Center for Earth Ethics

Online | Rights of Nature – From Anthropocentrism to Ecocentrism
2024-03-12 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
In this webinar organized by Riverkeeper, CEE Executive Director Karenna Gore, a Riverkeeper board member, will be joined by Thomas Linzey of the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights and Riverkeeper Advisory Board Member Steven “Owl” Smith of the Ramapo Munsee Nation to discuss the movement for the “Rights of Nature.” This movement is focused on securing legal standing for natural entities such as rivers, forests, and whole ecosystems in a way that provides a necessary counterbalance to the legal doctrine of corporate personhood.

Book Launch | "Gu'ahia Taíno: We Speak Taíno"
2024-02-29 18:15 - 20:00 | Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway, New York, New York, 10027, United States
Join CEE as we celebrate the publication of “Gu’ahia Taíno: We Speak Taíno” by human rights advocate, consultant, cultural adviser, writer, and artist Roberto Múkaro Agueibaná Borrero. Compiled in collaboration with the United Confederation of Taíno People’s Taíno Language Committee, Borrero’s classical Taíno dictionary and grammar guide contributes to the important work of Indigenous language preservation.

The launch will be held in Room AD30 at Union Theological Seminary, Broadway at 121st Street, in New York City.

This event is free and open to the public, but guests are encouraged to R.S.V.P. via the link below.

Copies of the dictionary will be available for sale.

Online | Values, Culture, Spirituality and Ecosystem Restoration
2024-02-15 11:00 - 12:00
In support of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and global restoration efforts, the Center for Earth Ethics has hosted a series of high-level interventions and community-based dialogues. These events showcase the importance of incorporating values, culture and spirituality (VCS) in anchoring and achieving ecosystem restoration. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has helped galvanize broad engagement in protecting, conserving and restoring the natural world. Its Flagship Initiatives have brought visibility and crucial support to major restoration projects.

This webinar will feature members of the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration Advisory Board and delve into the multifaceted nature of restoration, emphasizing that it extends beyond the hectares restored. Crucially, it involves repairing the relationship between people and the land, water and air essential for life. The session will also examine methods for meaningfully engaging a community and the role of values, culture and spirituality in ensuring the success of restoration projects.

Brigid's Day | Global Pause for Peace
2024-02-01 12:00 - 12:30
Solas Bhride Centre for Spirituality and the Brigidine Sisters in Kildare, Ireland home to Brigid’s perpetual flame, call people from around the world to join in a global Pause for Peace on St. Brigid’s Feast Day, Thursday, February 1, 2024. The Pause for Peace movement invites people for one minute of silence and reflection at noon at your local time.

“This new Pause for Peace movement is a unique event which breaks new ground in recognising the cultural and historical importance of St. Brigid beyond boundaries and aims to form a spirit of solidarity and peace in societies all over the globe.” President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, February 2023

It is part of Lá Fhéile Bhríde, the celebration of Bride’s Day or Brigid’s Day which is an annual week long event centered in the town where Brigid, patroness of Ireland built her monastery and where the flame of Brigid was lit for over 1000 years before the monasteries were closed. The Flame was rekindled in 1993 where it continues to burn at Solas Bhride under the care of the Sisters. Kildare is English for Cille Dara (The Church of the Oak) so named for Brigid’s original church. 2024 marks the second year Brigid as Saint and pre-Christian Goddess will be celebrated with a national holiday as well as the 1500th anniversary of the Saint’s passing.

This global Pause for Peace movement was launched jointly by Solas Bhride Centre and Into Kildare – Kildare Tourism Board, at Solas Bhride Centre in Kildare, Ireland, on January 12, 2023.

