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Deep Transformation is about laying the groundwork for an ecological civilization.- an alternative life-affirming worldview based on the intersection of modern science and the world’s great wisdom traditions." Jeremy Lent, author of The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find our Place in the Universe (July 12, 2021) says "as our civilization careens toward climate breakdown, ecological destruction, and gaping inequality, people are losing their existential moorings. The dominant worldview of disconnection, which tells us we are split between mind and body, separate from each other, and at odds with the natural world, has been invalidated by modern science." "Redirecting humanity’s trajectory will require a fundamental transformation of society encompassing virtually every aspect of the human experience: our values, our goals and our collective behavior." "The depiction of humans as selfish individuals, the view of nature as a resource to be exploited, and the idea that technology alone can fix our biggest problems, are all profound misconceptions that have collectively led our civilization down a path to disaster." We need to transform our core human identity, our relationships with others, and with the nonhuman world.~ Jeremy Lent David Korten calls this an ecological civilization.

David Korten, who founded Yes! Magazine 25 years ago, is an engaged citizen dedicated to the work of advancing the human transition to a new civilization, a new economy, and a new economics - an Ecological Civilization. Korten says "resistance alone is a losing strategy. You have to have a positive alternative, something that we move toward instead of away from. It is important that we begin trying to envision, what would an ecological civilization look like. Current social, economic and political structures and their institutions are just products of the human mind, as is the notion of money. Ownership (how we think about how we use money), family and community are also constructs. - living entities capable of changing and evolving. Transnational corporations and banks that are totally delinked from life. It is egotistical to believe that the emerging process of evolution is to create humans as the end-product or the purpose. Rather, humans are just one of the many species, each of which has its distinctive characteristics - interrelated parts of the whole. Therefore, Korten suggests our human purpose, within the larger evolutionary unfolding of creation, is "to serve the whole as all creation continues to evolve toward ever-greater complexity, beauty, awareness, and possibility." The above YouTube interview of David Korten is part of Integral Voices video and audio podcasts, produced by the Center for Transformative Learning at Meridian University. The September 17, 2022 Integral Voices podcast was a conversation between three "pathfinders:" Riane Eisler, David Korten, and Hazel Henderson, authors of the following books: Nurturing Our Humanity: How Domination and Partnership Shape Our Brains, Lives, and Future (2019) by Riane Eisler When Corporations Rule the World (2015) by David C. Korten Building a Win-Win World: Life Beyond Global Economic Warfare (2022) by Hazel Henderson "The glory of the human has become the desolation of the Earth. The desolation of earth is now our greatest shame and biggest threat. Therefore, all programs, policies, activities and institutions must henceforth be judged primarily by the extent to which they inhibit, ignore or foster a mutually enhancing human/earth relationship." ~ Thomas Berry

The Living Earth Movement, founded in February 2022, is "a collection of leaders in the fields of theology, business, science, activism and academia who are passionate about combating climate change and preserving life as we know it on this planet." The Living Earth organizing committee includes John B. Cobb Jr., John Perkins, David Korten, Bonnie Tarwater, Jeff Wells, Audrey Kitagawa, Richard Livingston, Charles Betterton, Rick Smyre, Ronald Hines, Ignacio Castuera, Kathleen Reeves and Peg Booth. Their intent is to "create an organic and locally-led movement - a grassroots network of activists who lay the foundation for an ecological civilization." The Movement "promotes a new ethos of global cooperation, peacemaking, and joint solutions to the planetary crisis" and "encourages widespread conviction that a just, peaceful, creative, and sustainable society is possible." To find out more, check out The Living Earth movement's website and Facebook Page. On July 28, 2022 the Living Earth Movement hosted a zoom webinar Creating An Ecological Civilization: The Important Role of Faith Communities, featuring David Korten, Audrey Kitagawa, Jeff Wells, John Cobb and Bonnie Tartwater. David Kortin is author of Ecological Civilization: From Emergency to Emergence, a report to the Club of Rome published in 2021. Audrey Kitagawa is President and founder of International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation and President of Light of Awareness International Spiritual Family. Jeff Wells is Lead Pastor at The Church of the Village in New York City. Audrey recounted some of the ways faith communities are addressing our climate change crisis: Pope Francis Encyclical Letter Laudato Si' Rabinical Assembly Resolution on the Environment World Council of Churches Care for creation and climate justice Islamic Declaration on Faith Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change Faith for Earth UN Environment Programme Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology Greenfaith Unitarian Universalists Threat of Global Warming/Climate Change David Korten spoke about an Ecological Civilization - "connecting the dots and engaging a serious conversation about the causes of the existential crisis we face, while bringing a message of hope and possibility to help move us forward on the path to an Ecological Civilization." Jeff Wells served as moderator and recommend book by Larry L. Rasmussen, Earth-honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key In the above YouTube interview, 97 year old, theologian, environmentalist and philosopher Dr John B Cobb "calls on the US and China to stop competing and start working together as leaders in the change we need to end the destruction of our planet. John implores all of us as individuals to think about the way we live and not take anything for granted, especially now that we are committed to devastating impacts from the ecological destruction we are bringing on ourselves."

