reya Rosenzweig, PhD, Michael Kosoy, PhD, and Rabbi Nancy Epstein—present on climate change and environmental health. Specifically, their discussion touches upon climate change and cities; the inextricable connections between the health of animals, human beings, and our environments; and how public and environmental health relate to Judaism and the sacred. This talk took place on 2/28/2021.
How can religion be used to fight against Climate change? This declaration gives direction to the Jains to change their lifestyles in order to live sustainably. Guest speakers: Dr. J. Jina Shah and Sudhanshu Jain.
In this podcast episode, Rainn Wilson talks about climate change and issues relating to the environment with Arthur Dahl, Christine Muller, and Afsaneh Angelina Rafii. These three Baha'is have been passionately involved in environmentalism in some way, shape, or form, and discuss a range of issues relating to the environment including both practical, and spiritual themes that need to be addressed.
This week’s episode features Andreas Karelas, executive director of RE-volv– a nonprofit organization that empowers communities to invest in solar energy–and author of the new book, Climate Courage: How Tackling Climate Change Can Build Community, Transform the Economy, and Bridge the Political Divide in America (Beacon Press, 2020). Andreas discusses community-oriented solutions to climate change, including the role of wisdom traditions, faith communities, and virtues of courage, simplicity, and gratitude. You can find more information about RE-volve here: https://re-volv.org/. Details about the book Climate Courage can be found here: https://climatecourage.us. Posted 11/16/2020.
In this conversation, McKibben and Berkley Center Senior Fellow Paul Elie discussed McKibben’s recent book Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? (2019). They also brought into the conversation his 2005 classic Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across America’s Most Hopeful Landscape (which is read by Elie’s first-year students in Georgetown College); the effects and prospects of Pope Francis’s encyclical letter Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home; and current climate developments –some of them alarming, others reasons for hope. Georgetown President John J. DeGioia introduced the conversation.
This talk was part of the Net Zero 2020 Conference.
FORUM2020 & the Global Interfaith Prayer Service for the Earth were held on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Temple of Understanding. World religious and spiritual visionaries, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and youth environmental activists came together to address the urgency of the climate crisis with strategies for inspired collective action. Over forty international speakers offered their wisdom and perspectives through keynote addresses, diverse panels, inspiring prayers and sacred music.
To view video, please follow this link.
This week's episode features Evan Berry, an assistant professor of environmental humanities in the School of History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies at Arizona State University. Sam and Evan discuss a variety of topics related to the field of religion and ecology, including the role of religion in the environmental humanities, religious responses to climate change, and the place of religion in the public sphere. Posted 10/5/2020.
Rabbi Ellen Bernstein, founder of the first national Jewish environmental organization (Shomrei Adamah), discusses her career of thinking about Judaism, the Bible, and ecology. This interview is conducted as part of Temple of Understanding’s Ecojustice for All interview series, which features perspectives on the climate emergency from international movers and shakers. This interview was held on 09/11/2020.
Part of the EcoJustice For All series.
Muslims around the world are concerned about climate change and its impact on humanity. However, many Muslim leaders have been discussing their role, how Islam addresses issues related to climate change and how Muslim leaders can lead a concerted movement to mobilize the larger community across the globe. This webinar, organized in collaboration with the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board of the United Kingdom, brings together Islamic scholars to discuss the role of Mosques and Imams in the decade of climate action. This event was hosted on November 5th, 2020.
Speakers include: Dr Fazlun Khalid (Founder Director - Islamic Foundation for Ecology & Environmental Sciences - The Urgency For Climate Action - An Islamic Perspective), Qari Asim MBE (Chair - Mosque & Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) - The Role of Mosques and Imams), Dr Iyad Abumoghli (Director - Faith For Earth, United Nations Environment Programme - Faith For Earth - The Global Potential), Naeema Hales, Outreach Manager (IFEES/EcoIslam - The Role of Muslim Women in Environmental Protection), Fahmida Khatun, TBC (The Hive, Al Madina Mosque, Barking - Environmental Practices in Mosques), Kamran Shezad (Bahu Trust - Host)
This video is part of the FEZANA Talks series, in which the Zoroastrian community engages with diverse issues across the diaspora. It particularly highlights conversations from the World Zoroastrian Youth Conference in 2019, as four young Zoroastrians discuss the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change interact. Their talks are followed by an open discussion with the listeners.