Conference | The Religious Origins of White Supremacy: Doctrine of Christian Discovery
2023-12-08 08:00 - 2023-12-10 17:00 | Syracuse University, 900 S Crouse Ave, Syracuse, New York, 13244, United States
In the 1823 US Supreme Court decision, Johnson v M’Intosh, Chief Justice John Marshall wrote,”…discovery gave title to government…[and] the sole right of acquiring the soil from the natives.” This decision underpins US property law. Marshall’s deliberate use of the word “discovery” is an intentional reference to 15th-century Catholic papal bulls, which stated that any Christian who “discovers” a land populated by non-Christians has superior title, or rights of ownership, over that land. In essence, Johnson codifies into US law the principle of Euro-Christian domination over Indigenous peoples. In the most devastating sense, the Doctrine of Christian Discovery (DoCD) legitimized exploitation, extraction, and enslavement globally and enshrined these practices as the basis of U.S. property law still cited today as recently as 2005 (in Sherrill v. Oneida) and 2020 (McGirt v. Oklahoma).

In Johnson’s 200th year, there is an urgent need for global recognition of the decision’s implications as reifying the DoCD and its exploitation of Indigenous peoples and their connection to land, regarded as a living being (Mother Earth in English.) This conference builds on the history of collaboration at Syracuse University with Indigenous communities across Central New York by expanding dissemination of the pernicious ideologies of DoCD and Johnson, leading to further repudiation of these ideologies and towards healing and repair.

Online | Freedom to Be: Perspectives on the 2022 UN Report on Indigenous Peoples and the Concept of Freedom of Religion or Belief
2023-12-06 15:00 - 16:30
RSVP

On Wednesday, December 6 at 3 p.m. EST, join the Center for Earth Ethics for Freedom to Be, a conversation about the intersection of Indigenous issues, the concept of freedom of religion or belief, and the climate crisis. This virtual discussion will feature Indigenous voices who will explore how international Indigenous communities are affected by the same extractionist industries, domination mindset, and land removal policies that drive climate change.
Confirmed speakers include Pavel Sulyandziga of the Udege people in Russia, Laulani Teale of the Kanaka Maoli people in Hawai’i, and Åsa Larsson Blind of the Sámi Peoples in Sweden. Roberto Múkaro Borrero, strategic advisor to CEE, will moderate. CEE Executive Director Karenna Gore will introduce and close the program.
The conversation will investigate how Indigenous spirituality’s intrinsic connection to the environment and earth can support an ecologically balanced future.
This conversation is another in a series of CEE events that build off the 2022 report on Indigenous communities by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Confirmed Speakers:

Åsa Larsson Blind is vice-president of the Sámi Council, of which she has been a member since 2008, having served as president from 2017 to 2019. She was the first woman to chair the National Sámi Association in Sweden, serving from 2019 to 2021. Between 2011 and 2015, she represented the Sámi Council at the Indigenous Peoples’ Secretariat, while also serving as the Head of Department for the Sámi Council at Senior Arctic Officials (SAO) council meetings. She has been active in several Sámi organizations in Sweden, including the National Sámi Association (2007-2011), the Sámi Educational Center in Jokkmokk (2007-2009), and Sáminuorra, the Sámi youth organization (2002-2007). Larsson Blind was born and raised in a reindeer herding family and holds a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management and Development from the University of Umeå.

Pavel Sulyandziga is the founder and president of the Batani Foundation, an Indigenous rights organization representing the Indigenous peoples of the Russian Far East. In the late 1980s, he became a leader of the Udege people. Between 2001 and 2010 he served as the first vice-president of the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON). Between 2005 and 2010 he performed duties as a member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and was a member of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights between 2011 and 2017. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Laulani Teale is the coordinator of Hoʻopae Peace Project. She is an Indigenous Kanaka Maoli peacemaker, activist, musician, teacher, artist and writer. She is culturally trained in laʻau lapaʻau (traditional herbalism) and hoʻoponopono (traditional peacemaking), specializing in Indigenous health issues related to activism and colonization. She has been a front-line activist in major Kanaka struggles and serves the Kanaka movement in many capacities. She is a cultural bard and haku mele (songwriter), training under Liko Martin, a master bard and long-time force in the Hawai’ian movement. She is a spiritual practitioner involved in the hands-on restoration and protection of sacred places and waters, as well as a minister and birth worker, protecting and reviving religious practices of birth, death, healing, aloha ‘āina (love for the land) and sovereignty. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Hawaiʻi School of Public Health.

