Environmental Justice Mission Group
New Hampshire Conference, United Church of Christ
Members are Rev. Roger Burkhart, Eric Chamberlain, Sue Moore, Marge Shepardson, Robin Walkup, and Rev. Robert Grabill, Chair.
Current News/Events
HAPPY EARTH DAY! - April 22, 2021
To observe Earth Day this year, the Environmental Justice Mission Group is offering NH Conference congregations a gift that we hope will keep on giving - a curriculum full of resources that will help communities become green (or greener) churches. There are links to articles, books and video resources, and a step-by step plan for meeting together to help you restore and protect God's creation.
If you missed the New England Environmental Justice Youth Summit in November, you can watch a replay!
If you missed the November 19, 2020 event watch a replay here:
https://youtu.be/knL85LL0tV4
Rev Gordon Rankin (NHCUCC) spoke on Caring for the Earth and Indigenous People, about his service in the Lakota and Standing Rock Community, followed by Dr. Jehann El Bisi’s emotional testimony and the showing of her Documentary “The River Cried, M’ni W’Coni” on the Actions of the Water Protectors at Standing Rock.
If you missed the November 21, 2020 event watch a replay here:
https://youtu.be/pCUKuDTu4ik
Rev. Dr. Jim Antal (UCC Climate Justice Special Advisor) delivered a Keynote on the “Climate Crisis”, followed by talks on actions taken to shut down a coal plant (350NH), Health Effects of PFAS and PFOA (Sierra Club), “Storytelling” (350NH), and “Fierce Vulnerability” on how to cope with the stress of climate change, by Marla Marcum of the Climate Disobedience Center.
Resolutions:
A Resolution of Christian Witness on the Rights of Nature
(Adopted by the gathering body of the New Hampshire Conference at Annual Meeting, October 17, 2020)
Mission Statement
“The Earth is the Lord’s and all that it is in it”. The UCC has proclaimed three Great Loves as our mission: Love of Neighbor, Love of Children and Love of Creation. We, the Environmental Justice Mission Group of the New Hampshire Conference UCC, commit to acting on our Love of Creation through Earth care, education, advocacy and activism to implement the biblical principals of taking only what we need, healing the harm we do to the Earth, and keeping the Earth in repair for the future.
And God saw everything that had been made, and behold, it was very good. --Genesis 1:31a
What brings joy to your heart, peace to your spirit, a smile to your face? For many of us the unfolding of the seasons, the rising and setting of the sun, the intricacy and beauty of nature is a central aspect of our lives, what it means to be human, the place where our spirits are most fed. What would you be willing to do for the planet you love, for the beauty of the Earth, for the Creator who called it good?
Believing deeply that all creation is formed by a loving God, and that we are called to be wise and compassionate stewards of this good Earth, the Environmental Justice Mission Group of the NH Conference UCC is committed to joining in this holy work. Scripture reveals a God who comes to us in many ways, making a lasting covenant through nature and cross, rainbow and empty tomb. The God of scripture and human experience, revealed in the magnificent and the miniscule, vast cosmos and tender crocus, in a newborn child, the wisdom of age, is also the One who calls us to participate in loving, healing and restoring all creation.
Responding to that call, the Environmental Justice Mission Group seeks to engage others in deeper appreciation for the beauty, wonder and awe toward the natural world and to take up the call to care for the integrity of creation. We invite others to work with us to translate the love we feel for creation into tangible acts of celebration, education, preservation and restoration on behalf of Earth. This work takes the form of:
- Educational events and programs, Conference-wide or in local churches
- Trainings in energy efficiency and the greening of congregations
- Celebrations and worship opportunities to enjoy nature
- Increasing collaboration with other denominations
- Resources connecting Earth care and personal faith
- Support for policies and practices that promote sustainability
The Mission Group is welcoming of others who care about God's creation and whose faith leads them to act with compassion, creativity and courage to fulfill our calling as stewards and caretakers.
For further information about the Environmental Justice Mission Group, its work, resources or events, please contact Chair, Robin Walkup, or watch the NH Conference website for updates to our weekly e-newsletter, The Weekly News
Meeting Schedule
Meetings are currently being held via Zoom on the first Monday of the month, from 3:00 - 5:00 pm.