Presented by Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC)'s Dave McGlinchey, Rev. Mariama White-Hammond (founding pastor of New Roots AME Church, Boston), and Michael Sean Winters of National Catholic Reporter. Introductory remarks by Heather Goldstone, WHRC's Chief Communications Officer. Pope Francis is marking the 5-year anniversary of Laudato si’, the Catholic Church’s call for “swift and unified global action” to solve the climate crisis. Join us to hear how faith communities are addressing the ecological and moral emergency of climate change. The panelists will also discuss the Faith Science Alliance, in which scientists and faith leaders have found common cause in the climate crisis.
Mary Evelyn Tucker, senior lecturer, senior research scholar, and codirector of the Forum of Religion and Ecology at Yale University discusses religion and climate change. Presider: Irina A. Faskianos, Vice President for National Program and Outreach, Council on Foreign Relations.
Peer-reviewed science offers a clear consensus: that climate change, caused by humans, is an existential threat, and the defining issue of our time. How can the Jewish community–from JCRCs to synagogues to national agencies–step up to meet this challenge? In this session at the JCPA2020 Workshop, top Jewish and interfaith experts offer concrete suggestions on why, how, and with whom to prioritize climate change as a core Jewish communal concern. They discuss the coalitional value of Jewish visibility, especially around environmental justice; the multi-faith promise of a growing response, linking Jewish communities deeply with our Christian, Muslim, and other counterparts; and the intergenerational urgency of staying relevant, as young people around the world lead the charge to address the climate crisis. Moderator: Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) Speakers: Cassandra Carmichael, National Religious Partnership for the Environment(NRPE); Nigel Savage, Hazon; Joelle Novey, Interfaith Power and Light for MD-DC-NoVA. This event was held at the JCPA2020 National Conference, held from February 8-11, 2020 in Washington, D.C.
Peer-reviewed science offers a clear consensus: that climate change, caused by humans, is an existential threat, and the defining issue of our time. How can the Jewish community–from JCRCs to synagogues to national agencies–step up to meet this challenge? In this session, top Jewish and interfaith experts offer concrete suggestions on why, how, and with whom to prioritize climate change as a core Jewish communal concern. They discuss the coalitional value of Jewish visibility, especially around environmental justice; the multi-faith promise of a growing response, linking Jewish communities deeply with our Christian, Muslim, and other counterparts; and the intergenerational urgency of staying relevant, as young people around the world lead the charge to address the climate crisis. Moderator: Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) Speakers: Cassandra Carmichael, National Religious Partnership for the Environment(NRPE); Nigel Savage, Hazon; Joelle Novey, Interfaith Power and Light for MD-DC-NoVA
To tackle a problem as large as climate change, we need both science and Indigenous wisdom, says environmental activist Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim. In this engaging talk, she shares how her nomadic community in Chad is working closely with scientists to restore endangered ecosystems – and offers lessons on how to create more resilient communities. This talk was recorded on December 6, 2019 at TEDWomen 2019.
From the Second Annual Cape Cod and Islands Faith and Science Forum titled “Climate Change: Taking Action.”
From the Second Annual Cape Cod and Islands Faith and Science Forum titled “Climate Change: Taking Action.”
“Real climate solutions are rooted in a return to the land - a return to and of the land - and are rooted in decolonization,” says Eriel Deranger, Executive Director of Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) and member of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. ICA is a network of Indigenous peoples framing the ideas and actions regarding climate change in traditional knowledge and community-based solutions. These grassroots actions, Eriel explains, will support the transition to renewable energy while also ensuring social and environmental justice by maintaining and strengthening Indigenous peoples’ connections to language, land and culture.