Roberto Múkaro Borrero is a long-time advocate for the rights of Indigenous Peoples, a chief of the Guainía Taíno Tribe, president of the United Confederation of Taíno People, and a special advisor for the Center for Earth Ethics. He has a distinguished and diverse background in policy and program development, and human rights advocacy, including a specialization on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. He has more than 25 years of experience actively engaging the United Nations system in thematic areas such as sustainable development, climate change, the Information Society and the Organization of American States. He served on the staff of the International Indian Treaty Council and the American Museum of Natural History and was a consultant for UNESCO, UNDP, UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and PBS. A published writer, an accomplished artist and musician, he is a member of the Taíno Tribal Nation, an Indigenous people whose traditional homelands extend through the Greater and Lesser Antilles to the southern tip of Florida. In 2012, he was traditionally sanctioned a kasike (chief) of the Guainía Taínotribal community. He has an educational background in communications and cultural studies. In 2013, Borrero was awarded an honorary doctorate in humanities from Kayiwa International University, Kampala, Uganda.

Karenna Gore is the founder and executive director of the Center for 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. She is a visiting professor of practice of earth ethics at Union Theological Seminary, an ex officio faculty member of Columbia University’s Earth Institute, and an expert in the United Nations’ Harmony with Nature Knowledge Network. She serves on the boards of the Association to Benefit Children, Pando Populus, the Sweetwater Cultural Center and Riverkeeper.

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Online | An Urgent Call to Protect the Amazon: A Livestream Premiere Ahead of COP28
2023-11-17 12:00 - 13:30
At the 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions (PoWR), The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative brought Indigenous leaders from the Amazon across the world to share an urgent plea to protect the Amazon Rainforest. This assembly featured keynotes from some of the most prominent Indigenous leaders of the Amazon sharing the urgent call to protect the forest and the traditional knowledge of Indigenous peoples, as well as highlighting the vital role of multilateral interfaith action to support the critical and often dangerous work of the leaders of the Amazon. For the first time, PoWR is releasing this incredible event online for you to watch!

As we prepare for COP28, the UN Climate Change conference taking place this December, we hope this plea reaches all of those gathered in Dubai who hold the fate of our planet in their hands. We urge our global leaders to hear this call to action and take concrete steps to protect the Amazon and its guardians.

Launch | DEW Lab Climate Stories Project
2023-11-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Horace Mann Hall, 525 West 120th Street, New York, New York, 10027, United States
Have you noticed any environmental changes in your backyard, neighborhood, community or country? The Development, Environment, & Wellness Lab at Teachers College would like to hear your story about how climate events have affected you and those around you.

Join DEW Lab on Wednesday, November 17 at 7 p.m., join for the launch of the Climate Stories Project. Karenna Gore, founder and executive director of the Center for Earth Ethics and visiting professor at Union Theological Seminary, will deliver remarks.

The launch will take place in 150 Horace Mann Hall. Refreshments will be served.