The September 2019 Special Issue of Scientific American is devoted to Truth, Lies & Uncertainty: Watching for Reality in Unreal Times. Donald Trump was in the White House then so people were still looking for answers to understand how people could be so gullible to believe his lies. How did people get caught up in misinformation and conspiracy theories leading to fear, anger, violence and lawlessness. Michael A. Hogg emphasizes in his article The Search for Social Identity Leads to ‘Us’ versus ‘Them’, "We are now in what is perhaps a time of unprecedented uncertainty. The early 21st century is characterized by rapid and overwhelming change: globalization, immigration, technological revolution, unlimited access to information, sociopolitical volatility, and automation of work and a warming climate." This uncertainty may lead to a profound sense of personal, "self-uncertainty" where people are unsure of who they are, how to behave and how social interactions will unfold - how to fit in to a rapidly changing landscape. To avoid this uncomfortable feeling people often compensate by finding identity and security in polarized social groups. This makes them vulnerable to "assertive, authoritarian, even autocratic leaders who deliver a simple, black-and-white affirmational message about 'who we are' rather than a more open, nuanced and textured identity message... Perhaps most troubling is that self-uncertainty can enable and build support for leaders who possess the so-called 'Dark Triad' personality attributes: Machiavellianiam, narcissism and psychopathy." Self-uncertainty in other words, seems to fuel populism. Cable television opinion channels spew inflamatory political rhetoric that pit insiders tribes against outsiders. Add to that, the internet and social media, which are an ideal place to decrease the discomfort of self-uncertainty. Confirmation bias is reinforced by algorithms that feed and amplify lies and misinformation, thereby creating a fragmented and polarized society. "People want to be surrounded by those who think alike so that their identities and worldview are continuously confirmed - increasingly homogeneous echo chamber that confirm their identity." ~ Michael Hogg "The greatest threat/danger to our democracy and freedoms is not radical islam or china or socialism or immigrants, it is the rising tide of white christian nationalism facilitated by the GOP, Fox News, InfoWars, and all the other purveyors of hate." ~ @matthewjdowd A positive, self-confident worldview is that everything in life is interconnected. "As our civilization careens toward climate breakdown, ecological destruction, and gaping inequality, people are losing their existential moorings. The dominant worldview of disconnection, which tells us we are split between mind and body, separate from each other, and at odds with the natural world, has been invalidated by modern science. ~ Jeremy Lent, Author of The Web of Meaning

George Lakoff makes an important point about the power of two opposing moral postures, frames, world-views or value systems – strict-father (conservative) versus nurturant-family (progressive). He argues, in the strict-father worldview, “the father is the ultimate authority, he knows right from wrong, his job is to protect the family and so he’s the strongest person, and because he knows right from wrong, his authority is deserved. His children are born bad because they just do what feels good, they don’t do what’s right. They have to be trained out of feel-good liberalism into doing what’s right. You have to punish the kids painfully enough that they’ll start doing what’s right and they’ll get discipline. If they’re disciplined, they go out into the world, and they earn a living. If they’re not earning a living, they’re not disciplined, therefore they can’t be moral and they deserve their poverty.” The nurturant-family model is the progressive view: in it, the ideals are empathy, interdependence, co-operation, communication, authority that is legitimate and proves its legitimacy with its openness to interrogation. “The world that the nurturant parent seeks to create has exactly the opposite properties,” Lakoff wrote in his 2002 book Moral Politics. Although 20 years old, this book is still relevant in 2022 Lakoff asks, “If the two systems are poised in pure opposition, if they are each as moral, as metaphorical, as anciently rooted, as solidly grounded as the other, then why is one winning?” He argues that “Progressives want to follow the polls … Conservatives don’t follow the polls; they want to change them. Political ground is gained not when you successfully inhabit the middle ground, but when you successfully impose your framing as the ‘common-sense’ position.” So just backing up your position with logic and facts will not have as much power as winning the moral argument. “A classic liberal pitfall is the idea that by repeating one of the opposition’s ridiculous lines, you make it look even more absurd. They [Progressives] don’t understand the extent to which emotion is rational, they don’t understand how vital emotion is, They try to hide their emotion.” Progressives need to start calling it sin: policies favoring the wealthy over the poor; complacency about poverty; denying and ignoring global warming; using deceitful politicking; denying loving same-sex couples to marry; unequal pay and rights for women; unequal education opportunity; unfair treatment of immigrants; torture; gun violence; war; fear, hatred and violence against abortion clinics; consumerism; greed; privatization; ethnic and religious prejudices; pride; and lack of empathy, compassion and kindness toward all. Progressive must remain positive and hopeful, but also need to inhabit the moral high ground with outrage, indignation, passion, conviction and emotion. #Conservative #worldview #progressive #values #sin

