“All it takes is one good person to restore hope.” (Laudato Si’#71)
As we enter this new year, our nation had hoped to be facing better days soon. Surely 2020 would leave with all of its ills. This week has shown us once again that we have much work to do to restore our nation and our world. With God by our side as our guiding light, we must press on in love and action.
One question I get asked often is “What can I do?” to address climate change. As we face this new year ahead, focused on how we will individually and collectively help build a better world, I’d like to share some resources and ideas on how to begin taking action right now. It’s up to you and me to build a better world.
- Pray!
- These suggested prayers and reflection resources deepen our engagement with Catholic teaching on climate change and help transform our hearts and minds.
- You can find special meditations, prayers and scripture here: https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/learn/resources/?category-filter=Prayers+and+Worship&audience-filter=&month-filter=&year-filter=all&archive-search=
- Talk about Climate Change
- Words matter, knowledge matters. Discuss not only the facts and effects of climate change, but also why you feel passionate about addressing it. Speak from the heart and from your faith. And equally important, listen with compassion and in a spirit of openness to those who disagree. Try and discover what is behind their resistance to addressing the climate crisis.
- Find resources here on how to have these conversations:
- Discover common ground: “I care about (name something your concerned with and see if your dialogue partner shares your view)…”
- Tell a story, personalize climate impacts: https://www.crs.org/climate-change
- Words matter, knowledge matters. Discuss not only the facts and effects of climate change, but also why you feel passionate about addressing it. Speak from the heart and from your faith. And equally important, listen with compassion and in a spirit of openness to those who disagree. Try and discover what is behind their resistance to addressing the climate crisis.
- Gather with others who share your concern
- Catholic Climate Covenant offers regular in-depth programs and resources to make it easy to gather with others and organize educational programs and collective actions – always free of charge.
- Find some resources to help facilitate gatherings (virtual or in-person when safe) here:
- Begin or Join a Creation Care Team
- Creation Care Teams enable committed Catholics to lead the charge to solve climate change—together. Whether it’s a group from your parish, workplace, or school, together you can make a difference to create more sustainable facilities, to explore how our common faith can provide inspiration to act, and to advocate for faith-informed climate policies.
- Learn more: https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/programs/creation-care-teams/
- Do something (anything!) and stick with it:
- Recycle, reduce energy use, drive smarter. There are many ways to reduce your and/or your family or group’s ecological footprint.
- Find some ideas here: https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/learn/resources/?category-filter=Reduce+Your+Carbon+Footprint&audience-filter=&month-filter=&year-filter=all&archive-search=
- Advocate for policies that encourage climate mitigation (reducing our carbon footprint) and adaptation (dealing with climate impacts we already experience).
- Stay current on policies and how to join advocacy efforts by joining the Covenant’s mailing list, which includes a monthly newsletter with the latest news and efforts throughout the Catholic community: https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/newsletter
- Join a legislative network
- Most dioceses and state Catholic Conferences have legislative networks. Join those as well as the one promoted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development: https://www.usccb.org/take-action
- Talk to your pastor
- Explain to your priest and congregation why creation care is important to you. Find some tips and talking points here:
- Catholic Climate Covenant and the Integral Faith team provide “Homily Helps” resources for homilists and other materials that will help integrate the rich insights of Laudato Si’ and Christian care for creation into Sunday Mass. Integral Faith is a working group of the Association of United States Catholic Priests: https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/learn/resources/?category-filter=Homily+Helps&audience-filter=&month-filter=&year-filter=all&archive-search=
Thanks for your dedication to Our Common Home. Please let us know what you’re doing and don’t hesitate to reach out to our staff for help! (info@catholicclimatecovenant.org)