Climate Change Resources for NH
Climate Nexus – climate impacts in NH, and how to communicate about climate change
https://climatenexus.org/climate-change-us/state-impacts/#new-hampshire
https://climatenexus.org/communications-climate-change/
University of NH (UNH) has very active climate and sustainability programs. One link that leads to research reports and other information: https://sustainableunh.unh.edu/climate-solutions-new-england
NH Climate and Energy Profile, Georgetown Climate Center
https://www.georgetownclimate.org/clean-energy/clean-energy-and-climate-data.html?state=NH
NH Climate Action Plan, 2009 and other NH Dept. of Envtl. Services climate programs
https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/air/tsb/tps/climate/index.htm
Antioch University in Keene – climate search on their web site
https://www.antioch.edu/new-england/?s=climate
Recommended Reading / Resources
- Rights of Nature Study Guide
- An Introduction to the Kairos Moment
- This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein
- Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway
- Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert
- Blessed are the Consumers: Climate Change and Restraint by Sallie McFague
- Climate Church, Climate World: How People of Faith Must Work for Change by Jim Antal
- Drawdown, the Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming edited by Paul Hawken
- Earth Honoring Faith by Larry Rasmussen
- Eco-faith, Creating and Sustaining Green Congregations by Charlene Hosenfeld
- Ecology at the Heart of Faith: The Change of Heart that Leads to a New Way of Living on Earth by Denis Edwards
- Eco-Spirit: Religions and Philosophies for the Earth by Laurel Kearns and Catherine Keller
- God is Green: An Eco-Spirituality of Incarnate Compassion by Robert Shore-Goss
- Original Instructions, Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future edited by Melissa K. Nelson
- Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth, The Golden Sufi by Joanna Macy, Thich Nhat Hanh and Wendell Berry
- The Encyclical Letter Laudato Si' On Care for Our Common Home by Pope Francis
- The Lost Gospel of Earth by Tom Hayden
- The New Cosmic Story by John Haught
- Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
- Cathedral on Fire by Brooks Berndt
Prior Events
October 17, 2020: The New Hampshire Conference, UCC Annual Meeting
Rev. Dr. Robert Shore Goss has also submitted a Resolution for the Rights of Nature that the New Hampshire Conference will consider at its Annual Meeting on October 17th. Bob shares his thoughts on why it is important to publicly support the Rights of Nature in this document.
September 30, 2020: The Rights of Nature - 7:30 pm via Zoom
The Environmental Justice Mission Group along with the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College Green Team invite you to an online program with Rev. Dr. Bob Shore Goss, a UCC Environmental Justice Council Trainer, retired UCC clergy/theologian; former pastor of the first Creation Justice Church of the UCC; and current member of the Federated Church of Marlborough, NH.
August 26, 2020: Becoming a Creation Justice Church - 7:30 pm via Zoom
The Environmental Justice Mission Group along with the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College Green Team invite you to an online creation justice program with Brooks Berndt, UCC Minister for Environmental Justice.
Download the event poster to learn more >>
May 20, 2020: Answering the Call: Environmental Justice Is Health Justice
Statistics and studies have demonstrated the link between COVID-19 death rates and environmental injustice. This webinar addresses this link from three perspectives: scientific research, front line experience and government response, The webinar features: Senator Cory Booker, Francesca Dominici, and the Rev. Lionel Murphy.
Resources related to this webinar
- Environmental Justice Act in the Senate
- Environmental Justice for All Act in the House
- Dr. Dominici's study on air pollution and COVID-19 mortality
- News articles on Dr. Dominici's study
- A Virus Stalks a County with One of the Highest Death Rates in the US
- The Guardian's Cancer Town Series of Articles on Reserve, Louisiana
- Desmog: Long Exposed to Polluted Air, Louisiana's Cancer Alley Residents Are Now in a COVID-19 Hotspot
- Arm in Arm's Nonviolent Climate Initiative
- Breath to the People: Sacred Air and Toxic Pollution
May 2020: A Conversation with Bill McKibben
https://climate-xchange.org/2020/05/15/bill-mckibben-interview/?mc_cid=7f6ffa6059&mc_eid=c1897c8762
The Earth Is the Lord's: A Webinar with Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr.
The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr. was a central leader in the launch of the environmental justice movement in the 1980s and 90s. He coined the phrase "environmental racism" and played instrumental roles in the Warren County civil disobedience campaign, the landmark Toxic Wastes and Race report and the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit.
In this special address marking the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Chavis will focus on the role of faith communities in resisting those powers that would seek to rule and desecrate what is not theirs. Click on the image to watch this webinar.
The Youth Climate Movement: A Webinar with Jamie Margolin
Click on the image to watch a rebroadcast of the Creation Justice Webinar with Jamie Margolin, Youth Activist with the Climate Movement.
United Church of Christ Webinar: Panel on Food Justice
View at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCsRj9d1E8U&feature=youtu.be
Standing Rock and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance.
Webinar featuring Nick Estes on Standing Rock and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance.
View at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmSIeMOcsow&feature=youtu.be
EnergyMatters E14 - Eco-Spirituality
In an interview with Mary Ewewll, Cheshire TV, the Rev. Dr. Robert Shore-Goss discusses Eco-spirituality and the need for Green Teams in Churches.
View the complete segment on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/-rHWevN7wIY
Webinar on Climate Change
Watch a Replay of the People of Faith as Climate Messengers webinar by Dr. Katherine Hayhoe of the University of Texas, sponsored by the UCC Environmental Justice Council. Dr. Hayhoe is an evangelical Christian and environmental scientist.
News
- Time for a new perspective on the Rights of Nature- introducing a new resolution for the 2021 Synod, "Resolution on the Rights of Nature."
Related Websites
- United Church of Christ Environmental Ministries
- New England Regional Environmental Ministries
- Indigenous Environmental Network (ienearth.org)
- The Pollinator: UCC Environmental Justice Blog
- Peter Sawtelle's Eco-Justice Web site (eco-justice.org)
- 350.org and 350NH.org
- United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (un.org)
- Congress.gov: the Green New Deal Resolution (H Res 109)
- keepitintheground.org
- Environmental Protection Agency (epa.gov)
- New Hampshire Interfaith Power and Light (NHIPL.org)
- New Hampshire Saves (nhsaves.com)
- Granite State Organizing Project (granitestateorganizing.org)
- energystar.gov
- Environmental Voter Project (https://www.environmentalvoter.org/)