INTRODUCTION
Environmental justice has become a significant focus of the environmental movement since the late 1980's. With an emphasis on people of color, marginalized communities, and the poor, environmental justice addresses the unfair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens while aiming to influence adequate political responses to the environmental issues they face. However, environmental justice has not become a significant focus solely for those in the general environmental movement.
Faith and spiritual communities have also entered the discussion. Educating people of faith on climate and environmental issues, facilitating actions in houses of worship and across communities, and building denominational literature that outlines roles and responsibilities through Creation Care, have all become commonplace for many congregations over the last several decades. These stances have also outlined faithful responses to environmental justice. Not only has there been an increase in denominational support, but faith and interfaith environmental organizations like Creation Justice Ministries, the National Interfaith Power & Light network, and Green the Church have all grown out of the call to care for God's creation and our duty to each other - especially the marginalized.
However, some faith communities struggle to connect the call to be stewards of God's creation with the realities of climate change and how these impact the neighbors Christians are called to love. Occasionally, theological differences and political stances can influence this disconnect.
With a focus on southern Georgia and examining the Church, I address current environmental issues in the region while keeping and eye toward environmental justice and how the Church (including the Black Church) might prove pivotal to improving the livelihoods of the region's people and creation.
Background and Objectives
My Civic Engagement Project developed out of my internship with Faith and Climate Action Montana (FCAM). FCAM is a Missoula-based multi-faith coalition that seeks to engage people of various faith and spiritual traditions in the state to act on environmental issues at the local, state, and national level. The group also focuses on how environmental issues relate to social issues in the community.
Faith-in-action is at the center of what FCAM aims to accomplish, though faith-in-action is not exclusive to FCAM. Other faith and interfaith organizations geared toward environmental justice and climate action also engage communities and people of faith to be faithful moral actors in the public circle.
People of color and people of faith were at the center of the environmental justice movement's inception. In 1982, Warren County, North Carolina, a predominately African American community was designated to host a hazardous landfill. The community rallied to protest and resist the designation. The protests garnished support from early civil rights activists and church leaders from the Baptist tradition to the United Church of Christ. Unfortunately, the community did not succeed, but the issue gave an image of what it means to put faith into action and rally in support of one's community.
Before the Warren County incident, people of faith and people of color were active in the Civil Rights movement. Led by the Reverend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Civil Rights movement was, in part, a faith movement. Churches became rally points for marches and places that fostered needed spiritual support for those on the front lines of the movement. But the Black Church was not alone in the fight against segregation. The support of white and northern people of faith grew as time went on. This was partly due to Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham City Jail," which evoked the memory of Apostle Paul and argued that segregation was morally wrong. This letter pushed the National Council of Churches to urge their 31 denominations to support demonstrations against discrimination.
Faith and justice have long been companions. As people of faith, community is often at the center of Christian teachings and calls us to care for those who are marginalized. In the book of 'Matthew,' verses 34-40, Jesus explains that the two greatest commandments are to love God wholly, and to love your neighbor as yourself. These two, together, provide a basis from which community action can rise. Issues related to the climate crisis will impact local communities. Christians, as well as other people of faith, are in a position to collectively act on local environmental justice issues while lifting the voices of the marginalized.
Currently, countless communities are facing environmental justice issues throughout the United States. In southern Georgia, there is no exception to this. Several environmental and climate threats are in the backyards of south Georgia residents and should be on the radars of people of faith. Below, I have supplied a few of these issues.
Environmental Justice Issues in South Georgia
Environmental issues that impact marginalized groups run abound in all parts of the United States and around the globe. South Georgia is no different. It is far too easy to get wrapped up in environmental issues from afar. As a result, many people think environmental issues will not impact them directly. Here are some examples of current environmental issues occurring in south Georgia that can negatively impact the lives of Georgia residents.
*The examples here are not an exhaustive list
*Links in this section can be used for other communities in the United States
Food Deserts
Georgia is just as prone as other places to have food desert concerns. A food desert is an area that has limited access to affordable and nutritious food. In urban areas, food deserts are classified by identifying low-income households that are more than a mile from any reliable source of nutritional fruits and vegetables. In rural areas, the metric for identifying a food desert increases to more than 10 miles from a grocery store.