Online | A Transformed Food System: Unearthing Regenerative Values
2023-11-15 11:00 - 12:00
To support ongoing conversations around food systems and the upcoming COP28, this session will address what is needed to transform our food systems to meet the goals of Zero Hunger and One Health. This panel will explore the values needed to support food systems transformations, and discuss examples of what is working and what is not. How can we directly address greenwashing so that we can deploy meaningful solutions at all levels of the supply chain?
A realignment of values that puts the needs of people and the health of the planet first is key to food systems transformation. To do that, we’ll need to adjust the values that currently shape how food is cultivated and distributed. Please join us for this important conversation as we prepare for COP28 and beyond.
Scheduled Speakers
Steve Chiu – Representative to the United Nations, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation
Lucy Wallace – Chief of Staff, EIT Food
Bibi la Luz Gonzalez – Founder and Director, Eat Better Wa’ik
Marta Guglielmetti – Managing Director, NOW Partners
Dr. Susan Chomba – Director of Vital Landscapes, WRI Africa
Andrew Schwartz – Center for Earth Ethics (moderator)

Fair | Global Mission Fair - Episcopal Diocese of New York
2023-10-14 09:00 - 16:00 | Trinity Commons, 76 Trinity Place, New York, New York, 10006, United States
The Global Mission Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of New York presents the 7th Global Mission Fair on Saturday, October 14, 2028. The theme is “Harmony Unveiled: Exploring the Ecological Soul of Global Mission.” Karenna Gore, founder and executive director of the Center for Earth Ethics, will present the keynote address.

Conference | Global South Summit
2023-09-22 10:00 - 12:00 | James Chapel, 90 Claremont Avenue, New York, New York, 10027, United States
James Chapel | Union Theological SeminaryEnter at Broadway & 121st Street The Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary welcomes New Alpha Community Development Center to host their Global South Summit. As this historic Climate Week draws to a close, we invite all to join us to hear these phenomenal voices on this essential topic. The summit highlights how some of the major polluters in the southern United States are the same corporations that pollute in developing countries around the world and presents solutions for communities to respond with resilience. Speakers include: Mustafa Santiago Ali • Dr. Florence Anoruo • Rashad Cade • Alex Easdale • Karenna Gore • Rev. Fletcher Harper • Alyssa Ng • Jacqueline Patterson • Patrick Richardson • Mikhiela Sherrod • Pastor Esther Wiggins • Rev. Leo Woodberry No Registration Required.

Online | Visions2030 Conversation
2023-09-20 16:00 - 17:00, 2023-09-15 16:00 - 17:00
In collaboration with Visions2030, a California-based ecosystem of diverse individuals committed to shaping the future through imagination, the Center for Earth Ethics is proud to host a deep dive into the concept of earth ethics. This online conversation is part of Visions2030 Earth Edition Festival.

Details, including registration information, to come.

Discussion | Hearing Nature’s Voice: Perspectives from Law, Ethics, Business and Science
2023-09-18 18:00 - 19:00 | James Chapel, 90 Claremont Avenue, New York, New York, 10027, United States
How can the world transition from anthropocentrism to ecocentrism? Join us on Monday, September 18 at 6 p.m. for “Hearing Nature’s Voice,” a discussion of why humans must shift away from their extractive and destructive dispositions towards nature.

Using modalities such as rights of nature, rights of future generations, earth ethics and nature-based governance, the conversation will explore how to help facilitate this transition so that we can combat climate change, biodiversity loss, and other forms of massive environmental degradation, as well as the human rights violations that go with them.

Panelists scheduled to speak include Natalia Greene (Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature), Nathan Lujan (Royal Ontario Museum and the University of Toronto), Gopal Patel (Center for Earth Ethics), Alexandra Pimor (Earth Law Center), and SD Smith (advisor to Ramapough Munsee Nation). CEE Executive Director Karenna Gore and Earth Law Center Executive Director Grant Wilson will introduce and moderate the program.

This event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.

Action | The March to End Fossil Fuels
2023-09-17 13:00 - 16:00
56th Street and Broadway, New York City

On Sunday, September 17, CEE is proud to join the thousands who will take to the streets of Manhattan to demand that world leaders take bold action to end our dependence on fossil fuels. The march will lift up calls for the UN Climate Ambition Summit, which is meeting in New York on September 20, to commit to concrete steps to protect all people and our planet.

