Center for Earth Ethics

WEBINAR | Laudato Si, Laudate Deum: Living Pope Francis’ Prophetic Call with Karenna Gore
2024-06-05 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Join the Association of Pittsburgh Priests as they welcome CEE Founder and Executive Director Karenna Gore for a free, virtual event in which they will address Laudato Sí and Laudate Deum, Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter and Apostolic Exhortation that engage the climate and ecological crisis through the lens of Catholic social teaching. Ms. Gore will focus on the role of values, faith and spirituality in confronting the ecological crisis. Her presentation will situate today’s environmental crisis in this broad context, underlining the importance of Pope Francis’ message.

ONLINE | Our Common Planet, Our Common Future
2024-06-06 15:00 - 16:30
On Thursday, June 6, friends of the Center for Earth Ethics, Parliament of the World’s Religions, will be hosting an online event featuring CEE Director of Strategic Initiatives Andrew Schwartz and CEE Advisory Board member Jacqueline Patterson, along with The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Ph.D.. “Our Common Planet, Our Common Future” is another installment in the Parliament’s year-long series “FOCUS24 | Faith, Democracy and Our Common Future: Shaping a Path Forward.” Panelists will engage in an intersectional dialogue about how climate change and environmental injustice impact democracy and human rights. This event starts at 3 p.m. EDT (2 p.m. CT).

ONLINE | Information Session for Grassroots Dialogues Conversation Circles
2024-06-11 10:00 - 2024-06-13 19:00
UPDATE: The information session for June 11th has been postponed. We will post further updates presently.

As part of our ongoing collaboration with United Religions Initiative to facilitate global grassroots dialogues on ecosystem restoration, we will be hosting a series of information sessions to discuss our restoration guidebook. We will be hosting three information sessions: one in French, one in English and one in Spanish. These sessions are intended for communities interested in engaging with our grassroots dialogue process.

Schedule: POSTPONED: 1. 11 June – 10 a.m. EDT: Francés et inglés2. 13 June – 1 p.m. EDT: English3. 13 June – 7 p.m. EDT: Inglés y español

World Peace and Prayer Day
2024-06-18 08:00 - 2024-06-21 17:00
Established in 1996, World Peace and Prayer Day was initiated by Chief Arvol Looking Horse, a spiritual leader and keeper of the Sacred Pipe of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Sioux Nation. The gathering first brought together Indigenous Peoples of North and South America, but spread to the rest of the world.

On June 21st—the summer solstice—everyone, regardless of origin, nation, religion or belief, is encouraged to gather at sacred sites to pray: “All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer.”

There will be in-person programming centered in Pipestone, MN. Events will be live-streamed on the 19th and 20th. Speakers include CEE’s Karenna Gore, Steve Newcomb, Sikowis Nobiss, Lisa Bellanger, Morning Star Gali, Kanahus Manuel and Faith Spotted Eagle.

For a full list of events and programming, visit the event website.

Ancestors Rising: Ramapo Munsee Cultural Diplomacy Festival
2024-06-19 08:00 - 2024-06-22 17:00
On June 19th through 22nd, the Ramapo Munsee Nation will be hosting “Ancestors Rising: Ramapo Munsee Cultural Diplomacy Festival,” four days of “blessings, knowledge, peace and love.”

Programming:

June 19: Gala Dinner (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ramapo-munsee-cultural-heritage-awards-junteenth-scholarship-fundraiser-tickets-890704480077?aff=oddtdtcreator)June 20: Academic Conference (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ramapo-munsee-cultural-heritage-academic-conference-tickets-909143692257?aff=oddtdtcreator)June 21: Brook Church (Hillburn, NY) Community Blessing and Cookout ($25 on-site donation)June 22: Concert (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ramapo-munsee-world-indigenous-folk-music-festival-tickets-909121134787?aff=oddtdtcreator)

No Faith in Fossil Fuels
2024-08-01 16:00 - 18:00 | Citi Plaza, 388 Greenwich St, New York, New York, 10013, United States
Join our friends at GreenFaith, Dayenu, Earth Quaker Action Team, Third Act Faith and XR Mindful Rebels on August 1st at 4pm for “No Faith in Fossil Fuels”—a fun and inspiring day of food, song, art and meaningful spiritual practice in Citi Plaza.

