Why We Do What We Do, To Stop The Overheating of the Earth!
As with other issues of justice and Creation care, the intersectional issue of climate change is very important to the Presbyterian Church, PC(USA).
The 223rd General Assembly (2018) approved Item 08-06, “The Earth is the Lord’s—Not Ours to Ruin,” that expresses a call to:
“Let us all incarnate the changes for which we long. Now is the time for congregations and for every person of faith to set a moral example through our own words and actions. As individuals and as communities, let us commit to making decisions of integrity in our energy choices, even as we commit to hold all our religious, political, corporate, and global leaders accountable to do the same”
And ENV05, which was passed at the General Assembly in 2022 states in it’s rationale:
“At this point in history, we face the existential threat of climate change destroying God’s Creation and the future of humanity and living creatures on this planet. Already more vulnerable communities of color and the poor are experiencing profound effects. The immensity of the challenge often leads to despair and despondency. Now is the time for the church to commit to a faithful discipleship with concrete actions addressing the challenge before us. Now is the time to act.”
Our CAN Team seeks to follow that call. We recognize that Creation is the web of life that interconnects all things in Christ. We are working to save that web of life which is being destroyed by the overheating of our planet. For us it all comes down to love and that is how we seek to connect with others. At the bottom of each of our handouts we state:
“Stopping climate pollution is a priority at Greenfield Presbyterian Church because we love our children, love our neighbors, love Michigan, love wild creatures, love this planet that sustains us, and have great hopes and love for those generations yet to come. We suspect that you do too! Let’s act now to save what we love!”
If you are interested in joining or learning more about Greenfield’s Climate Action Now Team please contact Lynn Fanelli at Lsanhoufan@hotmail.com or any member of GPC’s CAN Team
Below are links to articles from recent years which touch on how climate change is impacting so many things we care about at Greenfield. The good news is that the world has made great progress on climate change since our Climate Action Now Team was formed, almost four years ago. Sadly, it’s too late to stop climate change, but every action we can take to lower heat trapping gasses now will dramatically lessen impacts felt by future generations.
Our Neighbors:
Who (and What) are Climate Refugees -The Solutions Project 6/22
Voices of Climate Collapse- A Storytelling Platform
Climate Change's Unequal Burden: Why Do Low-Income Communities Bear the Brunt? Earth.org
Urban 'heat islands' in the Great Lakes and the toll on human health. Bridge Michigan 6/24
Our Planet
The tipping points of climate change and where we stand. Johan Rockstrom, TED Talk 7/24
A Degree of Concern: Why Global Temperatures Matter, Updated 10/24 NASA'S Science Editorial Team
Our Children and Future Generations:
This visual shows how climate change will affect generations- Washington Post 3/23
The New World: Life After Climate Change NYTimes Magazine 10/22
Creatures
How many species could go extinct from climate change? It depends on how hot it gets. 12/24 NPR
Michigan
Michigan Climate Change: How fish, forests, farms, moose, ticks will change, Bridge Michigan 2/24.
Opinion: Morality and a clean energy future- Sister Barbara Stanbridge, Bridge Michigan 5/24
State Climate Summaries 2022- Michigan, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Severe weather costs Michigan millions. Can funding meet demands, Bridge Michigan 6/24
Past Events
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Oakland County Earth Day Rally
Apri1 20th 3:00-7:00 PM
March & Vendor Fair! Come visit CAN's table at the largest Earth Day Event in Oakland County! Located in and around the Royal Oak Farmer’s Market, this event will kick off with a climate rally and march through downtown Royal Oak at 3pm. The Fair runs until 7pm with vendors, teach-ins with experts and special guest speakers! That same weekend the Zoo is also hosting a GreenFest with early arrivers receiving a 2 gallon bucket of Zoo Poo for their garden!
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Common Ground Movie
April 21st 12:30-2:00PM
Your Climate Action committee (CAN) would like to invite everyone interested in learning how innovative agriculture can save the earth from our climate crisis to come to a movie on April 21 at 12:30. The movie is “Common Ground”, a compelling story about regenerative farming. It is a rallying cry for revamping the world’s farming systems. It may be the answer to saving the planet from its current and future climate and food crisis. It has already sparked a worldwide cultural and political movement to save the environment and humanity by bringing eco-systems back to life.
Lunch will be served during the movie. The running time of the movie is 1hour and 30 minutes. This showing is not intended to replace our wonderful Congregational Climate Event planned with all manner of wonderful events on June 2.
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Heritage Park's Earth Day
April 22nd 4:00-7:00 PM
CAN will also be tabling at Heritage Park's Earth Day event in Farmington Hills on Monday, April 22 from 4-7pm. If you are looking for some family fun this Earth Day come see us there!
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Katherine Hayhoe
April 24th 5:00-7:00 PM
New Climate Solutions and Galvanizing for Action
Katherine Hayhoe, the atmospheric scientist and Christian who has inspired and informed climate work at Greenfield since our climate efforts began, will be speaking at U of M.
If you would like to carpool contact Deb Basierbe.
What a healthy new future we can all help create! Happy Earth Month!
Contact Lynn Fanelli or any member of the CAN Team with thoughts or questions.
GPC Climate Action Now (CAN)
Raise the Issue, Stop the Rise
It’s about earth care. It’s about social justice. And its urgent.