People will start to gather at 12 p.m. The march starts at 1 p.m. and ends around 4:30 p.m. (The best way to join the march is to take the subway to Columbus Circle, then walk south along Broadway to 56th Street.)

Ceremony | Invocation of Spirit -- March to End Fossil Fuels
2023-09-17 11:00 - 12:00
Broadway and 53rd Street (east side of Broadway), New York City

On Sunday, September 17, CEE is proud to join the thousands who will take to the streets of Manhattan to demand that world leaders take bold action to end our dependence on fossil fuels. The march will lift up calls for the UN Climate Ambition Summit, which is meeting in New York on September 20, to commit to concrete steps to protect all people and our planet.

People of all ages and traditions are invited to gather at 11 a.m. for a multi-faith “Invocation of Spirit” before the march begins. The ceremony will be held on the East side of Broadway at 53rd Street.

Navigating Flood Disasters and Housing Justice: A Preparedness Forum for NYC Religious and Community Leaders
2023-09-13 09:00 - 14:30 | Salvation Army, 120 West 14th Street, New York, 10011, United States
In collaboration with the Faith Sector Community Preparedness Program and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene – Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response, NYDIS hosts training summits for New York City religious leaders. The summits, which feature presentations and interactive discussions, will increase knowledge on disaster preparedness and crisis leadership, while connecting NYC clergy to preparedness tools, resources, and partnerships.

This Fall 2023 summit is held in partnership with NYC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NYC VOAD) and the NYC Mayor’s Office for Faith-based and Community Partnerships. The summit (full day, in person) aims to engage New York City faith and community leaders around building equitable and sustainable flood disaster community services, with a special focus on understanding the links between disasters and displacement in the city.

Conference | Parliament of the World's Religions
2023-08-14 08:00 - 2023-08-18 17:00 | McCormick Place Lakeside Center, (2301 S King Dr,, Chicago, Illinois, 60616, United States
In August of 2023, the Parliament of the World’s Religions returns to the birthplace of the modern interfaith movement after 30 years away to celebrate 130 years of history in the city of Chicago. Parliament Convenings attract participants from more than 200 diverse religious, indigenous, and secular beliefs and more than 80 nations.

2023 Waterfall Unity Festival
2023-07-28 08:00 - 2023-07-30 17:00 | Waterfall Unity Alliance, 1160 Bear Ladder Road, West Fulton, New York, 12194, United States
The Waterfall Unity Alliance invites you to join them at the 2023 Waterfall Unity Festival, a benefit concert and celebration. From July 28th-30th, the Alliance will be celebrating, honoring and giving gratitude for the growth of our vision. Join us as we honor the Kanien’kehá:ka rematriation and return to ancestral homelands.
CEE will host a discussion on Sunday, July 30th at 11am. Join us to discuss traditional ecological knowledge and ways of knowing.

Online | Global Reflections on Faith and Food Systems: Power of Faith Communities in Equitable, Resilient and Sustainable Food System Transformation
2023-07-25 12:00 - 13:00
“Global Reflections on Faith and Food systems: A Progress Review on the UN Food Systems Summit” will bring together the leaders and representatives of faith-based organizations, interfaith groups and key decision-makers within the UN system. This briefing is part of the Faith + Food Coalition work leading up to the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment in Rome in July.

This conversation is the last in a three-part progress review on the United Nations Food Systems Summit that the Faith + Food Coalition is organizing this summer.

Online | Global Reflections on Faith and Food Systems: Grassroots and Local Voices Leading the Change
2023-07-13 08:00 - 09:30
“Global Reflections on Faith and Food systems: A Progress Review on the UN Food Systems Summit” will bring together the leaders and representatives of faith-based organizations, interfaith groups and key decision-makers within the UN system. This briefing is part of the Faith + Food Coalition work leading up to leading up to the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment in Rome in July.

This conversation is the second in a three-part progress review on the United Nations Food Systems Summit that the Faith + Food Coalition is organizing this summer.