From Wikipedia, “Biodynamic Agriculture is a form of alternative agriculture very similar to organic farming, but it includes various esoteric concepts drawn from the ideas of Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925). Initially developed in 1924, it was the first of the organic agriculture movements. It treats soil fertility, plant growth, and livestock care as ecologically interrelated tasks, emphasizing spiritual and mystical perspectives.” From Specialty Food Magazine, “Biodynamics 101” here is another description of Biodynamic Agriculture: “Biodynamic® farming is sometimes referred to as being “super” organic and sustainable. Its approach is to treat each farm as its own ecosystem, using holistic remedies for soil, integrating livestock and creating a biologically diverse habitat. The core beliefs of the method also depend upon seasonal cycles and cosmic rhythms.” Demeter Association, Inc. is the owner of the trademark terms “Biodynamic®,” which certifies growers for the designation. They are a not-for-profit, incorporated in 1985 with the mission “to enable people to farm successfully, in accordance with Biodynamic® practices and principles. Demeter’s vision is to heal the planet through agriculture.” Oregon is big on sustainable farming and winemaking.  There are a number of certifications that indicate a commitment to the earth. Cowhorn news notes, “Biodynamic philosophy is a holistic approach that  focuses on building healthy soil, treating the farm as a living organism, and the interaction of the soil, plants, animals, humans, and the cosmos.” Troon Vineyard is a Demeter Biodynamic® Certified and Regenerative Organic Certified™️ farm in Oregon’s Applegate Valley. Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden, also located in the Applegate Valley appellation of southern Oregon, is certified as a Biodynamic® farm and winery.  Resonance Vineyard, located in the Yamhill-Carlton District of Oregon practices Biodynamics but is no longer Demeter-certified. The Oregon Biodynamic Group, founded in 1975, has seasonal meetings in Corvalis, Eugene, Salem and Cottage Grove. #BiodynamicAgriculture #organic20

From Alexandra de la Torre of Rogue Climate: Webinar: What is the GTN Xpress Pipeline? When: Tuesday, August 9, 2022, at 12 p.m. Where: via Zoom - Register here (link will be emailed before the event) "Now that we stopped Jordan Cove LNG, fossil fuel corporations are trying to expand the capacity of existing fracked gas pipeline infrastructure. We can’t let them." "TC Energy is proposing to modify the existing GTN pipeline to pump an extra 250,000 dekatherms per day of fracked gas through Oregon and Washington. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) just released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that recommends approving the new project, called GTN XPress." "GTN Xpress would increase climate pollution, despite Washington’s and Oregon’s laws that require a dramatic decrease in emissions to meet climate goals. This project is extremely harmful to long-term public health due to the climate impacts of fracked gas. FERC should not approve the project." "Can you take action by urging FERC to prioritize clean energy, not fossil fuels by signing the petition today and by joining an informational meeting next week to learn about the proposed Gas Transmission Northwest (GTN) Xpress Pipeline expansion and how you can get involved? Register here. The deadline to submit comments to FERC is August 18, 2022. You can connect with Rogue Climate on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Please consider becoming a monthly donor to keep this rural movement for climate justice strong and growing.

Photo credit: Senate Democrats, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons On Wednesday, July 27, 2022, Senator Joe Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reached an agreement to introduce the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. $369 billion of the proposed $739 billion Act addresses energy security and climate change. Senate Democrats say the Act promises to "bring down consumer energy costs, increase American energy security, while substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The combined investments in the FY2022 Budget Reconciliation bill would put the U.S. on a path to roughly 40% emissions reduction by 2030, and would represent the single biggest climate investment in U.S. history, by far." While climate change activists focus on measures to reduce carbon emissions but $300 billion of the Act deals with deficit reduction measures; 3 years of Affordable Care Act subsidies; prescription drug reform; and tax reform. The business-leaning National Law Review frames the Act as a "reinstatement of the full investment tax credit (ITC) rate of 30% and the production tax credit (PTC) rate of 1.5 cents per kWh (subject to inflationary adjustments) for projects on which construction begins before January 1, 2025." The conservative National Review points out that 'negotiations are likely incomplete" with Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema and New Jersey senator Bob Menendez yet to indicate their positions on it, From Citizen Climate Lobby: Citizen Climate Lobby is strongly encouraging constituents to "ask your Democratic Reps to vote “yes” on the Senate version of budget reconciliation when it comes back to the House. We are only calling Democratic Representatives because Republican Representatives are not involved in budget reconciliation discussions. If you have a Republican Representative, you can skip ahead to the next step: spread the word." "If you live in southern Oregon please call Senator Ron Wyden and Senator Jeff Merkley and ask that they support the budget resolution and its strong climate provisions. Senator Jeff Merkley: 202-224-3753 Senator Ron Wyden: 202-224-5244 "Please take action now! The Senate could vote on this bill with in the week! https://citizensclimatelobby.org/senate/ Then, follow the instruction to enter in your address to find your Senators. Once complete, the site will immediately follow up with a request to then call your Senators and leave a similar message. Calling is easy and powerful. It takes 1-2 minutes and you don't need to say more than you are comfortable with. You can also call our Senators directly at the numbers below, but we would prefer that you submit calls using our form so we can track how popular carbon pricing is." "I'm an Oregonian and climate change is a priority issue for me. I'm calling to urge you to support the Inflation Reduction Act and its strong climate provisions." You can learn more about the legislation on the CCL website: https://citizensclimatelobby.org/get-loud-take-action/ You can also read this Politico article. After calling, please share with your friends! Thank you for advocating for our planet!

