Though the mountains may be moved into the sea
Though the ground beneath might crumble and give way
I can hear my Father singing over me
"It’s gonna be ok, it’s gonna be ok"
- Into the Sea Tasha Layton
Malawi has seen major storms damage infrastructure but Tropical Storm Freddy has killed over 200 people and displaced 20,000. There are fears of a worsening of the cholera outbreak Malawi has been dealing with this past year.
Lord, do not forget your people in Malawi. Heartbreak upon on heartbreak is unbearable. Give strength to the emergency and rescue workers. Protect the vulnerable from cholera. Comfort the grieving and despairing. Help our friends in Malawi not lose heart as they rebuild and restore their communities.
An ice shelf in East Antarctica, which has enough water frozen in it to raise sea levels over 170 feet is melting faster than scientists expected. While West Antarctica has been experiencing ice melt, scientists thought East Antarctica was stable and not susceptible to melt. But they are being proven wrong with last year recording the warmest year on record. On March 18, 2022, the temperature of -10.1C (13.8F) was 38.5C (69.3F) higher than average, the biggest rise above normal observed in history.
Lord, this created good world works as a system, an interconnected web, and we are watching in real time the results of our choices. As the world heats up, the poles heat up exponentially more. And we confess we do not know what this means and what will happen if the ice keeps melting. Help us with wise discernment and a listening ear to those who study how sea levels shape life on earth. God grant us the humility we need in these times.
The High Seas Treaty which will place 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, to safeguard and recuperate marine nature has been signed.
After 10 years of negotiations, the main issue was over the sharing of marine genetic resources which are are biological material from plants and animals in the ocean that can be used for pharmaceuticals, industrial processes and food.
Richer nations currently have the resources and funding to explore the deep ocean but poorer nations wanted to ensure any benefits they find are shared equally. The ocean belongs to the whole world. This news is welcome and causes us to pray:
Creator of the deep, you know what is down there – lovingly placed and sustained far away from even human knowledge and understanding. This is a cause for humility. Help us to maintain these areas of creation and to justly cooperate and share what you have made there, if it is good for your creation. Keep greed away from your oceans, Lord and help us to remember they praise you – and so should we.
The Biden Administration has approved the $8 Billion Willow Prject that will see ConocoPhilips drilling in the Alaska Petroleum reserves. This comes one day after the administration imposed limits on oil and gas drilling in 16 million acres of Alaska and the Arctic Ocean.
The US Bureau of Land Management estimates that it will generate up to 278 million metric tonnes of CO2e over its 30-year lifetime - the equivalent of adding two million cars to US roads every year.
The Willow Project has encountered enormous protests, with a petition of 3 million signatures and 1 million letters being sent against its approval. It was also advocated for by Democrat and Republican representatives in Congress as a boon to Alaskan communities.
God we need your wisdom. We see the destruction to wildlife and ocean habitat these huge projects have. We see jobs being promised. We long for there to be no need for projects that harm creation while claiming to be a help to it. God, it’s hard to navigate so give us wise counsel to minimize harm and to move to a sustainable energy future.
A permanent legislative solution is needed to protect the lives, dreams, families, and futures of Dreamers and other undocumented immigrants, who are often exposed to vulnerable and dehumanizing conditions because of their status. Using our editable email template, urge your Members of Congress to ensure a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS-holders, and essential workers.
Trees. Solar panels. Education. These are some of the ways people of faith are fighting the effects of climate change. That’s why we created a new documentary series, This is Hunting Park. Learn how people of faith in one Philadelphia neighborhood are coming together to make a difference. Watch the films and download the study guide here.
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