Benches made out of recycled plastic bottle caps and lids sit at the entrance of EarthConnection.
Serving Learning students from Mount St. Joseph University have been helping EarthConnection staff with research projects as well as working in the garden and on the bottle cap project.
Working Towards a Sustainable Future By S. Caroljean Willie
T
here is a growing awareness that a moral voice is needed in the effort to work towards avoiding the worst impacts of climate change as well as to collaborate on sustainability initiatives for the benefit of all Creation. EarthConnection (EC) has taken an active role in this endeavor. Several months ago, a new book was published entitled Faith for Earth: A Call for Action. It was coauthored by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Parliament of Religions. It describes the essential, unshakeable reverence that all religions have for creation and nature, and introduces the world’s major life support systems. The authors hope that the book will provide information and inspiration to learn more about Planet Earth and to encourage people to share knowledge and commitment to care for it, and to become part of the flourishing global interfaith movement that is increasingly bringing people together to protect and sustain life on Earth. EC hosted a webinar on this document. (Free download of book at www.wedocs.unep.org) Shortly after that another publication was released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers, and the Catholic Climate Covenant entitled “Ecumenical and Interreligious Guidebook: Care for Our Common Home,” as a guide to offer insights into how Catholics can bring the riches of the Catholic theological tradition to ecumenical and interreligious discussion and actions that uphold the dignity and sanctity of the environment. (Free download of book at https://www.usccb. org/resources/care-our-common-home). At the local level, Green Umbrella, the Cincinnati regional sustainability alliance, initiated an Impact Team entitled Faith Communities Go Green whose mission is V o lume I , 2 0 2 1
to partner with religious communities to create a more sustainable and equitable future for all by mobilizing their moral voice to reduce the risk of catastrophic climate change. S. Caroljean (Cj) Willie serves on the steering committee of this Impact Team and is working with people of multiple faiths throughout the Greater Cincinnati Area to bring the moral voices of our faith traditions together and to provide a platform for providing tools to congregations to use at their local levels, but also to share resources and work together to have a greater impact on environmental sustainability in our area. Post-pandemic, EarthConnection will be hosting a number of meetings and trainings on our site to work towards that goal. (www.greenumbrella.org/faith) Plastic bottle caps and lids continue to pour in from all over the country to be recycled into benches and picnic tables. S. Winnie Brubach and Associate Sue DiTullio recently made another trip to Green Tree Plastics in Evansville, Indiana, and returned with a new picnic table and another bench. EC is working with Mount St. Joseph University to provide service-learning opportunities for students. Several students are working on research projects while others are helping with the garden and the bottle cap project. Due to the pandemic, we were not able to host meetings on-site, but have held webinars bi-monthly to continue to provide input on environmental issues. Speakers have included Fr. Terry Moran; S. Carol DeAngelo, SC (NY); S. Gertie Jocksch, SC (Halifax); S. Maureen Wild, SC (Halifax); Sue DiTullio, SC Associate; and S. Cj Willie. Our website, www.scearthconnection.org, has previous webinars as well as information on upcoming ones. All webinars are free, but it is necessary to register on the website to get the Zoom information. 11