This is an opportunity for faith leaders, clergy and lay, to raise their voices and tell Citibank to stop funding fossil fuels, especially liquefied natural gas projects that are ravaging communities in the Gulf South.

Faith leaders: please sign the open letter to Citibank!

Voting: A Matter of Faith—Preaching on the Importance of Voting
2024-08-08 15:00 - 16:00
To face the ecological crisis, we must work to promote healthy self-governance. Voting represents a refusal to cede power to the corporate lobbies that drive greed and environmental destruction.

Please join Interfaith Power & Light for their upcoming webinar “Voting: A Matter of Faith—Preaching on the Importance of Voting.” This free event aims to equip religious leaders of all faiths with the tools and skills to inspire their communities to express their values of justice, hope, courage and love at the ballot box.

Learn more and register: https://action.interfaithpowerandlight.org/aug8webinar

Online | Peaceful Energy for Renewing the Earth
2024-09-18 18:30 - 20:00
Join Dr. Erin Lothes, scholar in residence at the Center for Earth Ethics, for a talk about the critical importance of energy justice and transitioning to renewable, peaceful energy sources.

In this Dr. Erin Lothes will highlight the critical importance for transitioning rapidly to renewable, peaceful energy and explore energy justice. She will provide a theological framework for caring for our common home, Earth, with insights and resources from Laudato Si’ and other aspects of the Christian tradition. Dr. Lothes will share practical ways to engage communities in this great work as they call for change.

This is a program of the Tri-State Network, a coalition of congregations of women religious in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin who focus on peace, justice and spirituality. It will be offered virtually over Zoom, with in-person gatherings to watch and discuss together at Benet House Retreat Center (Rock Island, Illinois) and Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center (Hiawatha, Iowa).

Multifaith Convening & Reception
2024-09-25 17:00 - 19:00 | Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway, New York, New York, 10027, United States
Please join us for a convening that explores the role of faith and wisdom traditions in the climate movement! This interfaith gathering marks Climate Week NYC and the ten-year anniversary of the Religions for the Earth conference, which brought together more than 200 spiritual and religious leaders to examine how faith traditions can better address the climate crisis.

Leaders in the faith and climate movement will share reflections on accomplishments, challenges and what lies ahead, followed by refreshments and live music.

Global South Summit
2024-09-27 10:00 - 13:30 | Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway, New York, New York, 10027, United States
Join in room 207 at Union Theological Seminary for the Global South Summit, hosted by New Alpha Community Development Corporation and Kingdom Living Temple. The event will focus on the unique challenges and opportunities that countries in the Global South face in the fight against climate change, and will amplify voices from these regions and foster collaborative solutions.

Climate Justice Lives Here Festival
2024-09-28 14:00 - 19:00 | Pier 4 Brooklyn Army Terminal, 80 58th Street, Brooklyn, New York, 11220, United States
The Center for Earth Ethics is excited to participate in the UPROSE “Climate Justice Lives Here” community festival and march on Saturday, September 28 at Pier 4 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The festival honors frontline communities’ vital role in advancing climate justice, and marks the end of Climate Week NYC and the 10th anniversary of the historic People’s Climate March. It will feature cultural performances, poetry readings, learning circles and art activities. At 5 p.m., CEE will facilitate a conversation about faith perspectives on a just transition.

Presentation of the Thomas Berry Award to Oren Lyons, Haudenosaunee Faithkeeper
2024-10-14 16:30 - 18:30 | James Chapel, 90 Claremont Avenue, New York, New York, 10027, United States
Please join the Thomas Berry Foundation and the Center for Earth Ethics for this special ceremony to honor Oren Lyons with the Thomas Berry Award. The ceremony begins at 4:30; reception to follow. Doors open at 4 pm.

Oren Lyons is a Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation and a Chief of the Onondaga Nation Council of Chiefs of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, the Haudenosaunee.