In Georgia, an estimated 2 million people, including 500,000 children, experience food insecurity and and reside in USDA designated food deserts. In a Valdosta Daily Times article from February 2020, information regarding the USDA's data found that approximately half of Valdosta, GA qualifies as a food desert, with much of the area south of U.S. 84 and the town's east side being mostly impacted.
According to this USDA tool, many south Georgia communities are experiencing issues related to food insecurity and lack accessible sources of nutritional foods. Many of these food deserts impact poor communities and people of color.
Energy Burden
Energy burden refers to the percentage of a household's after tax annual income that goes towards energy costs. In Georgia, the average percentage of of household income that goes towards energy costs is around 3%. However, this number does not signify a universally shared percentage.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy's LEAD Tool, Quitman County, Georgia averages a 12% energy burden among its residents. Low-income households in the county average 14% of their energy costs on electricity alone. Households considered very low-income and extrememely low-income can end up spending 22% and 40% of their annual income on electricity costs respectively.
This raises concerns regarding disposable income for low-income communities on necessary expenses and whether marginalized voices are being heard in spaces that aim to shift energy consumption and accessibility in communities.
Superfund Sites
A 2019 U.S. Government Accountability Office report found that about 60% of all superfund sites overseen by the EPA may be impacted by wildfires, flooding, and other natural hazards that might be exacerbated by climate change. In Georgia, 16 superfund sites are a part of this list.
Coastal Glynn County, Georgia has four superfund sites alone, with three posing an immediate threat due to climate-related impacts. The LCP Chemicals superfund site in Brunswick posses the greatest threat in this area as all it would take is flooding at high tide to cause problems with groundwater and soil contamination. Currently, residential neighborhoods, schools, and parks border the site and the state has posted advisories about fish consumption in the Brunswick-St. Simons estuary due to high PCB and mercury levels.
In Adel, Georgia, a superfund site poses health threats to the residents in the area, but is not on the EPA's national priorities list (NPL). There are 428 active non-NPL sites in the state.
Mining in the Okefenokee
The Okefenokee Swamp is a 684-square mile, shallow, peat-filled wetland that straddles the Georgia-Florida border in southeastern Georgia. Most of the swamp is protected as the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and is also recognized as the largest wilderness are east of the Mississippi River.
The swamp is under threat of mining by Twin Pines LLC, who aims to extract minerals along the eastern part of the swamp's Trail Ridge. Concerns over shifts in groundwater flow, water clarity, and water levels are just a few impacts that may be felt in the swamp. Ninety percent of the swamp's water drains into the Suwannee River and into the Gulf of Mexico. Impacts concerning an increased threat of wildfires, as well as impacts of light and noise pollution on the swamp, have also raised concerns.
Fortunately, the threat of mining has garnished bi-partisan support in its protection and the Army Corps of Engineers caused setbacks in the company's proposal as they failed to consult the Muscogee Creek Nation. Threat of mining is not new to Okefenokee as DuPont stopped attempting to mine the area in 1999 after failed efforts.
Theoretical Applications
Each theoretical application examines one of the Environmental Philosophy program's core courses I used in this project and how they apply to the topics of environmental justice and faith.
"Topics in Environmental Philosophy" explored the historical development of the field and the various topics of environmental philosophy. Within this course, students were exposed to literature regarding the racial and justice dimensions of environmental issues. For instance, Casandra Johnson and J.M. Bowker wrote an article titled, "African American Wildland Memories," that explored collective memory and its relation to African American experience of nature. They also expressed that there is a distinctly black experience of wildlands that differs from the romanticized and spiritual notions of white wildland experience due to slavery, discrimination, and the threat of lynchings. Since then, African American concern of the environment has not been situated in the preservation of wildland spaces for recreation or the welfare of species, but regarding environmental issues in urbanized communities. Robert Bullard and Beverly Wright echo this idea of community-focused action through environmental justice in their essay, "Black and the Environment." Black communities are at the forefront of environmental justice issues. Concerns over workplace hazards, waste management, zoning regulations, and institutional racism have helped black and minority communities to connect justice concerns to environmental issues.