Amid all the discouraging reporting from mainstream media there are still "Signals of Hope" about climate change if you look for them: DailyClimate.org "pushes good journalism and science into public discussion and public policy on environmental health issues, including climate change." MIC.com "amplifies the stories that really matter" such as Climate Change Good News. EuroNew.green reports Positive News such as All the Positive Environmental Stories from 2022 So Far. GoodGoodGood.co reports 12 Good News Stories About Climate Change (2022) Positive.News publishes What Went Right This Week: Signs of Climate Progress. PBS NewsHour noted that over 1,900 local TV meteorologists are now regularly addressing the impacts of climate change in their weather reports due to service called Climate Matters which provides a weekly package featuring the latest vetted climate science, along with broadcast-ready graphics. Wired reports some positive news about climate change. World Wildlife Federation offers Good News About Climate Change. With and investment of $1.1 billion from John and Ann Doerr, along with gifts from other philanthropists Stanford University will launch a new School of Sustainability in September 2022. In 2021, with almost $2.5 billion in new pledged support, Climate Investment Funds launched two major new programs: Accelerating Coal Transition and Renewable Energy Integration. in 2021 President Joe Biden reintroduced the U.S.A. back into the 2015 Paris Climate accord. The Biden administration launched the National Climate Action Taskforce. Last year's $1.2 trillion infrastructure package has billions for climate tech, and new rules on offshore wind development, worker heat protection standards and vehicle fuel economy. In February 2021 Jeff Bezos committed $10 billion to address climate change. In February 2021 Bill Gates wrote How to Avoid a Climate Disaster and the Gates Foundation began funding research into various technologies that could aid in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In April 2021 Elon Musk announced he is funding a $100 million X-prize for carbon removal technology. In May 2021 shareholders of Exxon Mobil elected two board members nominated by by investors who pledged to steer the company toward cleaner energy and away from oil and gas. In 2021 at COP26 in Glasgow countries came back and made commitments to limit deforestation, methane and overseas coal finance. At COP26 144 countries made commitments to stop deforestation and $19.2 billion was pledged to that end. In 2021 155 countries submitted new NDCs; 83 countries announces net-zero targets; G7 + China committed to halt overseas finance for coal according to the World Resources Institute. In 2021 1,000+ cities committed to net zero. In 2021 2,000+ companies have set science-based targets; climate tech investments reached $43 billion. There is exponential growth in electric vehicles and transportation accounts for 24% of energy-related CO2 emissions. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought us closer to understanding the impact of zoonotic spillover caused by deforestation, wildlife trade and population growth and there is a shift from reaction to prevention. Frontline communities, particularly in lower income countries and among BIPOC people most effected by climate change, are increasingly raising their voices about climate justice and taking local actions. There is a shift in framing the problem not just about carbon but on loss, damage and people.

Watch a sample Blessed Tomorrow Ambassador Training on YouTube July 26, 2022 - Join Order of the Sacred Earth at 4 p.m. PDT for their monthly OSE Council Meeting exploring regenerative networks while learning ways to participate within the OSE network and beyond. This week Tom Watson will explore Hylo, "an online community platform for people on a mission. Hylo allows community members to collaborate locally within a global network. and is designed to support collaboration, resource sharing, and direct actions within and between communities." To join the OSE group on Hylo click here. July 27, 2022 - SOCAN Monthly Meeting – Hydrogen: Useful Tool or Fossil Industry Ruse? at 6 p.m.PDT. Registration: bit.ly/SOCAN-Hydrogen July 27, 2022 - from Richenda Fairhurst: The Price of Water: Sustainable Solutions Through Advocacy, from Cornel University, moderated by Food and Water Watch. 10 a.m. PDT Register and more info here. July 27, 2022 - from Richenda Fairhurst: The United Methodist Creation Justice Movement's liturgy is set for publication soon, alongside a July 27 opportunity to share worship planning in community July 28, 2022 - Join the Sierra Club and partners at 4 p.m. PT for a zoom webinar entitled Save the Planet: Focus on the 2023 Farm Bill. Click Here to Register August - From Richenda Fairhurst: How to start a Climate Cafe in your church, faith community, local community, or organization. Jess Pepper, founder of the Climate Cafe Network, will be on Multifaith Climate Cafe.. Date to be announced. September 1, 2022 - from Richenda Fairhurst: The Season of Creation comprises 5 Sundays, and for 2022 starts on September 1st. The Season began as an Eastern Orthodox day of prayer and has become an ecumenical effort of the World Council of Churches to bring a full season of liturgy that honors the creation to the church . September 13, 2022- Multifaith Climate Cafe. will host a conversation about water with a water scientist at the USGS, more details upcoming. 11:00 a.m. PT. Register here October 4, 2022 - Multifaith Climate Cafe. welcomes an International Human Rights Attorney to speak to the impact of climate change on women and social stability globally, more details upcoming. at 11:00 a.m. PT. Register here.. Anytime - Become a certified Blessed Tomorrow Climate Ambassador, The free, four-hour, on-demand training and resources will empower and equip you to inspire clergy, congregants, your workplace, community and policymakers to action on climate change that makes a difference. Click here to Register

