Have you wondered why green tips show up in the weekly church bulletin? Have you asked yourself “what does this have to do with my faith?”
During the Episcopal Church’s 80th General Convention, the House of Bishops named the climate crisis an urgent concern that affects all issues of social justice, proclaiming: “As people of faith, we are not without hope, but the sustainability of God’s creation demands our action. Confronting climate change and environmental degradation has never been more urgent. As members of The Episcopal Church, we are committed in baptism to resist evil, seek God’s will, treat all people with dignity, and strive for justice and peace. Living into these promises, we must face the climate crisis for the sake of love of God and neighbor.”
In the last 10 to 15 years, the effects of climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have increasingly been recognized as issues of life- and health-threatening relevance. According to NOAA, the year 2023 was the warmest year on record since global records began in 1850, and the 10 warmest years in the 174-year record have all occurred during the last decade (2014–2023). The impacts of climate change not only cause natural disasters with increasing frequency and intensity, they also cause loss of biodiversity, food shortages, and human displacement, hitting the poorest the hardest.
We hope that the green tips help increase awareness of the human impact on the environment and spur the action needed for us to be ardent stewards of God’s creation.