A Challenge in the UN Speech

When President Donald Trump addressed the United Nations this week, his meandering 55-minute speech touched on many critical topics. In this blog I will confine myself to just one – climate change.

The President called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetuated on the world.” He referred to “the global warming hoax.”

Our diocese has made major commitments to care for creation. After hearing the unfolding climate crisis dismissed, I checked in with the Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas – well known to all who read this blog and to many more as an international leader in creation care theology and spirituality. She replied to the President’s claims with these facts:

“2023 was the hottest year ever recorded globally (NOAA) – until 2024, which was in turn the hottest year ever recorded (WMO). The climate emergency is here. Beset by wildfires, floods, and storms, people are on the move. Last year, a record 11 million Americans were displaced by weather disasters, to say nothing of the millions more people around the world forced to migrate because of extreme weather events. Not surprisingly, it’s poor and working-class communities that suffer first and worst in a changing climate, since they live in flood-prone areas, in wildfire zones, and in neighborhoods without green cover or clean air (EPA Climate and Social Vulnerability Report). Of course, it’s not only humans who are suffering – the entire web of life is unraveling before our eyes. Did you know that there are half as many wild animals on the planet as there were in 1970? Scientists are calling this massive die-off a ‘biological annihilation.’”  

I remain inspired by Margaret and many others in our diocese to make Creation Care a priority in following Jesus in his mission of mercy, compassion and hope. This has become even more important to me since having grandchildren. What will the earth be when they reach my age?

What should we do? The Episcopal Path to Creation Justice offers us hope and help.

• ‍Pray: Bring environmental concerns into our liturgies, preaching and prayers. Spend time in nature.
• ‍Learn. Educate our children, youth and adults to live faithfully in a climate-changed world. What do we need to learn as we join God’s mission of reconciling us to God, each other, and all creation?
• ‍Act. What practical steps can we take as individuals, households and congregations to reduce carbon emissions, and to transition to a zero carbon future?
• ‍Advocate. Write your government representatives. Tell them climate change is not a hoax and support them in implementing programs to address it. Join groups that are advocating for environmental legislation.

Let’s take the President’s words to the world as a challenge to pray, learn, act, and advocate for God’s creation. For the love of God and for the future of our children and our children’s children.

+Doug

‍