Iowans of faith and conscience, we are all called to climate action! As we prepare for the third annual Called to Climate Action event on Saturday, I’m reminded that the enormity of the climate crisis can overwhelm us into believing there isn’t enough time, enough resources, enough people, enough political will, or even enough faith to prevent the consequences of global warming. It can feel like nothing we do will be enough.
Two years ago, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe was our keynote speaker for our first Called to Climate Action event. Last month she released her new book, Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World. When she spoke to us at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Parish in Greater Cedar Rapids, she said the most important thing we can do to fight climate change is to talk about it. Yes, indeed, talking about it is enough to make a difference.
As proof that talking about climate change is important, our focus with Faith Farms and Climate has always been to empower Iowa farmers to speak about how they can help solve the problem. In the chapter “Cleaning Up Our Act”, Hayhoe chose our work to feature in her “Farming the Future” section.
Powerful global forces depend on keeping us divided through political and economic strategies focused on messages of fear and scarcity. With trillions of dollars at stake, they want us to feel like we can never do enough to make the changes the world’s amazing scientists like Hayhoe confirm are both necessary and possible.
The abundance of the universe provides enough for all of us to live well together so long as our own good living doesn’t come from the suffering of others.
In terms of solving the climate crisis, abundance doesn’t mean extravagance or conspicuous consumption. The abundance of creation means there is enough for everyone if we allow ourselves to let go of being limited by a vision of scarcity. It’s this vision of scarcity that has been the hallmark of the fossil fuel era. If we can start to believe there is enough, then we can develop systems that actually provide enough.
In Saving Us, Hayhoe lays out a comprehensive strategy for building consensus around the actions needed to overcome a truly catastrophic global disaster already unfolding. And yes, the most important action we must take, something we all can do, is to talk about it. Page after page, this world-renowned climate scientist and Evangelical Christian makes the case that we have enough to overcome the challenge before us. Talking about the hopefulness and healing of climate action is indeed enough to overcome the billions of dollars being used to keep us frustrated, fearful, and divided.
In the coming days and weeks, we are hosting events to empower you to talk about solving the climate crisis. On Saturday Chris Gloninger, chief meteorologist with KCCI TV, will share his own journey of climate action. Join our virtual Called to Climate Action event at 10:00 AM, along with Chris and the response panel of Rev. Brigit Stevens, Kent Ferris, OFS, and Dr. Jen Sand.
Start reading Saving Us now, and then join us for a statewide book review next month. We invite you to read this book in a spirit of prayer and reflection. At 6:00 PM on November 9th, we’ll gather virtually to share our experiences and talk about strategies for discussing hopeful and healing solutions for saving us. In Hayhoe’s own words on Jimmy Kimmel Live, “That’s why the book is called Saving Us. The planet will still be here. The question is: Will we?”
You can also join your voice with the voices of your fellow Iowans by signing the 2021-22 faith statement on the climate crisis. This is the third faith statement by our Called to Climate Action college student leaders. Read the statement. Sign it. Share it with your friends, family, house of worship, and other organizations.
Solving the climate crisis requires acts of faith and a belief in the abundance of creation. As Iowans of faith and conscience, we are the ones who can make a difference. We are the ones to speak of hope and healing. Our collective voices, powerful and prophetic, are enough to set in motion the ongoing, systemic, and collective actions needed to save us.