MEETINGS are usually the THIRD MONDAY of EACH MONTH at 3:00 PM
Contact Lynn Fanelli for Zoom invite.
Certified as a Earth Care Congregation 2024
Have you ever thought……
What can I do about climate change?
The scale of the climate crisis can be overwhelming and make it hard to know what to do. There are many ways to take action and to stop the rise and we will need them all. Below are links for action, education and other resources. How bad climate change gets is our choice, today. Welcome, we’re so glad you’re here!
Global warming and climate change are caused by the build up of greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere. Those gasses are mostly released when oil, coal and natural gas are burned to provide the energy which powers so much of our current way of life. The sooner we act to stop these emissions the better.
Current Climate Action Opportunities
“Just start by doing something, anything, and then talk about it!”
Dr. Katherine Hayhoe, atmospheric scientist, New York Times 1/2/22
1.
Just Start
Take a current action (like #2) or explore ways to raise the issue and/or lifestyle changes below! A great place to start is this Climate Action Now app. It’s simple to use and offers many options for meaningful action.
2.
Current Climate Actions
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A package of bills called the Clean Energy Future Plan was introduced in the Michigan Senate on April 12th. Learn about what the bills will accomplish and follow the link to contact your state senator (scroll down to the end of number two). Organized by the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.
Three Things Thursday: April 13, 2023 - Michigan League of Conservation Voters
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Contact your Michigan Senator and Senator Sean McCann, the Chair of the Energy and Environment Committee, in support of Senate Bills 152 and 153 for creating community solar in Michigan. Expanding Solar in Michigan
Here’s a Q and A on community solar from Michigan Community Solar Alliance.
Q & A — MI Community Solar AllianceDescription text goes here
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Call on Toyota to join other automakers in pledging to deliver 100% electric vehicles by 2035! All are invited to participate in this national petition and campaign organized by Interfaith Power and Light Advocacy
Climate Action- Raising the Issue
Why We Emphasize “Raising the Issue" at Greenfield.
While ALL types of solutions are needed, experts agree that the scale and urgency of the climate crisis calls for responses in scale to the problem. To prevent the worst impacts of climate change our best hope is to go beyond isolated individual actions to bring about changes in our policies and systems.
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Talk About It
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Contact Leaders
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Join a Group
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Sign up for GPC Climate Action Alerts
What is a “Price on Carbon”
Why Does Greenfield Support It?
In the CNN Last Look (below), Fareed Zakaria does an outstanding job of explaining how a carbon fee and dividend system works and concludes “Virtually every economist agrees a carbon tax is the single best strategy to begin to solve the climate crisis.” In July 2021, The Session at Greenfield voted to endorse HR2307. A House Bill that supports pricing carbon, paying a dividend to individuals and establishing a border carbon adjustment system. Putting a price on carbon is supported by folks across the political spectrum-- economists , the Business Roundtable (article access limited), environmental and faith groups ( including PC USA ), Dr. Bullard, co- chair of National Black Environmental Justice Network and many, many others. If you would like more information please contact us at GPCClimate@gmail.com
Learn about Climate Change
A little bit of knowledge can go a long way
Videos in our learn in less than 10 (minutes) section provide basic information about climate change. Given their length, our “Deep Dive” videos go much further in conveying the urgency and scale of this crisis and are especially transformational. These videos can be disturbing and difficult to watch. If you can’t watch, don’t watch. That said, if you can watch, please do. We feel that at this time, especially as Christians, we are called to NOT look away.
<10 Minute
Learn about climate issues with these short videos that are less than 10 minutes.
Deep Dive
Go more in depth with these films. Most are available for streaming.
Listen Again
Rev. Edstrom’s 10/3/21 Sermon 30:20 mark
Lifestyles
Another way you can act is to make important lifestyle changes that will reduce the amount of fossil fuels that you personally contribute each day.
YOU CAN REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT BY:
According to the Rocky Mountain Institute, we must hold global temperature rise down to 1.5 degrees C. The scientific consensus is clear. To do this, we must halve carbon emissions by 2030, on our way to net zero by 2050. Why should our goal be 1.5 degrees C when the Paris Climate Agreement target is 2 degrees C? According to the intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report, half a degree could still result in massive species loss, increased sea level rise, a tenfold increase in the impact to Arctic ice and a 2.6 times greater share of the global population exposed to severe heat.
Americans use 40% of the world's oil and emit 25% of the world's greenhouse gases, even though we are less than 5% of the world's population.
Every person is a stakeholder in transforming energy use and energy transition.
Everyone is needed in order to solve a problem as complex as our climate crisis.
Taking action will have positive ripple effects on health, wellness and economic resilience.
Who we are.
GPC’s Climate Action Now Ministry Team was formed when a small group of Greenfielder’s decided that we needed to take action now to stop climate change. Although our specific motivations for action vary we are joined in purpose as individuals who care deeply about the urgent threat climate change poses to humans, creatures and all of the living systems that sustain our amazing planet. We seek to promote climate change as an issue for every individual and organization. Our goal is to help each person find their way to act to help stop climate change. We have done our best to include information and based on cited and widely agreed upon scientific information.
Additional Resources
Contact us.
GPCClimate@gmail.com