A champion lacrosse player and celebrated artist, Chief Lyons was a founding member in 1977 of the Traditional Circle of Elders and Youth. This council of respected Indian leaders meets annually to provide an avenue for Native American culture to inform and contribute to contemporary cultural and political debate. In 1982 he helped establish the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations and participated in the Indigenous People’s Conference in Geneva, an international forum supported by the UN Human Rights Commission. Chief Lyons has continued to be a leading voice on Indigenous rights and earth ethics in national and international forums. He was a Professor of American Studies at the State University of New York-Buffalo, where he directed the Native American Studies Program and taught Native American history, and is the author of numerous publications. His dedication to the cause of Native and environmental rights has garnered him many accolades, including an honorary degree from his alma mater, Syracuse University.

This award is conferred by the Thomas Berry Foundation to individuals who exemplify the ideas of the “Great Work” in their teachings, writings, and public service. Thomas defines the “Great Work” as a “the transition from a period of human devastation of the Earth to a period when humans would be present to the planet in a mutually beneficial manner.”The Thomas Berry Award was first conferred in 1998 and has a total of 25 recipients ranging from acclaimed musicians, influential professors, spiritual leaders, and leaders of international foundations.

Climate Reality Leadership Corps Virtual US Training
2024-10-17 08:00 - 2024-10-23 17:00
The Center for Earth Ethics is excited to be a partner organization for the upcoming Climate Reality Leadership Corps Virtual US Training October 17-23! The training, free to attend, will feature live content, inspiring speakers and informed advice on climate impacts and solutions, particularly as they intersect with democracy.

Register by October 10.

Morning Coffee: Earth Ethics with Karenna Gore
2024-11-12 08:30 - 09:30
Please join Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley for a presentation from and conversation with CEE Founder and Executive Director Karenna Gore. This virtual gathering, which will include time for Q&A, is part of Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley’s “Morning Coffee” series.

Gore will explore implications for how to live—as individuals and collectives—as we navigate the moral and spiritual dimensions of the climate crisis.

Mindfulness Meditation with CEE
2024-12-04 09:00 - 09:30, 2024-12-11 09:00 - 09:30, 2024-12-18 09:00 - 09:30
Feeling stressed about politics, climate change or life in general? Join us for the third of a three-part mindfulness meditation offering led by CEE staff. Connect with your inner resourcing and ability to meet the moment with peace.

This offering takes place Wednesday December 4, 11 and 18 at 9 AM EST.

It's a Gas!: Gas Stoves and Health
2024-12-05 12:00 - 13:00
The Center for Earth Ethics is partnering with actor and climate activist Tim Guinee to host a webinar on the issue of gas stove emissions. These emissions have serious health consequences that are little known to the general public. Join us to learn about the health risks, environmental justice impacts and upcoming legislation in New York State to address the problem.

This free webinar will take place on Thursday, December 5, at noon (New York time).

"Holy Ground" Book Launch with Catherine Flowers
2025-01-28 17:30 - 19:30 | Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway, New York, New York, 10027, United States
Please join the Center for Earth Ethics for a book launch with Catherine Coleman Flowers, celebrating “Holy Ground: On Activism, Environmental Justice, and Finding Hope.” The event will take place in Burke Library Reading Room at Union Theological Seminary. Please enter at the 120th and Broadway entrance.

Catherine Coleman Flowers has dedicated her life to fighting for the most vulnerable communities—rural, poor, of color—who have been deprived of their basic right to a clean, safe and sustainable environment. A world-renowned environmental and climate justice activist, she has been a vice chair of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, a MacArthur fellow, a member of the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force on Climate Change—and a senior fellow of the Center for Earth Ethics.

Please register using the link below. Books will be available for purchase.

Plastics Pollution & Community Response
2025-03-04 17:00 - 19:00
Join us for an opportunity to learn about plastics pollution and how you can make a difference!

The Center for Earth Ethics and Beyond Plastics are collaborating for a workshop on plastics pollution and community responses. Join us to learn and explore ways to engage your communities in the fight against plastic pollution. Organizing resources will be provided.

Dinner will be available for in person attendees—please bring your own utensils and plates to decrease waste!

Rev. Kathryn Beilke is the Development Manager at Beyond Plastics, a nationwide project that pairs environmental policy experts with grassroots advocates to build a vibrant and effective movement to end plastic pollution.

Co-hosted by the Eco-Justice Caucus & Mainline Protestants Club.

