Apocalypse How?
Climate Change, Eschatology, and Christian Responsibility
Why a Carbon Tax?, Rev. Ray Roberts
In Genesis 2:15 we hear God’s charge to the first human.“The LORD God took the human and settled him in the Garden of Eden to farm it and to take care of it.” (CEV) Sad to say, but instead of caring for God’s garden, we have imparted a lot of abuse. Geologists call the geological age we are living in the Anthropocene Epoch because humans are now the biggest factor shaping the world. We move mountains to extract coal and other minerals. We fly fresh fruit around the world. Our clothes are made in China, Central America, Bangladesh. We live in sub-divisions and drive long commutes to work – and to most everything else, for that matter. Continue Reading
Celebrating 5 Years of Earth Care Congregations, Rev. Rebecca Barnes
This summer, 2014, marks the 5th year of certification for 14 of PC(USA)’s certified Earth Care Congregations. For five years, these churches have been growing ever deeper in their ministry and witness and for five years, the PC(USA) Earth Care Congregation continues to grow nationally. At 139 congregations as of this writing, PC(USA) Earth Care Congregations demonstrates the passion people have to care for God’s creation as part of Christian discipleship and living out their faith in the world. Continue Reading
Carbon Pollution, EPA Regulation, and YOU!, Leslie Woods
On June 2nd, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule under the federal Clean Air Act to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from existing power plants, a step towards modernizing our nation’s power plants while limiting our contribution to global climate change. The EPA is receiving comments and testimony on this issue, but the comment period ends Thursday, October 16th! We need your help to ensure these rules are implemented and Presbyterian voices are heard throughout the process! Continue Reading
Climate and Church: How Global Climate Change Will Impact Core Church Ministries, Creation Justice Ministries
Though many understand the devastating impacts that climate change will have on human communities around the world, few understand the impacts that climate change will have on core church ministries such as refugee resettlement, feeding the hungry, and disaster relief. The impact of global climate change is already calling on the church to provide more financial resources and volunteer services to meet the growing needs of people in poverty in the U.S. and around the globe. Continue Reading
Getting a Hearing on Climate Change, Dr. Eric Mount
In the September 2014 issue of The Atlantic, Charles Mann seeks a way beyond the impasse between crisis environmentalists and economists on the issue of climate change. His question is apparent in his title: “How To Talk About Climate Change So People Will Listen.” And why don’t people listen? According to Mann, some people don’t listen – or don’t want to listen – to environmentalists because their message is often that apocalypse awaits us unless we radically transform our way of life by swearing off cheap energy from fossil fuels. Continue Reading
Creation Care in the Great Economy: A Conversation with Wendell Berry, Eric Mount and Wendell Berry
Eric Mount: You’ve said that ‘environmentalist’ is not a label you welcome for yourself. Rather, it is an ‘agrarian vision’ that you are trying to institutionalize at the Berry Center. Can you say more about that? Wendell Berry: Start with environment. The problem with the word ‘environment’ is that it means ‘surroundings.’ For certain expedient reasons in a biology class, you might separate an organism, an inhabitant, from its environment. Otherwise, it’s a bad idea. I honestly don’t think that it’s possible. The better word would be ‘ecosphere’ because the life support system depends on non-living as well as living things. Continue Reading
Principalities of New Power: Why Apocalyptic Language? When Prophetic Isn’t Enough, Dr. Chris Iosso
In a recent article entitled “How Climate Change Will Kill Us in the Dumbest Way Possible,” Buzzfeed commentator Akira Watts argues that the collapse of our society will be fairly prosaic due to infrastructure failure. Without functioning major roads and transmission lines, things begin to back up and rot, sewage goes directly into water sources, public health is compromised, and panic and survivalism take over. He reports on a study of infrastructure vulnerabilities coordinated by a pair of scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. They model the impact of severe storms or floods on independent transportation, communications, electrical power, water, and public services, including public health. Continue Reading
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