On September 17, 2018 Medford Congregational United Church of Christ made application to become a Creation Justice Church. They outlined the context and drafted a Creation Justice Covenant: Creation Justice Church Context for Medford United Church of Christ "As we write this application to become a UCC Creation Justice Church, the members of our church community have been living inside a thick haze of wildfire smoke through most of the summer. Our county and the surrounding counties are filled with some 40 fires that started in July and more that started in August from lightning strikes and human causes. We listen every night to the fire report on the local news to learn what areas have been issued evacuation notices and the air quality alerts. During the day, we hear helicopters and airplanes flying overhead carrying water and retardant to fight the fires. Our condition stems directly from climate change. Fire season in Southern Oregon has been starting earlier and earlier and lasting longer and longer year by year. Winters bring us less rain and reduced snowpack which creates summer drought conditions, diminished water supplies, hot dry weather, warming temperatures in our creeks and rivers, and impacts on wildlife, including our iconic species of salmon. Other impacts: Ranchers and native tribes all depend on water levels for irrigation and traditional salmon catches, which results in ongoing fights over water rights. Illness increases from air pollution among vulnerable populations. Cooling centers for homeless population in summer are as important as warming centers in winter. Police do crackdowns on our creekside greenway to empty homeless camps where several fires have started. Economic impacts from smoke on our economy include downtown businesses, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Britt outdoor concert venue, Rogue River sports, hiking, camping, and fishing. Dry conditions increase disease in forest trees, forest fuels, and dry soils. Over 10 have died this summer from fire including a homeless man living on Bear Creek Greenway, residents in Northern California, and several firefighters. Climate change and environmental impacts have become a daily challenge to the entire population of Southern Oregon. Our faith requires us to pay attention and act together for creation justice." Creation Justice Covenant "We the members of the Medford Congregational United Church of Christ affirm our connections to God, each other, and the world around us. We all depend on our earthly home, yet there is an injustice in the distribution of environmental burdens and benefits. We commit ourselves to confront the human abuses of creation which increasingly cause human and other living species to suffer and many to die. We pledge to stay awake and aware of our responsibilities as God’s stewards of Earth and to act in ways that protect and respect it. Therefore, with God’s help as individuals and as a congregation, we enter this Creation Justice Covenant." A Green Team may be formed in a church congregation as part of becoming a Creation Justice Church or simply because there is a core group concerned about how to best care for God’s creation. The United Church of Christ offers Five Tips for Starting Green Teams in Congregations: Find Co-Conspirators - Find kindred spirits who show a noticeable passion for the environment. Discern "the place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet." ~ Frederick Buechner Make Creation Justice Part of Your Church’s DNA - the goal is for every committee and ministry to have caught the environmental bug so that they are taking actions to care for creation.. Focus on Sending Your Ripples Outward. God calls us to the larger world beyond the walls of the church. Research local and regional environmental injustices. Give attention to socioeconomic factors such as race and class. Once you have done your research, discern how you can make a difference. Discern what organization would be your best partner in making a difference.- local environmental justice organizations that can connect congregations to nearby struggles led by those most affected by environmental harms. Rev. Kate Mosley of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light also has an informative YouTube video on How to Start a Green Team in Your Church. Green Teams frequently focus on making changes to church buildings and ground to make them more energy efficient or on changes that individual congregants can make in their personal lives such as recycling plastics, changing light bulbs, etc. However, we are reminded that the notion of "carbon footprint" was promoted by the fossil fuel industry to intentionally shift responsibility from corporations to individuals. Less frequently do green teams focus on directly confronting the systems that support the fossil fuel industry most responsible for causing our impending global climate crisis. Climate justice also requires that the church give voice and support to those most affected climate change. In 2015 the UCC Council for Climate Justice resolved to: "go beyond a focus on individual behaviors to collectively address institutions and systems—ie., the oil industry; to develop a pervasive prophetic culture within the Church, advancing a perspective rooted in progressive theology and scientific understandings to address the root causes of climate-related pollution as it relates to factors such as race, class, and global inequality." The UCC Council for Climate Justice does their work by: "sharing best practices for educating and organizing congregants, cultivating collaborative endeavors with ecumenical, interfaith, and secular partners; and articulating the values that motivate people of faith to action through the framework of the UCC’s Three Great Loves initiative which lifts up Love of Neighbor, Love of Children, and Love of Creation. In partnership with Blessed Tomorrow, the UCC produced Three Great Loves and Climate Action: A Guide to Getting Started. "This guide focuses engaging one’s congregation and community in responsible energy use and just environmental practices, so that our children, our neighbors, and all of creation might thrive more fully. Download the PDF to learn more about how churches can turn love into action. Engage Congregants: Create a Green Team. Incorporate creation care into worship through prayers, liturgy, sermons, hymns. Educate your congregation about the sources of local energy and whether pollution from those sources has a disproportionate racial or economic impact on particular communities. Highlight benefits of your Green Team activities (e.g. utility bill savings) in your newsletter. Put creation care on your church home page. Engage Other Congregations: Encourage other congregations to join you in caring for creation. Share ideas and resources. Engage Our Community: Host a community presentation to inspire others. Participate in a community solar program. Create a community garden/host a community dinner. Collaborate with other ecumenical partners and faith traditions to share information and best practices. Engage Society: Let our elected officials know you want policies that expand your clean energy choices. Encourage members to take the Creation Care Voter Pledge so that they consistently vote and prioritize caring for creation. Write letters, op eds, engage in social media. There are a number of ways to connect with the broader movement for change Join forces with environmental groups like GreenFaith, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, the Sierra Club, the Sunrise Movement, or 350.org. Other UCC Resources: How It Works: The UCC’s Creation Justice Churches Program Sign up for The Pollinator: (the UCC’s Environmental Justice blog) Follow Brooks Berndt, the UCC’s Environmental Justice Minister Sign up for monthly Creation Justice webinars Ideas, Tools, and Messages: Blessed Tomorrow Interfaith Power and Light: network of people of faith Carbon Neutral Web Resources for Congregations Energy Efficiency Tools and Initiatives: EPA Energy Star Program In 2020 Brooks Berndt published Ten Ways to Mobilize. We are living in a Kairos moment in world history. calling the church to action for 10-Years of Church Mobilization on Climate and Inequality.