This is a hybrid event:– In Person @ Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway NYC, Stewart Room– Online @ Zoom link will be emailed the week of the event

COURSE | "Urban Ecologies, Environmental Justice and Basic Life Needs"
2025-04-04 08:00 - 2025-04-05 17:00
In April 2025, CEE Founder and Executive Director Karenna Gore will co-teach a two-day course, SU 190 – “Urban Ecologies, Environmental Justice and Basic Life Needs,” at Union Theological Seminary with Michael Lewis of the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will examine environmental justice through the lens of air, water, food, shelter and community/culture. It will include an overview of the Environmental Justice movement in the United States and case studies of contemporary concerns in the New York City. We will study bioregional climate-related issues such as current and projected increases in heat, storm surge, and sea level rise. We will also look into the sources and effects of pollution and seek to understand aspects of access to healthy food, water and air. We plan to include an optional walking tour and visit with communities who are on the frontlines of these issues.

Return to Source: An Earth Day Celebration
2025-04-22 16:00 - 19:00 | James Chapel, 90 Claremont Avenue, New York, New York, 10027, United States
Join us on Tuesday, April 22 at Union Theological Seminary for an Earth Day celebration. This gathering, on the 10th anniversary of the Center for Earth Ethics, will honor and celebrate the Earth through ceremony, words, and musical and artistic offerings. We will be joined by the New York City Labor Chorus, Cetiliztli Nauhcampa Danza Mexica, Lyla June, Gavin Schmidt, Jacqui Patterson, Onondaga Women’s Singing Society, Arbert Santana Ballroom Freedom School: Ballroom Climate Justice Project, and other special guests.

Doors will open at 3:30 for a ceremonial gathering in the courtyard. All are welcome to bring something to place on an Earth altar that we will co-create. This could be a flower, leaf, stone, or an object or image that reminds you of the interrelatedness of life on Earth.

The program in James Chapel begins at 5 p.m., followed by a reception.

Please enter at 90 Claremont Avenue.

___________________________________________________________________________________________Speakers and Special Guests:Onondaga Women’s Singing SocietyThe Onondaga Women’s Singing Society plays a vital role in supporting community members of the Onondaga Nation in times of need. As a mutual aid group, they often come together to offer comfort, solidarity, and cultural strength.Dr. Gavin SchmidtDirector, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS); Faculty, Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University. Tattercoats Ned Joyner (Communications and Education Associate at CEE) and Charlotte Wager Miller play folk, roots and traditional music of the American songbook. Arbert Santana Ballroom Freedom School: Ballroom Climate Justice ProjectA collaboration with the Clean Energy Leadership Institute. Michael Roberson, Rev. Ken Alston, Jr, Kadavion Taylor.Jacqueline PattersonFounder and Executive Director of the Chisholm Legacy Project: A Resource Hub for Black Frontline Climate Justice Leadership. Former Senior Director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program.New York City Labor ChorusThe New York City Labor Chorus brings labor’s message, sharing the importance of unions in the struggle for social, economic and environmental justice and encouraging solidarity among working people everywhere. Music Director, Jana Ballard; Accompanist, Dennis A. Nelson. Dr. Lyla June JohnstonMusician, Native foods researcher and internationally recognized performance poet of Diné (Navajo) and Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) lineages.Cetiliztli Nauhcampa Danza MexicaHonoring Mother Earth through ceremonial dances and prayers, an Indigenous practice originating from the Mexica (me-shi-ka) people of Central Mexico.

Freedom to Be: Report on Dialogues About Freedom of Religion or Belief and Indigenous Peoples
2025-04-29 12:30 - 13:45
We’re thrilled to invite you to the release of our new report, “Freedom to Be: Dialogues on Freedom of Religion or Belief for Indigenous Peoples,” on Tuesday, April 29!This report highlights key findings from CEE’s “Freedom to Be” dialogue series that brought together Indigenous leaders from around the world to discuss Indigenous spiritual practices and land conservation, legacies of discrimination against Indigenous Peoples, and the threat of modern development models on Indigenous lifeways.

At the launch, an official side event for the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, you’ll hear from:– Dr. Albert Barume, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples– Dr. Nazila Ghanea, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief– Carson Kiburo, Executive Director of the Jamii Asilia Centre in Kenya– Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, former Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief

Samira Siddique, director of strategic initiatives at CEE, will summarize the report, and Roberto Múkaro Borrero, CEE strategic advisor, will moderate. CEE Executive Director Karenna Gore will introduce and close the program.