The Black Church has been a place of refuge and repair for Black communities. In 1982, Warren County, North Carolina was the proposed site for a toxic waste landfill. Upon the community finding out about it, the majority African American community went into action. A local Black Church became ground-zero of the protests and gatherings of the community's residents. Black and white residents gathered under the same roof to plan their actions. At the beginning of the environmental justice movement, people of faith were on the frontline. What impact might this example provide for churches across a community to act on environmental justice issues that impact those who are thought lesser of?
"Critical Animal Studies" focused on many related topics of animal cultures, minds, relationships, and experiences that aimed to lift the supposed status of animals within the human world. One method used is the comparison of human and animal suffering to elevate the experiences of animals in hopes of making one aware of the atrocities that animals face in factory farming and research. The concern here regards the potentially dehumanizing effect that comparing human and non-human experience brings. J.M. Coatzee's, Lives of Animals, uses this method of using human experience to elevate animal suffering. His character, Elizabeth Costello, compares animal experience in factory farming to that of the Jews in the Holocaust. Not only does the concern of dehumanizing individuals appear, but the concern of collapsing distinct experiences rises as well. I close on a claim of willed ignorance that Costello brings up in her discussion and connect that to environmental justice issues in communities. I also address a disconnect between congregrations on environmental justice issues due to limited engagement between black and white congregations.
"Issues in the Anthropocene" explored the ways in which this supposed new geologic epoch, the anthropocene, might be approached while looking at the kinds of interferences and actions that might be permitted. Though we did not directly approach literature that might be solely religious or Christian in nature, opportunities to survey this area presented itself throughout. Steven Vogel's Thinking Like a Mall emphasized environmental responsibility as the crux of his argument. This, coupled with acknowledging the ways in which our artifacts impact our communities, gave a pathway for me to explore environmental responsibilty from a faith perspective.
Robin Wall Kimmerer's book, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, also granted the ability to examine the role of spirituality within native traditions, which inform relations and responsibilites humans have to the world. This text allowed me to explore new ways of thinking about the Christian creation narrative, becoming naturalized to place, and collective action led by spiritual responsibilities, as outlined by the Onondaga Nation in the chapter, 'Sacred and the Superfund'.
THEORY TO ACTION
My project called for actionable components that bridged the theoretical and the practical. For this project, I developed two active pieces that addressed different aspects of faith, environmental justice, and action.
Action #1: Written Article for Publication
For this component, I aimed to write and publish a piece that addressed faith, environmental justice, and action in southern Georgia for a general audience. The idea for this inclusion began in my Environmental Journalism Seminar course, where I had the opportunity to connect with journalism students and a supportive journalism professor, Nadia White. Ideas began to rise about the connection of philosophy and how it might influence journalistic pieces.
In the Summer of 2021, Professor White and my advisor, Dr. Christopher Preston, shared information about a new fellowship program that sought to train journalists and public-facing academics on writing stories intersecting religious and environmental beats - the Religion & Environment Story Project.
Focused on south Georgia, the opportunity to write an article that explored religious and environmental intersections with a lens towards environmental justice presented itself. My initial interview fell through, but after regrouping, I found a new person to interview - Codi Norred, Executive Director of Georgia Interfaith Power & Light. Following the interview in late March, I transcribed the recording and identified quotes and content to incorporate into my first draft. Professor Nadia White became my primary point of contact during the editing process. She provided feedback and suggestions on various aspects of my article. At this point in my project, I am on the fifth draft of my article and awaiting further feedback from her and Codi Norred.
Unfortunately, my article has not been published in southern Georgia like I initially intended. However, despite this setback, I intend to continue editing my draft until it is of publishable quality to begin sending to outlets in the region soon.
