christians and climate change
All, Sustainability, Updates
Sustainability cannot be achieved without indigenous leadership.
First Nations communities lose the most during climate change but often have the most insight on how to respond. “These fires have obliterated entire forests, and, with it, they’re obliterating the cultural memory of our Aboriginal groups,” declared Bhiamie Eckford-Williamson, a Euahlayi indigenous research associate in Australia. “The burning of these scarred trees is one […]
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All, Sustainability, Updates
Do alarming messages do more harm to environmental campaigns in the long run?
Is that even the right question to ask? “The world was just issued a 12 year ultimatum on climate change” “A terrifying look at the consequences of climate change” “Climate crisis: 11,000 scientists warn of ‘untold suffering’” The above headlines ran on The Smithsonian, The Economist, and The Guardian, respectively. Together, they represent a common […]
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All, DR Congo, Sustainability, Updates
Climate Change in the Eastern Congo: A current look at impact
Recent reports outline the extreme vulnerability of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to climate change. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) can be one of the hardest places to live. Widespread hunger, the outbreak of epidemics, and political instability have led the UNDP to rank the central African country’s development at the lowest […]
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All, Updates
Generosity and partnership make all the difference
Our work over the past year is a testament to your contribution. Plant With Purpose has just unveiled the fiscal year 2019 edition of its Annual Report. The report is a summary of program results, successes, and outputs over the past fiscal year. As a publication, it serves as a measuring stick of outcomes, a […]
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All, Meditations
How is God at work in the environment?
Paying attention to God’s involvement in the environment gives us a more encouraging way forward. “Jesus said my yoke is easy and my burden is light,” explained Phileena Heurtz. “When I consider the state of our world and the concern of the future for our planet, it feels very heavy. It can be depressing.” “But, […]
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All, Meditations
What does it take to be thankful?
Imagine what gratitude looks like at its most intense level There’s no real way to measure who the most grateful person in the world must be, but can you imagine what life must look like for that person? A deep appreciation for practically everything and an overflow of joy towards life. It’s probably easy to […]
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All, Living Sustainably, Meditations
Protecting God’s Creation
What motivates Christians to care about climate? This is a question many have asked, from both within and outside the faith. While people in general may have all kinds of reasons for concern- from uncertainty towards the future to concern for the poor, how this is influenced by people’s spiritual beliefs stirs up a lot […]
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All, Climate Solutions, Environmental Restoration, Our Response
Time to tell ourselves a new story about the environment
Our survival depends on a new story When it comes to the environment, it appears more and more obvious that we need new ways of doing familiar things. The behaviors and habits that have gotten us to where we are will not sustain us for where we want to be. Making things different, however doesn’t […]
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Global Changes Show Us What is Possible
It can be easy to only notice the bad things going on in the world, especially when it comes to environmental issues. While it’s important to stay concerned and connected to the planet’s challenges, it’s equally important to stay tuned in to the stories of hope. These stories remind us possible when our relationships with […]
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All, Meditations, Updates
Right Now, Somewhere On Earth
Attention to our environmental condition often fades in and out. Things like news coverage or public concern may come and go, which sometimes makes it easy to forget that our ecological story is constantly unfolding. Here are some things that are happening right now. Families are feeling the burden of environmental degradation When you hear […]
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All, Tanzania
A Generational Promise
An investment in the environment is a promise to future generations “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” You might see that quote attributed to Les Brown or to Warren Buffett. While the author of the phrase is unclear, its significance is direct. Our relationship with the […]
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All, Living Sustainably
When Nations Get Busy Planting Trees
For over 30 years, Plant With Purpose has advocated for planting trees as a simple but powerful response to the environmental challenges that our planet faces. Swiss researcher Tom Crowther speaks about planting trees urgently. As far as climate solutions go, “it is available now,” he says. “It is the cheapest one possible and every […]
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All, Dominican Republic
My faith has come from difficult moments
Sometimes it’s the hardest moments of life that produce the most growth If we were to list out the most meaningful things we’ve done throughout our life and then make a second list featuring the most difficult things we’ve ever done, I suspect we’d find a good amount of overlap. Things that are worthwhile are […]
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All, Meditations, Podcast
When it comes to the environment, is there a case for hope?
How hopeful do you feel when it comes to the environment “I’ll be honest, sometimes it can feel like there are many reasons why finding hope is difficult,” explained Plant With Purpose executive director Scott Sabin. Scott’s assessment feels very relatable. Between the rampant threats to places like the Amazon rainforest, the frequent reports of […]
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All, Environmental Restoration, Meditations, Our Response
The Role of Empathy in Environmental Protection
Terence Lester says that “to really understand something, we often need to experience it for ourselves or at least hear the story of someone who has experienced it.” This captures the importance of empathy when it comes to problem solving. And when it comes to understanding our environment and its challenges, empathy is especially […]
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