Dr. Albert Barume; Kasike Roberto Múkaro Borrero; Dr. Nazila Ghanea

Karenna Gore; Carson Kiburo; Dr Ahmed Shaheed

Samira Siddique

Ecological Costs of War
2025-05-14 10:00 - 11:30
On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at 10 a.m. EDT, join the Center for Earth Ethics for a 90-minute webinar on the ecological costs of war. In partnership with the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS), the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, and the Diocese of San Diego, this program will bring together four experts to discuss the ecological dimensions of the devastation and suffering caused by war. The panelists will explore global questions surrounding ecocide, earth ethics and military policy, as well as regional examples of environmental reconstruction after war.

Panelists include Doug Weir (Director of CEOBS), Dr. Christina Bagaglio Slentz (Associate Director of Creation Care Office for Life, Peace, and Justice for the Diocese of San Diego), Dr. Olena Melnyk (Research Associate at Bern University of Applied Sciences), and Elaine Donderer (Project Manager at the Arava Institute). Samira Siddique (CEE Director of Strategic Initiatives) will moderate the conversation. CEE Founder and Executive Director Karenna Gore will introduce and close the program.

Elaine Donderer is a professional consultant and project manager in the disaster risk reduction and nature-based solution space. Committed to creating transboundary environmental collaboration amidst political fragility, she envisions hazards as gateways to innovation, conceptualizing ecological challenges as transformative opportunities for more integrated natural system dynamics. Her experience spans research, consulting and project management across sustainable design, hydrology and humanitarian action. Having recently completed her Master’s in Disaster Management at Tel Aviv University, the Columbia exchange and Maastricht University alumna has held numerous scholarships in earth sciences.

Karenna Gore is the founder and executive director of the Center for Earth Ethics and visiting professor of practice of earth ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Karenna formed CEE in 2015 to address the moral and spiritual dimensions of the climate crisis. Working at the intersection of faith, ethics, and ecology, she guides the Center’s public programs, educational initiatives, and movement-building. She also is an ex officio faculty member of Columbia University’s Earth Institute.

Dr. Olena Melnyk is an associate researcher at Bern University of Applied Sciences (Switzerland), honorary professor at the Royal Agricultural University (UK), and associate professor at Sumy National Agrarian University (Ukraine). Her research focuses on environmental impact assessments of wartime activities in Ukraine, soil remediation following mine clearance, climate policy, renewable energy sources, environmental safety criteria, sustainable resource management and post-war sustainable development. Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, her projects addressing environmental and conflict-related issues have garnered about 700,000 euros in support from governments in the UK and Switzerland, as well as from philanthropic organizations and industry partners.

Samira Siddique is the director of strategic initiatives at the Center for Earth Ethics. She has extensive research and advocacy experience on global climate change justice, including the humanitarian politics of climate adaptation in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. Previously, Samira was a Mellon Foundation Fellow in Climate and Inequality at the Climate Museum. She has also been a visiting scholar at the New School’s Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility and the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Bangladesh. For her research and advocacy work, she was awarded a Public Voices Fellowship with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the Op-Ed Project, and a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship.

Dr. Christina Slentz joined the Diocese of San Diego in July 2022 as the first full-time employee dedicated to directing the ministry of creation care. She brings with her leadership experience from her service in the United States Navy, as well as an academic background on the social impact of environmental degradation. In the spirit of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical, Christina seeks to bring the issues of environmental degradation and the dire need for good stewardship to light, unpacking dynamics of injustice and systemic forces that drive our estrangement from God, nature and one another, degrading our communal gift of creation.

Doug Weir has undertaken research and advocacy on the polluting legacy of armed conflicts and military activities since 2005. After working on conflict pollution and the toxic remnants of war for many years, in 2018, he established the non-profit Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS) to monitor and raise awareness of the environmental and derived humanitarian consequences of conflicts. He has contributed to a wide range of domestic, regional, and international initiatives on conflict and the environment, and CEOBS’ current research focus is on Sudan and Ukraine

Advocacy Speaker Sail Aboard the Clearwater | "The Rights of Nature: Reimagining Our Relationship with the Earth"
2025-05-31 10:30 - 13:30
Join CEE Founder and Executive Director Karenna Gore on the Sloop Clearwater to explore a growing paradigm shift in how we view the natural world. The idea behind the Rights of Nature is simple but powerful: instead of treating nature only as property, we recognize natural entities—like rivers, forests, and mountains—as being alive, and having agency and rights. In this talk, Karenna will speak to the history of this novel legal strategy, and explore what it could mean for the future of environmental protection. The talk is a practical introduction to a growing global movement that’s reshaping how we think about law, ethics and our place in the natural world.