Join the Sierra Club and partners for a zoom webinar next Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 4 p.m. PT entitled Save the Planet: Focus on the 2023 Farm Bill. Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_9FRzfMoOSoCsbCXTxSt3jA "The Farm Bill impacts almost every facet of the nation’s resources and operations, including food, water, air, public health, national security, the US economy, its workforce, the agricultural sector, and the lives of farmers and farmworkers—those who are the backbone of the industry. " KisstheGround.com says "The Farm Bill at present prioritizes conventional agriculture models first set in motion in the 1930s, allocating only 1% of the budget for educational, renewable, and regenerative solutions." "With a $428 billion 6-year budget, the 2023 requested budget summary requested only $21 million to support key climate priorities within the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) (this includes the only mention of establishing soil health)." The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition explains: What the Farm Bill covers Who in Congress writes it How much the Farm Bill costs How the Farm Bill process works

The Unitarian Universalist's General Assembly 2022 in Portland, OR included a workshop entitled "Ecological Civilization: Earth, Religion and the Human Future," organized by UUs for a Just Economic Community, UU Ministry For Earth, and Cedars UU Church, in Bainbridge, WA.. The talk in June 2022 by David Korten,, now found here on YouTube, calls for systemic changes to address our ecological and climate crisis. He advocates that we: "embrace our crisis as an epic opportunity to actualize our human potential and desire to love and care for one another and the earth relieve ourselves from forms of consumption that are ultimately self-destructive rely on circular local supply chains rather than long, linear supply chains that best serve corporate interests rethink the three P's: purpose, power and procreation provide all people with material sufficiency and a spiritually abundant life experience support the well-being, beauty, regenerative health of and creative unfolding of living earth's community of life refocus power to reside in communities of place that empower people to fulfill their responsibilities to and for themselves, one another and the earth support life's continuous, regenerative procreation care for the living systems by which earth regenerates air, water, and soils while maintaining climate stability manage our human numbers and distribution by assuring that every child is a wanted child who receives the essential support of a loving family and community" "We can choose with conscious, collective intention our culture, our institutions, our technology and our infrastructure. Can we do it with the required speed? We will know only if we try." Check out the workshop's Discussion Guide for Reflection and Conversation.