Action #2: Climate Conversation
For the second active component, I decided to host a Climate Conversation. Far too often, climate concerns are thought about using foreign examples like melting ice sheets and polar bears. For many, this creates the belief that environmental issues won't impact ones' own locality. For this reason, I wanted to focus on local communities and possible actions.
This conversation sought to bring people together on the grounds of discussing where they were in their own lives regarding climate despair and to identify common ground that might support climate action in their communities. The Climate Conversation was informed by two individuals, Joanna Macy, whose work is focused on despair and how to transform that into action. The second individual was Katharine Hayhoe, whose work as a climate scientist and identity as an evangelical Christian has prompted her to address this intersection with public audiences while pushing people to talk more about climate change by identifying shared interests and values.
Utilizing these two individuals, I designed a place for participants to feel comfortable discussing climate-related concerns that would flourish into full conversation. For this event, I developed a guided set of questions that prompted participants to address climate despair, shared values, their roles in their communities, identify avenues for further conversations in their communities, and discuss actions and solutions with an eye toward environmental justice and faith communities. I had 16 participants from various backgrounds (faith and non-faith identities, gender, age, and education) and I made sure to have the groups as diverse as possible to provide as many perspectives as possible. These participants were members of Faith and Climate Action Montana, graduate students in philosophy and literature, and two family members from south Georgia and north Florida.
Conversations during the event went in different directions for different groups. Only one group followed all of the prompts I provided. Three groups allowed conversation to spring out of one or two questions, which ultimately allowed the groups to discuss where their interests aligned. During the debrief section of the event, groups shared some of their discussions that included topics surrounding literature and creation stories, political and economic constraints and concerns, and general interests in environmentalism.
I concluded with a presentation of the ways in which future conversations could arise and different groups to have these conversations with. Some of these conversations can include family and friends, marginalizes groups and people of color, and between people of faith and non-faith identities.
The overall feedback was positive. The participants enjoyed being in conversation with each other and people whose life experiences were different than their own. One participant said she loved talking with generation Z and millennials and that it was a joy to see how passionate they were for the environment. Another wanted me to pay attention to the variety of focus in each group and how willing people were to converse with people they did not know.
Climate Conversation Photos
Project Lessons
I consider the following points as accomplishments for this project as they enhanced existing skills and gave me room to improve on newly acquired ones. The active components of this project paved the way for me to consider new ways of thinking about how to incorporate my skills and knowledge in environmental philosophy.
The journalism and event devlopment aspects of my project presented me with new skills to build on in the future.
- Journalism Component:
- how to conduct an interview
- identify important quotes and topics in an interview
- writing for a public audience
- how to develop a story
- concise writing
- identifying publishing outlets
- audio story generation
- Event Development:
- how to develop content for an event
- advertising
- identifying and scheduling an event venue
- creating a welcoming atmosphere for participants
There were some challenges to this project:
Article Component
First, there was a learning curve with writing a public-facing article in a journalistic fashion. My traditional writing skillset is more academic, so making the transition to a writing style that required a different style of writing proved difficult in the beginning.
Second, I had to pivot my approach once my initial contact for the interview had to back out. Learning the importance of networking and how to research possible interviews became paramount. Still, the readjustment period took longer than anticipated and I lost valuable time in the article's development.
Third, I failed to anticipate the length of time it would take to develop, write, and edit a journalistic piece of work.
Fourth, I failed to meet my goal of publishing a journalistic piece in southern Georgia.
A final lesson I learned was that I needed to be bolder in approaching people for interviews.
Public Event Component
Though I had 16 people attend the event, I could have likely had more participants if I had determined my event sooner, developed a flyer, and directly shared with local congregations instead of using just the email list from Faith and Climate Action Montana (used with permission).
Another challenging aspect was the development of material and questions that would be inclusive of faith and non-faith individuals, but still reach some of the goals I had for the event. Accounting for this variability resulted in some questions being less pointed regarding faith.
A third challenge is that I did not set enough time aside for these conversations. I initially set 45 minutes for these conversations to occur, since I had set an hour and a half for the entire event. I should have cut some of the post-conversation material to make room for a more fruitful discussion.