This sail is pay-what-you-can—registration is required. Please plan to arrive at the Dyckman Marina 30 minutes prior to the start of the sail for boarding. All guests should dress for the weather in layers and with sturdy shoes and are recommended to bring sunscreen, a hat, a full reusable water bottle, and any snacks you may need.

"Spirit of Place": A Hudson Valley Climate Training
2025-06-13 14:00 - 2025-06-14 20:00 | The Ashokan Center, 477 Beaverkill Rd, Olivebridge, New York, 12461, United States
The Center for Earth Ethics is thrilled to bring our faith, spirituality and climate training to the Hudson Valley this June. The Center has hosted Faith and Climate trainings since 2016. When both nature and society face many threats, community, spiritual connection, and bioregional knowledge are indispensable. This convening is a vital opportunity to come together, learn from leaders and one another, and renew our commitment to the challenging work ahead.

This training, designed for leaders and active members of all faiths and traditions, will support participants in responding to the climate crisis, with a focus on ecology and biocultural heritage of the Hudson Valley. The program will address climate science and policy, bioregionalism, local watershed and foodshed issues, and environmental justice initiatives. We will share skills to offer spiritual support and pastoral care, co-create ritual and ceremony, communicate science through an ethical lens, and learn from the land and water. The program will run from Friday afternoon through Saturday evening with an optional stay through Sunday morning.

The training will be held at The Ashokan Center, New York State’s oldest environmental education center. Adjacent to the Ashokan Reservoir in the Catskills foothills, The Ashokan Center hosts cultural, educational and community programming in its historic buildings powered by 100% renewable energy. Our program will integrate the outdoor classroom, forest and stream of this special site. Miles of hiking trails, kayaks, and a wood-heated sauna are available to participants, alongside a fully vegetarian, high-quality menu. Participants may stay onsite or commute from home. Learn more about the Center’s facilities.

Although preference will be given to people connected to faith and spiritual communities in the Hudson Valley, the training is open to all who feel called to apply.By application; apply at the link below.In person only; onsite lodging available. Please contact us at info@centerforearthethics.orgwith any questions. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Faith For Climate, Brasilia
2025-08-13 17:00 - 19:00
CEE is honored that Executive Director Karenna Gore will be a participant at the “Memorial of Indigenous People” event on Wednesday, August 13 at 5 pm in Brasilia. This spiritual and ethical gathering—a call for climate justice, global ethics and hope in defense of all forms of life—is part of Brazil’s journey toward COP30 later this year.

Taking place ahead of the Global Ethical Stocktake, the forum will feature over 100 Indigenous, Afro-Brazilian, interfaith and youth leaders, in addition to:

Marina Silva – Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Brazil

Karenna Gore – Executive Director, Center for Earth Ethics (CEE)

Ana Toni – Executive Director of COP30

Guilherme Syrkis – Centro Brasil no Clima

Moema Salgado – ISER

Sérgio Xavier – Fórum Brasileiro de Mudança do Clima; COP30 Envoy

Sônia Guajajara – Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Brazil

Co-sponsors include Centro Brasil No Clima, Memorial Dos Povos Indígenas, Forum Brasileiro De Mudanca Do Clima, Secretaria de Cultura e Economía Criativa, ISER, The Climate Reality Project, Fé no Clima and the Center for Earth Ethics.

Katrina 20: Faith, Climate & Justice | A Moral Witness Dialogue
2025-08-28 14:45 - 17:00 | TEP Interpretive Center, 5909 St Claude Ave, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70117, United States
On August 28, 2025 at 2:45 PM, join GreenFaith USA and the Center for Earth Ethics in New Orleans for Katrina 20: Faith, Climate & Justice, an interfaith gathering marking the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Part of the UNFCCC and Brazilian government’s Global Ethical Stocktake leading up to COP30, this free public event will explore the moral and spiritual dimensions of the climate crisis through the lived experiences of Gulf South communities.

