Integrity of Creation, Health of Humans & Spirit of Justice

The Environmental Ministries of the Massachusetts Conference United Church of Christ

Together we can respond to the principles of our faith and act effectively to protect health, communities and creation. We can:

Protect the health of children and adults from toxic chemicals linked to cancer, asthma, infertility, learning and develop-mental disabilities, birth defects, and neurodegenerative diseases.  www.healthytomorrow.org
 

Join the World Council of Churches’ Water for All Campaign to make fresh, clean, accessible water a priority.  It is raising awareness and offering resources. Look for “Water for All” under the “Resources”. www.globalministries.org.
 
Encourage local churches and their members to become educated about toxic threats to health and the environment, and to consider participating in the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow as advocates for children, health, the environment, and environmental justice.

Encourage more progress on reducing mercury in our environment. We need to warn pregnant women and parents about mercury in fish and call on our government to act.  www.cleanwateraction.org/mercury/about.html.
 
Support reductions of global warming pollutants that are essential to stabilizing the climate and reducing extreme storms,  that cause erosion and flooding, loss of native species, property destruction, prolonged droughts, harm to agricultural and tourism industries, and increases in insect-borne diseases.  The New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers agreed to reduce global warming pollution by 75-85% below current levels. For more information: / www.newenglandclimate.org
 
Express concern over extending the licenses of nuclear power plants in New England. Besides, the inherent issues about the dangers from nuclear power facilities, in an age of increased concerns of terrorist attacks, these reactors have inadequate security and emergency planning.  We can help our society shift to safe, clean, renewable, affordable energy sources and the high-efficiency technologies that would cut our dependence upon polluting energy sources. For more information about energy alternatives, contact the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) at www.nesea.org
 
Reduce waste and increase recycling.  Landfills leak hazardous chemicals into surrounding soil and water, while incinerators burn toxic products, which emit dioxins and other toxic compounds into the air. Studies produced for the Dept. of Environmental Protection have demonstrated that funding of $12-$15 million a year could increase recycling rate to 56% or more and reduce per capita waste generation.   The EPA has information on recycling at www.epa.gov/garbage/reduce.htm

Environmental Ministries and your Church

The UCC’s Environmental Ministries Task Force has developed a series of four workshops that area available for all churches in the conference.  Each workshop is run by a member of the task force and all materials will be provided by the task force.  Churches will need to provide the people and the location.  For more information please contact Elizabeth England at elizabeth_england@harvard.edu.

An Inconvenient Truth

A showing and discussion of the 2006 documentary on former Vice President Al Gore's campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide.  In this eye-opening and poignant portrait of Gore and his "traveling global warming show," Gore also proves himself to be one of the most misunderstood characters in modern American public life. Here he is seen as never before in the media - funny, engaging, open and downright on fire about getting the surprisingly stirring truth about what he calls our "planetary emergency" out to ordinary citizens before it's too late.

The workshop will delve into what people can do to educate themselves on climate change and the information that is being produced by the media and other outlets.

A Carbon Diet  

Environmental Health and Racism

Protecting families, children, health, communities from toxins


Congregational Resources

* The Environmental Justice Covenant Congregation Program - Governing bodies of congregations are asked to make a promise that their congregation will engage or continue to engage in environmental justice.
 
* The Forum on Religion and Ecology - The largest international multi-religious project of its kind. With its conferences, publications, and website it is engaged in exploring religious world views, texts, and ethics in order to broaden understanding of the complex nature of current environmental concerns. For more information www.environment.harvard.edu/religion.
 
* Mass Interfaith Power and Light - An interfaith ministry devoted to deepening the connection between ecology and faith.  Their goal is to help people of faith recognize and fulfill their responsibility for the stewardship of creation.  For more information, contact www.mipandl.org.
 
* Web of Creation -  Maintained by the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and is supported through grant funding, sponsorship and endorsement from a variety of faith-based sources.  This site has liturgical information on planning services that involve and support the environment.  www.webofcreation.org.

Eco-Faith Books

Bernstein, Ellen, The Splendor of Creation: A Biblical Ecology (Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2005)
 
Berry, Thomas, Dream of the Earth (San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1990)
 
Gottlieb, Roger S., A Greener Faith: Religious Environmentalism and Our Planet's Future (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006)

Gottlieb, Roger S., A Spirituality of Resistance: Finding a Peaceful Heart and Protecting the Earth (New York: Crossroads Publishing Company, 2003)

Hessel, Dieter and Rosemary Radford Ruether, eds., Christianity and Ecology: Seeking the Well-Being of Earth and Humans (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000)
 
Kinsley, David R., Ecology and Religion: Ecological Spirituality in Cross-Cultural Perspective (New York: Prentice Hall, 1995)

McDaniel, Jay B., Living From the Center: Spirituality in an Age of Consumerism (St. Louis, MO: Chalice Books, 2000).
 
McKibben, William, The End of Nature: The Tenth Anniversary Edition, (New York:  Random House, 2006)
 
McKibben, William, Hope, Human and Wild: True Stories of Living Lightly on the Earth (Ruminator Books, 1997)
 
Oelschlaeger, Max, Caring for Creation:  An Ecumenical Approach to the Environmental Crisis (New Haven, CT:  Yale University Press, 1994)
 
Rockefeller, Steven and John Elder, Spirit and Nature:  Why the Environment is a Religious Issue (Boston:  Beacon Press, 1992)

Sleeth, J. Matthew, Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action 

Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2006)

 
Worthwhile Websites:


www.cleanwateraction.org (Clean Water Action)

www.earthcharter.org (Earth Charter)

www.earthministry.org (Earth Ministry)

www.greenpeace.org (Greenpeace International)

www.nccecojustice.org (National Council of Churches Environmental Program)

www.nacce.org (North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology)

www.newdream.org (Center for a New American Dream)

www.panna.org (Pesticide Action Network of North America

www.protectingcreation.org (Interfaith Climate Change Network)

www.restoringeden.org (Restoring Eden)

Elizabeth England
Program Coordinator
Joint Center for Housing Studies
1033 Massachusetts Ave, 5th floor
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 495-7640
(617) 496-9957 fax
www.jchs.harvard.edu