Panelists Hanoz Santoke, Farzad Sunavala, and Reanna Unwalla give a thirty minute presentation on how Zoroastrian values relate to what their generation can and should do to address climate change. Drawing on values such as purity and good deeds and Zoroastrian sacred texts such as the creation story, the panelists provide the audience with religious resources and practical ways they can live more sustainably. This panel is followed by a free-flowing discussion with the audience.
With Ken Kimmell, Katharine Jefferts Schori, and Mary Evelyn Tucker. This session investigates the space where scientific understanding and spiritual wisdom meet to inspire a global response to one of our world’s most urgent crises. What can we learn from faith and science about right relationship with our Mother Earth? Thought leaders share current global warming science and insights on generating the necessary human response. This event took place at the 2019nFestoval of Faiths: Sacred Cosmos: Faith and Science April 25-27, 2019.
From the session: “VALUING FAITH AND SCIENCE: The Climate Crisis” at the Festival of Faiths 2019: Sacred Cosmos: Faith and Science (April 25-27, 2019). The 2019 festival explores the wisdom present at the intersection of faith and science. A diverse lineup of speakers and artists examine ancient and modern questions at the heart of human existence, investigate the space where reason and revelation co-exist, and engage with contemporary topics of concern through the teachings of enduring faith traditions.
A public conversation at the The Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta, GA focused on ethical solutions and practical strategies for building a movement that meets the climate crisis. Introduction by Greg Sterling, Dean of Yale Divinity School Presenters: Clifton Granby, Assistant Professor of Ethics and Philosophy at Yale Divinity School; Codi Norred, Program Director of Georgia Interfaith Power & Light; Jon Sawyer ‘74, Founding Director of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting; Mary Evelyn Tucker, Co-Director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale. This event took place on March 12, 2019.
Judith Helfand's searing investigation into the politics of “disaster” by way of the deadly 1995 Chicago heat wave. 82 minutes. Watch the trailer.
Saint Louis University hosted the Saint Louis Climate Summit, April 22-24, 2018, as part of its bicentennial anniversary celebration and to honor Pope Francis’ call to unite leaders in defense of the health and well-being of the planet.
Peter Raven, Ph.D., and Mary Evelyn Tucker, Ph.D. were featured speakers at the Saint Louis Climate Summit at St. Francis Xavier College Church on April 22, 2018. Saint Louis University hosted the Saint Louis Climate Summit, April 22-24, 2018, as part of its bicentennial anniversary celebration and to honor Pope Francis’ call to unite leaders in defense of the health and well-being of the planet.
Peter Raven, Ph.D., and Mary Evelyn Tucker, Ph.D. were featured speakers at the Saint Louis Climate Summit at St. Francis Xavier College Church on April 22, 2018. Saint Louis University hosted the Saint Louis Climate Summit, April 22-24, 2018, as part of its bicentennial anniversary celebration and to honor Pope Francis’ call to unite leaders in defense of the health and well-being of the planet.
In his lecture “Indigenous Peoples and Climate Justice,” Kyle Powys Whyte showcases indigenous leadership in the climate justice movement and illustrates the unique and grave threat climate change poses to indigenous experiences and ways of life. Climate change is not a new phenomenon for indigenous people, he explains. There are long-standing traditions in indigenous cultures that enable societies to respond to seasonal and inter-annual climate variability. Indigenous people have also already experienced climate change through their endurance of colonialism. Whyte describes how the current threat to indigenous people is a continuation of colonialism and how the consciousness gained from their prior experience with climate change can provide sound leadership for confronting the problem today. This talk is a part of the Bedrock Lectures on Human Rights and Climate Change presented by the Spring Creek Project. This talk was delivered on April 18, 2018.
This Change for Climate Talk features Eriel Tchekwie Deranger. Eriel is a co-founder and the Executive Director of Indigenous Climate Action, Canada's only Indigenous-led climate justice social movement organization. She is also a Dene Indigenous rights advocate, activist, and member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) of Northern Alberta, Canada, downstream of Alberta's Tar Sands. She talks about how the lands Indigenous Peoples are advocating to protect are important globally and culturally, and why Indigenous Peoples are a critical part of protecting lands and making an impact on climate change. Change for Climate Talks are short and inspiring presentations by local community leaders who want to share their ideas on how we can act on climate change. This presentation was filmed during the first Change for Climate Talks on Dec. 9, 2017. Find many other ways you can act on climate change by visiting http://changeforclimate.ca.
Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) is an Indigenous-led organization guided by a diverse group of Indigenous knowledge keepers, water protectors and land defenders from communities and regions across the country. We believe that Indigenous Peoples’ rights and knowledge systems are critical to developing solutions to the climate crisis and achieving climate justice. To learn more about ICA, visit their website here: www.indigenousclimateaction.com. This video was posted Feb 4, 2017.
Names in order of appearance: Sylvia McAdam, a citizen of the nêhiyaw Nation, Treaty 4 Desmond Bull, Louis Bull First Nation, Treaty 6 Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Lubicon Cree First Nation, Treaty 8 Ellen Gabriel, Mohawk - Kanien'kehá:ka Nation, Quebec Sylvia McAdam, ibid Kevin Settee, Treaty 1 Eriel Deranger, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Treaty 8 Clayton Thomas-Muller, Mathais Colomb Cree Nation, Treaty 6, Manitoba Erica-Violet Lee, Student, Indigenous feminist, Saskatchewan Danika Littlechild, Maskwacis, Treaty 6, Alberta Grand Chief Derek Nepinak, Pine Creek First Nation, Treaty 4, Manitoba.
The first of its kind in Canada, the Indigenous Environmental Justice Symposium knowledge sharing symposium was held on May 26, 2016 to advance the theory and practice of EJ scholarship by engaging with Indigenous peoples to more fully develop the concept of “justice” and the policies and laws necessary to enable just relations. The IEJ symposium creates a forum to share ideas, knowledge and experiences to help us understand what environmental justice means. Furthermore, if EJ studies are to benefit Indigenous peoples, then they must include knowledge, principles and values already held and practiced by Indigenous peoples. An important way to include and hear the voices and experiences of Indigenous peoples is to engage directly in sharing knowledge through an IEJ symposium. The IEJ symposium brought together activists, youth, women, artists, Elders, scholars, leaders, environmental practitioners, activists, advocates and community members.
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Following Pope Francis's historic visit to the United States and just a month before the momentous COP21 climate negotiations in Paris, the Berkley Center, in collaboration with the State Department, assembled a group of faith leaders, representatives of faith-based NGOs, scholars, and government policymakers to address the complex intersection of faith, science, and policy that surrounds the challenge of global climate change. Two panels addressed the moral and theological underpinnings of the climate action movement, and the connections between climate, justice, and poverty. This event took place on November 9, 2015.
This panel was held on November 6, 2015 at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA during the first annual Indigenous Climate Justice Symposium. The panel, entitled “Fossil Fuel Connections: Tribal voices from the front and back ends of the oil & coal train routes”, consisted of Fawn Sharp, Kandi Mossett, Jeremiah “Jay” Julius, Adriann Killsnight; and Zoltán Grossman, as the moderator. The Symposium was a part of the Climate Change and Pacific Rim Indigenous Nations Project at Evergreen, founded by the Northwest Indian Applied Research Institute (NIARI) in 2006.
Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker, co-director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale, discusses how to promote teaching on faith and ecology within seminaries. In light of the great challenges we are facing, what role can religion play? Stewarding creation is something that the next generation of seminary students must address, and this video shares a number of ideas for how to engage seminaries to teach more on faith and ecology. This event took place on November 4, 2015.
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In Part 1 of “The Cry of the Earth: How Pope Francis Calls Us to the Science Faith, and Action of Saving Our Common Home”, St. Vincent (co-sponsored by St. Ignatius Catholic Community) presents presents Dr. Stephen Scharper: Climate change science has emerged in the last three decades as one of the most vexed and contentious areas of contemporary research. From the muzzling of environmental scientists in Canada to the censorship of leading climate change researchers in the United States, politics has tinctured, tethered, and at times eclipsed scientific data on one of the most important issues of our times. In his pioneering encyclical “Laudato Si,” Pope Francis takes on the climate change issue, directly utilizing contemporary scientific research on climate change and its effects, such as global warming, rising sea levels, the acidification of oceans, and species lost. This talk explores a series of questions: What role can a Catholic voice play in the science climate change debate? Does Pope Francis have unique credentials for addressing climate change science? Does climate change science challenge people of faith to a deeper understanding of their relationship to and responsibilities for creation?
