Effective Climate Action
A CMC Sunday School exploring how our congregation engages as a community with effective actions to the many dimensions of the climate crisis.
This Sunday school runs from Jan 15 to Apr 2. All are invited to join!
This Sunday school will draw on many people and materials as resources. A primary resource we draw on is Project Regeneration. Take time to explore this excellent resource outlining many ways that we can practically respond to the climate crisis.
Project Regeneration – Website associated with the book we’re using for this class. An excellent and extensive resource.
Drawdown – Also an excellent resource, rates and explains different climate solutions.
CMC carbon tax calculator – Use this to calculate how much you might want to contribute to CMC’s “carbon tax fund”.
Intro and Background
Jan 15: Session 1
Join for a time to hear from CMCer’s who work with climate change and give you the top items on their “What everyone should know about climate change” list. We will introduce the class, give a chance for you to ask questions and give input on what you want to hear about in this Sunday School.
Facilitators – Doug Graber Neufeld, Wayne Teel
Powerpoint from this session, with some answers to questions
– Project Regeneration
– Climate opinion maps (US opinion by county on a variety of climate questions)
– Map of average US household emissions by county
– Contributions of different countries to total emissions over time.
– Where do states get their electricity, and how has that changed over time?
– Survey of global Mennonites on creation care attitudes and practices (see bottom of that story for links to all stories)
Jan 22: Session 2
If you’ve ever felt anxiety, grief, or anger about what’s happening to our earth or guilt that you’re not doing enough, join us. It’s normal to experience “climate overwhelm” and guilt leads to paralysis or overaction and burnout. Bring paper and pen as we’ll be doing a short exercise that helps us start “talking about it” which is an important first step in helping us move beyond concluding it’s “game over.”
Over the next two weeks, read pages 6-15 and 248-255 in , Regeneration: Ending the climate crisis in one generation by Paul Hawken.
If you have limited time, here’s my suggested in order of priority:
Agency: pages 10 -11
Regeneration: page 9
Forward by Jane Goodall: pages 6 -7
How to use this book: pages – 12-13
Action + Connection: page 248-255
Reader’s reference guide: pages 15-16
Facilitator – Carolyn Yoder
Karen T. Litfin, University of Washington, Person/Planet Politics: Contemplative Pedagogies for a New Earth
Two resources from the BTS Center, in Portland, Maine, building on the legacy of the former Bangor Theological Seminary.
‘1. Lament with Earth, Five seasonal online events honoring the pain of loss through the liturgical year.
Past events are available to listen to
——
Jan 29: Session 3
This Sunday, we’ll continue looking at 7 ways to address climate overwhelm. They are:
- Connect to your real feelings about what is happening.
- Connect to a bigger story that gives purpose, meaning and vision.
- Connect to news beyond the headlines and discover what makes you come alive!
- Connect with others to act on what enlivens—and stretches you.
- Connect with the land and nature in regenerate ways.
- Connect by initiating conversations about the crisis.
- Connect with your faith in deeper ways.
Facilitator – Carolyn Yoder
Study guide for Kiss the Ground movie
Lament—crying out in grief and anguish to God, is a cathartic practice. The BTS Center in Portland, Maine, which grew out of the former Bangor Theological Seminary, holds five seasonal online event throughout the liturgical year called Lament with Earth. Click to register or access past events.
Strategic Inaction
Feb 5: Session 4
How do we move from a consumer society to a creation care society? Change the emphasis from “stuff” to restoration. This speaks to our consumer society and fast fashion. The biggest source of plastic in our environment is polyester, and the major source is clothing.
Facilitator – Brian Burkholder
In Regeneration, read:
Action and Connection, deciding what to do (248-254) Clothing (232 -236), wasting nothing (172-174).
Strategic Action: Drawing down carbon from the atmosphere and reducing emissions
Mar 19: Session 10
Facilitators – Earl Zimmerman, Doug Graber Neufeld
Tying it all together
Apr 2: Session 12
Facilitators – Panel, facilitated by Brian Martin Burkholder