Earth Day: Something We Can All Believe In
Earth Day Network’s Communities of Faith Climate Campaign educates leaders and members of religious communities to bring climate change education and opportunities for civic activism to those associated with religious life, self-described population of more than 250 Americans.
Earth Day 2008
After the success achieved on Earth Day 2007, when EDN was successful in creating 12,000 sermons and religious events through outreach to leaders from the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian faiths, we took it to the next level for Earth Day 2008.
In coordination with the National Council of Churches, the Religious Coalition on Creation Care and other inter-faith organizations, EDN integrated faith based Earth Day observances into nation wide Earth Day 2008 actions. We activated 500,000 parishioners in areas of the country that have not responded to the climate crises in support of climate legislation that invests in renewable energy and the creation of green jobs and helps low-income Americans transition to the new green economy.
In light of the opportunity provided by Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States this year, Earth Day Network reached out to Roman Catholic parishes across the country, inviting them to participate in Earth Day Sunday, April 20, 2008.
Our fax campaign reached out to thousands of parishes, and the response was overwhelmingly encouraging. Many churches pledged to join us for Earth Day Sunday by including climate change and equitable sustainability in their homilies, post information in their weekly bulletins, and/or offer intentions for the environment during Mass; others filled us in on their year-round parish green programs.
Earth Day on the National Mall in Washington DC also carried an interfaith message of care for the planet, with Reverend Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals, Rabbi Warren Stone of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Farah El-Sharif of the Georgetown University Muslim Students Association, and Paul Maus of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
The Pulpit Pledge
Faith leaders from across the U.S. and Canada are preaching on global climate change as a moral issue. If you are a religious leader, we encourage you to sign Earth Day Network’s Global Warming in the Pulpit Pledge , and mark your commitment to preach on global warming. Lay leaders can join this movement by inviting your faith leader to sign the Pledge.
If you want to inspire the world with your Earth Day sermon, send us the video of your religious service and we will post it on Earth Day Television. For more information on how to do this, email communications [at] earthday.net.
Southern Baptist Convention
Recently, 44 Southern Baptist Convention leaders signed the
Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change, stating that they “believe our current denominational engagement with these issues has often been too timid, failing to produce a unified moral voice.”
Pulpit resources
- Global Climate Change: Polar bears, penguins and people, by Robert K. Musil
- Penguins and Polar Bears – And People, Too, by Robert K. Musil
- Passover and the Global Climate Crisis, by Rabbi Jeff Sultar
- National Cathedral Spotlight on Global Warming Sermon, The Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III (pdf) Watch the sermon on Earth Day TV!!!
- A Jewish Response to Climate Change, Rabbi Warren Stone (pdf)
- A Christian Call for Action on Climate Change, Rev. Theresa S. Thames (pdf)
- Earth Day 2006 Religious Panel Discussions on Earth Day TV
- New article on interfaith statement
- Evangelical Statement on climate change
- NY Interfaith Power and Light website
- Earth Day Sermon Contest
- Orthodox Christian Bishops on climate change (2007)