What has shifted in relation to business sustainability leadership and what is compelling companies to act now? In this interactive dialogue facilitated by Brad Gentry, panelists will discuss these questions among others, bringing to light new opportunities for business to mitigate climate change and contribute to the global sustainable development priorities. Featuring: Peter Bakker (President & CEO, WBCSD); Frances Beinecke (Former President, NRDC; Scholar, Yale); Pavan Sukhdev (Founder & CEO, GIST Advisory; Author); Mary Evelyn Tucker (Scholar of Religion and the Environment, Yale); Moderated by Brad Gentry (Associate Dean for Professional Practice, Yale; Director, Yale Center for Business and the Environment).
Pope Francis has called on people of all faiths to come together to take action on climate change and protect “our common home.” Will you join him?
Chief Arvol Lookinghorse, 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe speaks during the Climate Change Plenary at the 2015 Parliament of the World's Religions in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Every religious, spiritual and faith tradition views earth through a sacred lens and teaches adherents to protect the environment and all forms of life on our planet. At a vital moment in history, the Global Interfaith Movement and the Environmental Movement Join Forces at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Salt Lake City on October 15 - 19, 2015.
A review of EcoSikh efforts in 2015 to combat climate change and engage Sikhs around the world to take environmental action.
Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker of the Yale Forum for Religion and Ecology discusses the contributions people of faith in general and Buddhists in particular can bring to the national conversation on climate change. This talk was part of the US Buddhist Leaders’ Conference held at George Washington University and the White House in Washington DC on May 14, 2015.
This interfaith conference addresses the issues and challenges of maintaining a sustainable planet. Focused on ways to engage, panelists examines the overlapping moral issues of climate change, sustainability, social justice, and mindfulness through the lenses of many of the world's religious traditions. Dan McKanan, Ralph Waldo Emerson Unitarian Universalist Association Senior Lecturer in Divinity, Harvard Divinity School; Lama Willa Miller, Founder and Spiritual Director of Natural Dharma Fellowship and a Buddhist Climate Activist; Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman, Graduate of Hebrew College Rabbinical School with a background in environmental studies and education; Munjed M. Murad, ThD Candidate, Harvard Divinity School and Junior Fellow, Center for the Study of World Religions; Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Missioner for Creation Care, Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts; Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Climate Activist, Conference Minister, and President, Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ; Tim DeChristopher, Climate Activist, Unitarian Universalist, and MDiv Candidate, Harvard Divinity School; Q&A with the panelists, moderated by Dan McKanan.
Christian and climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe talks to Bill about ending the gridlock between politics, science and faith.
This event was held August 16-17, 2013 in Strafford, Vermont.
Interfaith Power and Light brings together people of different faiths to be better stewards of creation by responding to global warming and by supporting changes in environmental public policy. This video features interviews with various leaders of different religions from throughout the United States, highlighting what work their faith communities are doing, why they are compelled to do this work, and how they are engaging their communities to be better stewards of creation.
Mary Evelyn Tucker discusses her work on 350.org, which seeks to activate religious communities around the world to take action against climate change. She emphasizes ways in which religious communities can contribute to the climate change conversation and the need for ecojustice to be centered in climate change discussions. This was filmed at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Melbourne, Australia.
(See part 1 for talk description)
(See part 1 for talk description)
At the Parliament of World's Religions in 2009 in Melbourne, Australia, Mary Evelyn Tucker gives a talk on what religions contribute to the conversations and action around climate change. She comments that religions have a unique response to climate change, as they offer a sense of awe, wonder, and beauty in how people think about the earth and as they bring spiritual energy that can sustain action. Even though religions are late in coming to the issue of climate change, Tucker gives various examples of religious groups around the world rethinking their environmental ethics and taking action towards a more resilient future.