We are called by a higher power to be good shepherds of Earth’s environment

We live at a critical moment of history. Call it global warming, climate change, or climate crisis — the term chosen by the 22 members of the Care of Creation Committee of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, or SCL. Words can barely express the enormity and complexity of the changes our globe is experiencing.

I have watched the news coverage of the fires of Australia. I recently listened to a National Public Radio podcast about the melting of the permafrost in Alaska. The organic matter, once frozen, is thawing, decomposing and releasing carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere in increasingly larger amounts. Scientists fear it eventually could surpass all of humanity’s fossil fuel burning since the Industrial Revolution. Can you imagine?

These and many other dramatic environmental events are humanity’s wake-up call to replace the burning of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. Denying these changes gambles with the lives and health of all living creatures.

At times, I feel anger, sadness and despair. It is in such times that I focus on the activities of our SCL committee, which I chair, and the Eco-Justice Center in Racine, Wisconsin, where I serve as executive director.

What actions? On a larger scale, we on the SCL committee have composed our Climate Crisis Position Statement to pressure the biggest industrial polluters, utility companies and our elected officials to recognize the truth of Earth’s environmental crisis.

Truth is one of the names and characteristics of God. Truth is the same for everybody. All the members of the SCL committee believe it is true that we are in the midst of a human-generated climate crisis. The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica of Atchison, Kansas, agree and have joined us in calling for immediate action and prayers to address the crisis.

Our statement says that for too long we have been sold the mythic vision of an ideal world brought about by scientific advancements. Well, with carbon dioxide in our atmosphere running at over 400 parts per million and rising, it’s far from ideal. Industries that devastate the planet in the name of progress should be required to stop immediately and to repair the damage they have done.

The statement also says we must do this for the benefit of all future generations, especially the vulnerable poor who are most affected by deteriorating climate conditions. That means those who hold the power in our government must stop denying the truth and act boldly with climate-friendly regulations and laws. Local, state and federal elected officials are receiving copies of the statement with personal appeals.

Finally, the statement recognizes that Earth is our common home, and that we, in essence, all live in the same earthly neighborhood. Justice demands that our nation collaborate with all others to protect the world’s people and creatures.

On a smaller scale, we strengthen our local economy by growing our own food here at the Eco-Justice Center. It’s healthier, and it greatly reduces the fossil fuels used in transporting food long distances.We also work to protect and restore our local green spaces. By increasing native habitats, our local ecosystems and natural water filtration and retention systems are strengthened.

It is through these activities that my original negative emotions are transformed into hope, because I find a community of people just as passionate as I am joining together to begin to repair, renew and heal our planet and ourselves. We now live in a new ecological age. Please join us Sisters of Charity and Benedictine sisters and our lay Associates and Oblates in praying for all God’s people to awaken to the sacredness of nature. Let us join with nature’s creating spirit to heal the earth and preserve the grandeur of our common home.

Sister Rejane Cytacki is a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth. She is executive director of the Eco-Justice Center, Racine, Wisconsin.

This story was originally published February 9, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "We are called by a higher power to be good shepherds of Earth’s environment."