Online | Global Reflections on Faith and Food Systems: Policymakers and International Leaders Sharing Insights
2023-06-26 11:00 - 12:30
On Monday, June 26, at 11 a.m. (New York time), the Faith + Food Coalition will host the first of three online briefings addressing food systems transformation and global food security. This is the first of three planned briefings leading up to the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment in Rome in July.

Confirmed speakers include Iyad Abu Moghli (UNEP Faith for Earth), Laura De Matteis (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN), Lina Mahy (World Health Organization), Oliver Oliveros (Agroecology Coalition), and Rukshana Nanayakkara (International Land Coalition/IFAD). CEE Senior Advisor Gopal Patel will moderate.

The series, “Global Reflections on Faith and Food Systems: A Progress Review on the UN Food Systems Summit,” will bring together the leaders and representatives of faith-based organizations, interfaith groups and key decision-makers within the UN system.

Training | Resilience and Resolve: A Climate Justice Training for New York City Faith Communities
2023-06-09 09:00 - 18:00 | Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway, New York, New York, 10027, United States
On Friday, June 9, 2023, the Center for Earth Ethics will host a one-day training at Union Theological Seminary to support faith leaders engaging with their communities in the context of the climate crisis.

Confirmed speakers on the program include Rev. Dr. Timothy Adkins-Jones, Roberto Múkaro Borrero, Dr. Christian Braneon, Amy Chester, Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Al Gore, Dr. Wendy Greenspun, Kizzy Charles-Guzmán, Dr. Ife Kilimanjaro, Rev. Gil Monrose, Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis.

The training will address three key focus areas: practical action, spiritual support and ethical communication.

Practical action sessions will focus on disaster preparedness and resilience efforts.

Spiritual support sessions will focus on those aspects of leadership that some faith traditions categorize as “pastoral care,” with attention to the ways in which many people process this crisis through the lens of their faith traditions.

Ethical communication sessions will engage the prophetic – or truth-telling – aspects of faith traditions, including the exploration of sacred texts and teachings, storytelling and application of moral reasoning.

The training will provide opportunities for people to share and learn about practical plans and resources, build networks of care and support, hone insights, generate ideas, and organize our communities for action.

The application period for Resilience and Resolve has closed.

Action | Biden, #StopMVP Now!
2023-06-08 14:00 - 16:00
President Biden faced fierce opposition when he approved the Willow oil drilling project. If he does it again with the Mountain Valley Pipeline, the response will be even greater. Join People vs. Fossil Fuels in front of the White House to demand Biden stop the MVP.

Conference | The Right to a Healthy Environment: Looking Ahead
2023-06-06 09:30 - 12:00 | Episcopal Church Center, 815 Second Avenue, New York, New York, United States
A Program in Observance of World Environment Day A Pre-Parliament Event of the August 2023 Convening of The Parliament of the World’s Religions

The Right to a Healthy Environment was approved overwhelmingly as a basic human right by the UN General Assembly in July 2023, the first recognition of a new basic human right since The Right to Water and Sanitation in 2010. This was a historic step forward for human rights and protection of the environment, and faith-based organizations played a significant role in the campaign for this recognition. The Right to a Healthy Environment is included in the constitutions of over 100 countries but is far from realization. What role can the world’s religious communities play going forward to fully manifest the right to a healthy environment – in the urgent “triple crisis” of the climate emergency, pollution and loss of biodiversity? The recognition of a new basic human right is especially notable as this year we will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Speakers include Daniel Magraw (President Emeritus, Center for International Environmental Law, and Senior Fellow, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies), the Rev. Melanie Mullen (Director of Reconciliation, Justice and Creation Care, The Episcopal Church), Geoffrey Roth (Lakota; Member, United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues), David Hales (Chair of Climate Action and Trustee, Parliament of the World’s Religions) and The Ven. Doyeon Park (Co-Chair, Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN; President, Buddhist Council of New York; Representative of Won Buddhism to the United Nations).

