Revisited: The case of religious environmentalism

Religious environmentalism is alive and well, with statements from leaders, greening of houses of worship, and support for environmental organizations and political candidates a common theme of many (not all) of the dominant faiths.

More generally, in the United States, for example, the theme of environmental activism is now commonly raised in political life. From the Green New Deal to the platforms of the president and vice-president elect, “climate crisis” is directly addressed, and, moreover, addressed in a way that takes the broader issues of pollution and environmental justice into account. The difference between the presence of environmental issues in the 2016 presidential race (virtually non-existent) and 2020 (discussed quite often) is dramatic.

Finally, among people under thirty-five there is for the most part no question that their future is at stake. They know that older generations have dismally failed to take adequate action, and that time is short. Yet there is no telling whether this younger generation can overcome widespread human attachment to short term ease and the crushing power of global capitalism.

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