Co-moderated by Karenna Gore of the Center for Earth Ethics and Jacqui Patterson of the Chisholm Legacy Project with opening and closing reflections from a special nationally recognized guest, the panel will feature faith and frontline leaders who have spent the past two decades rebuilding, resisting environmental racism, and envisioning a just future.

Participants include:

Bette Billiot – Community Organizer, Leadership Team Member for LA Liberation & Sovereignty Collective, Co-Director of Bayou Youth Leadership Project

Toi Carter – Louisiana Just Recovery Network Executive Director, MS Gulf Coast Katrina Survivor

Dr. Angela Chalk – Founder and Executive Director of Healthy Community Services

Reverend Tyrone Edwards – Plaquemines Parish Councilman, Former Member of Black Panther Party, Voting Rights and Climate Organizer Activist, Zion Travelers Cooperative Center Founder

Scott Eustis – Community Science Director, Healthy Gulf

Anthony Giancatarino – Taproot Earth Co-Director/Strategy Partner

Chenier “Klie” Kliebert – Imagine Water Works Founding Director; Creole Indigenous Climate Leader

Ms. Sharon Lavigne – Executive Director and Founder of Rise St. James

Gregory N. Swafford – Healthy Gulf Southeast Louisiana Organizer; Katrina Class of St. Augustine, Founding Director of Culture of Cleanliness

Darrilyn Turner – Zion Travelers Cooperative Center Executive Director

Music performances by local jazz musicians will open the dialogue, and MS Poet and director of the Cosmic Poetry Sanctuary Artis Burney will draw the event to a close.

Local food will be provided by Sweet Anoni’s catering.

COURSE | SU 190: Climate Ethics (Online)
2025-09-16 18:45 - 2025-10-14 21:15
ONLINE9/16, 30 & 10/7, 14 Tuesdays (6:45-9:15pm EST) Instructor: Karenna GoreCost: $150

Climate Ethics is a framework for examining the moral issues that have arisen within the global climate crisis, and the implications for what to do about it. It includes framing questions such as: how do we respond to the reality that communities hurt first and most intensely by the crisis are generally those least responsible for causing it?; what are our responsibilities to future generations?; what values shape our relationships with other-than-human species and the elements of nature?; what are the threats and opportunities of proposed technological solutions?; what are the laws and social norms that undergird the status quo?; how can we create positive change? The course will provide basic literacy in climate science and case studies of impacts, but it focuses on an understanding of the drivers of human behavior that are shaping our shared biosphere. Recognizing that the climate crisis is about more than data, science, and technology (as important as they are), Climate Ethics explores how to draw from values, culture and spirituality to heal and protect the life-support system of the Earth.

BIPOC Climate Justice Summit
2025-09-21 09:30 - 16:00
On Sunday, September 21, the Center for Earth Ethics is co-sponsoring the 5th annual BIPOC Climate Justice Summit: Power Shift, an all-day public event launching NYC Climate Week at Columbia University. This year’s summit convenes frontline communities, organizers, researchers, funders and public servants to build collective power and advance transformative climate justice.

This summit aims to catalyze global collaboration to drive progress on climate justice, particularly across the following themes:

The Power Shift | Elevating frontline leadership, movement diplomacy and community mandates in the lead-up to COP30 and beyond.

The Knowledge Shift | Confronting extractive systems of science, law and philanthropy while uplifting collective wisdom and decolonized knowledge.

The Policy Shift | Exploring how local and federal governments can redistribute power through participatory governance and justice-centered decision making.

The System Shift | Grounding climate justice in reparations, mutual aid, land back and regenerative practices led by BIPOC communities.

Mutual Aid as Strategy | Highlighting mutual aid not as charity, but as a foundational, reparative practice and organizing model for a just climate future.

Through dynamic panels, interactive booths and creative activations, this gathering aims to ignite alignment across sectors and build momentum for the shifts needed to deliver climate justice. The summit is led by the HBCU Green Fund, Donors of Color Network and ACE Observatory, with Columbia University as host partner.