In 2018 the Institute for the Future (IFTF) and Climate Investment Funds (CIF) joined forces to forecast new trends, barriers, and actors in climate change. This study was launched at the Global Climate Action Summit held in San Francisco as A New Story to Spark the Future of Climate Action The study identified opportunity zones for climate action over the next decade —including artificial intelligence, digital engagement, youth movements, and the new climate economy - that can accelerate progress toward a low-carbon world. The joint study forecasts trends that will mold the climate action landscape by 2030. Their analysis concludes, among other things, that disruptive technologies like blockchain and the rise of “solastalgia,” (the wistfulness one feels about terrains lost to climate change), will be increasingly powerful drivers of global and community-level change. “The problems of climate change may seem intractable, yet there are areas where constructive action is not only possible, but already happening, We’ve identified numerous signals that positive change are happening now—from an increase in women leaders who are more likely to take action on climate change, to the use of ‘good bots’ to initiate climate action globally.” ~ Marina Gorbis, executive director of IFTF IFTF’s climate action framework is designed to stimulate thought and action on climate issues by describing hopeful signs of change happening now, asking provocative questions, pointing out areas of friction and providing positive scenarios for the future for stakeholders to consider as they ponder the actions they might want to take. According to the report, governments, manufacturers, investors, and individuals can accelerate climate action in a variety of ways, including: Understanding that climate change is an economic opportunity. Climate action has investment potential in the trillions of dollars, and the ability to ramp up innovation, clean industries, and green jobs. Turning to women as climate leaders. Women are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change, but if fully empowered, they can be effective climate advocates as policymakers and community leaders. Deploying bots as a force for good. Internet bots, a technology better known for dividing public opinion, have the potential to spur climate activism at scale. Download the full map and read the new framework here.

From Imogene Drummond via Facebook: The International-Big History-Association is hosting a free zoom webinar on Saturday, July 16, 2022 at 9 a.m. PT on The Big History of Consciousness with Carl Calleman, a doctor of physical biology from the University of Stockholm. Click here to register. "What is consciousness and what is its role in the large scale evolutionary history of the universe that we call Big History? In this webinar Carl Calleman will argue that if we shift our perspective to be based on the evolution of consciousness, "Big History" can become a powerful discipline that will contribute significant results to our understanding of the universe and the “big” questions of what its purpose may be." "Members of the IBHA are committed to the widest possible availability of this presentation; it is open at no cost to all over Zoom. To support the programing of the IBHA and participate in our association, please consider joining and in making a donation." #Consciousness #BigHistory #QuantumTheory #evolution

July 12, 2022 - from Richenda Fairhurst Climate Cafe Multifaith: From the UK we welcome Melanie Nazareth with Christian Climate Action, the Christian group with Extinction Rebellion. Christian Climate Action as an Extinction Rebellion. July 12th,11:00am Pacific Time / 2:00pm Eastern Time. To Register click here July 12, 2022 - CCL Training: Preventing Burnout as a Climate Advocate. Climate work can be emotionally challenging and overwhelming. This training is an opportunity to recognize and make space for the fullness of your experience through connecting with others, sharing authentically, listening deeply, and exploring opportunities for building personal resilience. To register click here. July 13, 2022 - Third Act All-In Call We'll hear from Heather Booth, a lifelong organizer and one of our earliest advisors who is profiled in the current HBO special The Janes for her work for reproductive choice. We'll hear from Akaya Windwood about effective eldering. Bill McKibben and the team will share new tools to expand our Banking on our Future Pledge. To register click here. July 13, 2022 - Ashland Climate Collaborative presents Renewable Natural Gas: NOT a Path to Cleaner Energy. Panelists: Brian Stewart, Electrify Now; Melanie Plaut, M.D., Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility; and Kiki Velez, NRC Building Decarbonization Fellow. On Zoom 7-8:30 p.m. To register click here. July 14, 2022 - CCL Training: Trees and Forests as Natural Climate Solutions — Join Dana Nuccitelli, CCL Research Coordinator, for a training about removing and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, the role trees and forests can play, and the other benefits that those solutions provide. To register click here. July 19, 2022 - from Richenda Fairhurst: Social Transformation & the Climate Crisis: A Bahá’í View. Led by Gary Reusche--living currently in Kviv, Ukraine--we will dive into truth-telling about a world experiencing multiple crises. Reusche brings his experience at the center of agriculture, finance, climate change, and now the war in Ukraine, to talk about what social transformation could look like. July 19th,11:00am Pacific Time / 2:00pm Eastern Time. To register click here. July 26, 2022 - Summer Arts Series 2022: Listening to the World’s Edge: A Panel on Climate Change, Adaptation, and the Arts. In this panel discussion, The BTS Center will welcome the contributions of four individuals who are deeply engaged in climate justice work — through music, visual art, climate research, and education. Join what promises to be a rich conversation about adaptation, artistic process, and the beauty of our climate-changed world. 7:00 – 8:15 p.m. Online ($10) For more information and to register, To register click here August 2022 - from Richenda Fairhurst: Start a Climate Cafe! We host Scotland's Jess Pepper, founder and organizer of the Climate Cafe network (date to be announced). We will have information about Climate Cafes, how to start one (easy) and how to connect with others. (This will be our only Cafe for August. Cafe's will resume with a conversation about water, reservoirs & drought in the American Southwest (and more) on September 13th. Details upcoming.) September 1- October 4, 2022 - Celebrated by more than two billion Christians around the world, Creation Season begins with the World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation on September 1, and concludes with the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, on October 4. How will your congregation mark Creation Season this year? To spark your thinking, consider the theme of the 2022 Season of Creation: “Listen to the Voice of Creation.” Its logo is the burning bush, which symbolizes both the devastating fires of climate crisis and the divine fire of the Holy Spirit. The fire that called to Moses affirmed that God heard the cries of all who suffered and would be with us as we followed in faith to our deliverance from injustice. Check Seasonofcreation.org to find downloadable resources for organizing events, leading liturgy, advocacy campaigns/asks, and more. September 15, 2022 - Preaching Climate Justice: A Conversation with Jim Antal and Margaret Bullitt-Jonas. Join a lively presentation by two religious leaders who are committed to encouraging climate preaching that is both pastoral and prophetic. There will be ample time for questions and conversation, as well as suggestions for how to preach on some of the texts assigned for upcoming Sundays in Creation Season. Participants are encouraged to read Bullitt-Jonas’ article, “Preaching When Life Depends on It: Climate Crisis and Gospel Hope” (Anglican Theological Review, Spring 2021) and Antal’s chapter, “Prophetic Preaching: Freeing the Pulpit from Fear,” in his book, Climate Church, Climate World. This event is open at no charge to all preachers, lay and ordained. 7:00-8:15 a.m. PT. Online (free) For more information and to register, click here. October 2-9, 2022 - Rev. Margaret will lead an online retreat on Saturday morning October 1st. Greenfaith International Network invites people of faith worldwide to plan actions from Sunday, October 2 through Sunday, October 9, which support addressing the climate crisis. Faiths 4 Climate Justice will lift up our moral values of reverence, justice, and compassion, and call upon our leaders to safeguard our future. The ten demands are listed here. For inspiration, watch the wrap-up video for Greenfaith’s recent event, Sacred People, Sacred Earth. Available anytime - Christians and Climate Change with Bill McKibben. In this new online course offered by ChurchNext, Bill McKibben shows us that we still have time to take climate action -- but not as much time as we once had, and not as completely as we once might have been able to manage. Bill's main messages: we need to act now, and we need to act in groups. Fortunately, faith communities are good at group activities and maintaining hope against the odds. Online ($10). For more information and to register, click here.

