[ad_1]
This article was published for the first time in the State of Faith newsletter. Register to receive the newsletter every Monday night in your inbox
Katharine HayhoeChristian climate scientist and Christian is working to bring some hope to the debate on climate change. She described a large boulder perched on a hill Saturday night.
She explained that most people imagine climate change as something they have to do with pushing a large rock up a steep slope. It’s no wonder they end up feeling burnt out and hopeless when they’re just getting started, Hayhoe told the predominately Latter-day Saint audience at an event titled “Faith and Hope as the Climate Changes,” which was sponsored by the Latter-day Saint Creation Care Coalition.
She said that there are many countries, churches, companies, non-profits, churches, and individuals who work to help the Earth. Together, they’ve already gotten the rock over the crest of the hill, but they need help getting it moving faster down the other side.
“The boulder isn’t quite going fast enough yet, and that’s where we need you,” said Hayhoe, who serves as chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy and as a climate ambassador for the World Evangelical Alliance.
President Barack Obama arrives in Washington with actor Leonardo DiCaprio (left) and Dr. Katharine Houghoe to discuss climate change as part of White House South by South Lawn, which took place on the South Lawn of Washington, Monday, October 3, 2016.
Carolyn Kaster, Associated Press
Hayhoe believes that putting this more positive image in people’s mind is an important step toward saving the Earth. Too often, the way we talk about climate change — emphasizing scary statistics and worst-case scenarios — gets people so anxious that they’re essentially frozen. She stated that they need to give them reasons to be hopeful and not more reasons to be afraid.
“People are willing to do something if they feel like what they do will make a difference,” she said.
During Saturday’s event, Hayhoe, who is also a professor at Texas Tech University and author of “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World,” encouraged listeners to stop feeling and acting as if change isn’t possible and, instead, become evangelists for climate action. To address climate change, we all need to start talking about the solutions we’re seeing in our own lives, she said.
“Is talking sufficient? It is not. Is it necessary to talk? 100%,” she said.
Ahead of Saturday’s event, Hayhoe spoke with me by phone about her effort to change the tone of climate change debates and why she’s worked so hard to bring faith into the conversation. This conversation has been edited to be more concise and clear.
Kelsey Dallas: Are you preparing differently for Latter-day Saint audiences than you would for other audiences.
Katharine HayhoeYes, because I prepare for each audience differently. Effective conversations start with what we have in common. There is no one-size-fits all approach.
KD: What connections did you see between yourself and Latter-day Saints in particular?
KH:Both our religions teach the importance of caring for creation. We’re taught to be good stewards of the resources and gifts that God has.
And in Utah specifically, Latter-day Saints are seeing many of the climate impacts that I’m worried about. There’s air pollution from burning fossil fuels, the snowpack is melting and there is drought.
KD: That comment about conditions in Utah reminds me that you prefer to connect climate issues to people’s lived experience. This is why you prefer this approach.
KH:We humans have a tendency to suffer psychological distance. We perceive risks as being far away in time, space, or relevance. They’re something people far away in terms of distance or far away in the future need to worry about, not us.
Every aspect of psychological distance is involved in climate change. According to the Yale Program on Climate Communication, around two-thirds (or three quarters) of Americans believe that global warming is occurring and that it will cause harm to future generations. This includes people living in developing countries as well as animals and plants from those countries. However, less than half of those polled believe it will directly affect them.
We still think of climate change as an issue that’s affecting polar bears and ice sheets, but not us. In reality, it’s affecting the air we breathe, the water we drink, the safety of our homes, the local economy and basically every aspect of our lives. We must care about our children and families if we are to be a good parent.
KD: This personal approach to climate change helps people understand why it is so urgent and why they should care.
KH:It also helps reduce political barriers. There’s a researcher at my university who’s found that when we talk about climate change in a way that’s relevant to people’s lives, it actually decreases political polarization. It helps us to overcome ideological divides.
We’re able to connect with each other over something we have in common — like a love for our kids — rather than emphasizing something we disagree on.
KD: While you may be able to communicate with many groups, your primary focus seems to be the religious context. Why is it important for you to connect with faith communities?
KH: It’s important for each of us to have these conversations about the climate with the people and communities we most identify with. For example, I don’t hunt, so I’m not going to have this conversation with people who hunt. I’m not a small-business owner, so I’m not going to be able to understand small-business owners’ concerns or priorities when it comes to climate change.
But I am a Christian, so I find it important to have conversations about climate change with Christians. I think if we take the Bible seriously, we’ll be at the front of the line taking climate change seriously.
This is something that each of us can do. Start a conversation by identifying your unique connections and experiences. One person might talk to the gardening club, while another might meet with people at dog parks.
KD: Are you ever criticized for focusing on individual solutions? Shouldn’t we be thinking about what large corporations or governments should be doing for the environment?
KH:Because the system is made of individuals, individual changes are what will make the system work. Systemic change starts with us speaking up and being advocates for change.
Ask people if they have ever talked about climate change, and if they’ve heard others talk about it. Most say no. If you don’t talk about it, why would anyone else care? People sharing their experiences are the best way to find solutions.
While I do a lot of things to reduce my carbon footprint and make it more sustainable, the most important thing is that I talk about it. I tell people about what I’m doing and ask them for suggestions.
We can all change the world by sharing our stories.
KD: That response made me think again about the Latter Day Saint connection. It sounds like you want people becoming climate missionaries.
KH:Yes, they do have good news to share. The task isn’t to tell people about melting ice sheets; it’s to tell people about the ways they can make a difference.
My favorite Bible verse comes from Paul’s letter to Timothy. It says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” As a scientist, I especially like the sound mind part.
Many people are paralyzed by fear right now when it comes to climate changes. But if we help each other find power and agency, we’ll be empowered and able to act. Not just act, but act in love and with the intention of helping others.
New from the press
The importance and value of singing in person at Easter (and every year)
Can Sikhs serve their country and remain true to their faith?
20 leaders change the conversation about politics and religion
Term of week: Religion clauses
The phrase “religion clauses” refers to the faith-based elements of the First Amendment: the establishment clause and the free exercise clause. The former prohibits the government from “establishing” a religion by, for example, forcing all Americans to donate to a specific religious group or hand-picking clergy members, while the latter aims to ensure that Americans can practice their religion in whatever way they see fit.
Perhaps surprisingly, there’s sometimes tension between the two religion clauses. For example, in the context of public education, a teacher’s religious exercise rights can run up against the school’s establishment clause-related concerns. Public schools need to be religiously neutral environments like other state institutions, so the Supreme Court has previously said that teachers can’t require students to participate in prayers.
What I’m reading…
A church in Miami is facing declining membership and mounting costs. They are considering a decision that would have been impossible in the past: selling a portion of their land. to a condo developer. The Guardian took a look at the potential real-estate deal that might save the church — or be the final nail in its coffin.
At the end of last year, BYU staged a production of “Fiddler on the Roof” and a journalist for The Forward traveled to Provo to see how a group of Latter-day Saint students would handle the Deeply Jewish Show. The resulting article is a really thoughtful look at why “Fiddler” is such a beloved story among a wide variety of faith groups and reflection on whether that love is problematic.
Odds and ends
The Supreme Court will hear its final arguments religious freedom casenext Monday. Keep your eyes open for my story about it, coming later in the week.
Need a good time? Take a look at This pictureMy son and myself at Easter church.
[ad_2]
