The coronavirus, rampant wildfires, record hurricanes, plunging biodiversity...the concurrent disasters of our warming world place the climate crisis at the forefront of global concern. And the crisis knows no borders-- we are all part of the natural world and share a collective responsibility for healing and protecting our common home. Still, those disproportionately affected by the pandemic--people of color, the poor, and those living in frontline communities-- bare the inordinate burden of climate change and are caught perpetually in the cycle of disaster recovery. Enacting economic and racial justice, then, requires justice for the earth. The disruption of COVID-19 provides the opportunity to reflect on the way our daily lives and policies fuel the climate crisis. Inspired by the Gospel and echoing the Bishops’ call to simplicity in Justitia in mundo, how can we best advocate for the earth, from questioning our personal consumption habits and workplace norms to fostering domestic policy and international cooperation?
The panel, which can be found here, will be chaired by Kelli Reagan, research associate, Catholic social teaching, University of Notre Dame. Panelists will be Fr. Emmanual Katongole, Department of Theology, University of Notre Dame and Bethany Land Institute; Rabbi Yonatan Neril, founder and executive director, Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development; Uri Shanas, CEO and founder, TIME (This Is My Earth); and Margaret Pfeil, associate teaching professor of moral theology and Christian ethics, Department of Theology and Center for Social Concerns, University of Notre Dame.
Closed captioning will be available.