From June 13-15, 2022 Creation Justice Ministries hosted “Pastoral Care for Climate: Weaving Science, Theology, and Justice” at Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC. "Over 40 ministry leaders, theologians, and scientists came together to discuss the connection between science and theology for justice! Throughout the three days, attendees engaged in worship, outings, and deep, transformative conversation with each other around faith, science, justice, and the climate crisis. Their partners and sponsors include: Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions, Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke, Duke Divinity School, The BTS Center & Ormond Center!" On Thursday, July 14, 2022 at 3 p.m. PT Creation Justice Ministries will be having a zoom webinar: Protecting Our Democracy in 2022 . Join as a panel discusses "How Our Democratic Values Are At Risk Today" across the country with examples from Georgia, Michigan, and Texas. They'll share why and how people of faith and conscience can respond. To register click here. Guests: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, Sojourners Gayla Tillman, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light Leah Wiste, MI Interfaith Power & Light Bee Moorhead, Texas Impact Madison Mayhew, Interfaith Power & Light On Thursday, July 21, 2022 at 3 p.m. PT Creation Justice Ministries will be having a zoom webinar: Building Community Climate Resilience: The Role of Faith Communities in Addressing Natural Hazards. Come gather ideas with Dr. Dawn Baldwin Gibson and Dr. Christy Miller Hesed on how your faith community can collaborate with others to build resilience! To register click here.

In February 2021, the Institute For The Future (IFTF) Vantage hosted a virtual public convening of climate experts as part of their annual research process. The above YouTube video of the keynote session with IFTF Distinguished Fellow Jamais Cascio explores the kinds of revolutionary changes needed over the next twenty-eight years to create a truly climate-positive future. Portions of IFTF Vantage's annual Map of the Decade research are made public one year after sharing it with their paying organizations partners so we can anticipate Building Climate-Positive Organizations will be released to the public in Summer 2022. The climate crisis will be perhaps the most critical force of the next several decades — and the decisions we make in the 2020s will be essential to our ability to shape our long-term future. The climate crisis demands that we act with urgency in a time of unprecedented challenge and complexity, and it means we must think in a longer-term timeframe than we usually do. ~ IFTF

Image from James Webb telescope - NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI The James Webb Space Telescope "will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it." Ions is offering until Friday July 22, 2022 a free replay of their video webinar Apollo 14 at 50: Celebrating Edgar Mitchell’s Epiphany, the Overview Effect, and the Mission of IONS Normally only available to IONS Members, they're making this webinar replay available to all for one week. No password required! Click to Watch the Video. "This special ConnectIONS Live webinar was held February 5, 2021 celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 14 Mission to the Moon. It was this very experience that sparked a life-changing epiphany for Captain Edgar Mitchell, and inspired his founding of the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Our gathering featured thought leaders, scientists, and IONS champions who reflected on the profound legacy of Edgar’s epiphany and how it continues today — driving an expansion of consciousness around the world."