Co-sponsored by the Center for Earth Ethics, the Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN, The Episcopal Church, NGO Committee on Human Rights, and the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Conference | Clinical Climate Change 2023: Clinical Care for Workers in the Climate Crisis
2023-06-06 08:30 - 17:00
This fifth Clinical Climate Change conference, organized by the Institute for Exposomic Research of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, will explore the intersection of climate change and health. This hybrid conference, which will be held at Mount Sinai and online, is aimed at a broad audience of allied health professionals and researchers seeking to understand the impacts of climate change on human health and improve patient outcomes.

Action | Climate, Jobs, and Justice Day of Action
2023-05-25 10:00 - 15:00
Join one of eight mobilizations taking place across New York State for climate, jobs, and justice. Almost four years after the passage of New York’s landmark Climate Law, we’re fighting to implement it. This year, we won big in the New York State budget, but there’s still work to do. Join NY Renews, a coalition of over 350 organizations, to keep up the momentum.

Applications Due | Resilience and Resolve: A Climate Justice Training for New York City Faith Communities
2023-05-15 17:00
On Friday, June 9, 2023, the Center for Earth Ethics will host a one-day training at Union Theological Seminary to support faith leaders engaging with their communities in the context of the climate crisis.

Confirmed speakers on the program include Rev. Dr. Timothy Adkins-Jones, Roberto Múkaro Borrero, Dr. Christian Braneon, Amy Chester, Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Al Gore, Dr. Wendy Greenspun, Kizzy Charles-Guzmán, Dr. Ife Kilimanjaro, Rev. Gil Monrose, Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis.

The training will address three key areas: practical action, spiritual support and ethical communication.

Practical action sessions will focus on disaster preparedness and resilience efforts.

Spiritual support sessions will focus on those aspects of leadership that some faith traditions categorize as “pastoral care,” with attention to the ways in which many people process this crisis through the lens of their faith traditions.

Ethical communication sessions will engage the prophetic – or truth-telling – aspects of faith traditions, including the exploration of sacred texts and teachings, storytelling and application of moral reasoning.

The training will provide opportunities for people to share and learn about practical plans and resources, build networks of care and support, hone insights, generate ideas, and organize our communities for action.

The deadline to apply has been extended to Monday, May 15, 2023

Virtual Event | Freedom to Be: The role of Indigenous spiritualities in averting climate catastrophe and safeguarding planetary health
2023-04-25 12:00
This virtual panel will explore how this Indigenous spiritualities intersect with the climate crisis. Panelists will explore at how global Indigenous communities are affected by the same extractionist industries and land removal policies that drive climate change. They will investigate how Indigenous spiritualities’ intrinsic connection to the environment and Earth can support an ecologically focused future. The panel will address the recommendations offered by the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief’s 2022 report in the context of planetary health.

Book Launch | "The Planet You Inherit" by Larry Rasmussen
2023-04-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway, New York, New York, 10027, United States
Room AD 30, Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway, New York, NY 10027

Our children’s and grandchildren’s generation will face a different world, one affected by climate instability, mass uncertainty, and breathtaking extinction. In fact, the next generation will face the reality that human activity is changing the planet from one geological epoch to another. From this vantage point, renowned Christian environmental ethicist Larry Rasmussen writes to his grandchildren in “The Planet You Inherit: Letters to My Grandchildren when Uncertainty’s a Sure Thing” (Broadleaf Books, 2022).

“There’s real wisdom in this book, not just for the next generation but for those of us making the decisions right now. Those of us of a certain age have a very real responsibility to do everything we can to pass on a working planet to those who come after!” — Bill McKibben, Schumann Distinguished Scholar, Middlebury College, and author of “Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?”

Dr. Rasmussen is the Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary. He is the author of “Earth Honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key” (2013) and “Earth Community, Earth Ethics” (1996).

This event is free and open to the public.