Keeping time was also challenging as my initial timeframe was an hour and a half. The event ran over by 30 minutes. Because of this, I had two people who had to leave shortly after the initial end time.
Though this project exhibited opportunities to identify what worked well and what did not, it also gave me ideas regarding the future of these active components and things to delve further into with environmental justice and faith communities in Southern Georgia.
Though the story I developed did not get published, my goal is to continue with the story and aim to get it published.
What this story offered was a chance to acknowledge other possible stories to explore. One is to further explore the divide between climate science and evangelicals in southern Georgia and identify ways in which the two might be reconciled in the region. Another area of opportunity is to develop stories solely on the Black Church and explore the actions that are being taken by these congregations along the coastal and souther parts of the state. I would also like to explore possible stories to lift native voices in the state regarding environmental justice issues.
If I were to write another story, I would need to acknowledge the timescale and work to incorporate other voices into the story. I would also need to not allow a small pivot to take so long to correct. My suggestion for others who incorporate articles for publication in news outlets as part of their Civic Engagement Projects, is to determine possible stories during the Fall semester and get research and interviews done as soon as possible to try and meet your publication goal by the time the project ends.
For my Climate Conversation, the event has had me begin to examine what these conversations might look like in southern Georgia, what demographics I would try to reach, and the methods to consider in developing another Climate Conversation.
In thinking about this, I would likely make the event at least a half-day long. The conversation I held for my participants proved there was a lot left to be discussed when the event ended. Having a longer amount of time is essential for more interaction. I would consider this developing into a full day event, or possibly a weekend, to account for the number of participants and to grant time for authentic discussion.
Though the event I held had a wonderful interaction between people of faith and those who did not identify with any faith or spiritual tradition at all, I think if I were to replicate this in southern Georgia, I would create a secondary conversation just for people of faith in Christian traditions. This is due to the emphasis of materials I believe would be beneficial to spur discussions between different theological identities and to determine ways of collective in communities. I would include Black Churches in this as well. The incorporation of Black perspectives on the intersection of social issues and faith may help address blindspots existent in predominantly white congregations.
Choosing a more accessible venue and determining it sooner would have likely resulted in more participants. Advertising directly to local congregations might have improved the number of attendees as well.
RESOURCES FOR FAITH AND INTERFAITH COMMUNITIES
Below, you will find various resources regarding different faith and interfaith environmental organizations who provide support for faith communities through education, training, and mobilizing communities into action. These organizations also provide resources on creation care for faith leaders to incorporate into sermons and Bible studies.
I have also provided some suggested readings that might be beneficial to people of faith and faith communities for group studies at Church or with friends at home. I chose a variety of options that would satiate different interests and goals.
Faith and Interfaith Environmental Organizations
Faith and Interfaith Environmental Organizations began to spring up in the 1980's and have continued to grow. Connecting communities of faith with recources and motivational support to address environmental issues from faith standpoints, these organizations are worth mentioning for various reasons.
These organizations are accessible for faith communities and congregations in southern Georgia.
Georgia Interfaith Power and Light
Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) is a state affiliate of the National Interfaith Power and Light network. GIPL began in 2003 and has since partnered with over 500 congregations in Georgia. Connecting faith communities and environmental action in the state, GIPL has devoted itself to helping marginalized groups by advocating on their behalf regarding environmental justice issues. With this, they have also aimed at lifting and engaging the voices of Black Churches and Gullah Geechee communities.
Georgia Interfaith Power & Light Website
Green the Church
Green the Church is a Christian-led organization that engages and networks Black Churches by connecting environmental and justice related issues. They amplify green theology, promote sustainable practices, and aim to build collective power. The organization has engaged over 1,000 Black congregations in the U.S.
Green the Church Website
Creation Justice Ministries
Creation Justice Ministries aims to educate and engage Christians, denominations, and congregations to "protect, restore, and rightly share God's creation." The organization supplies materials for Church leaders to incorporate into their sermons and bible studies, while providing opportunities for action through their campaigns.
Creation Justice Ministries Website
Evangelical Environmental Network
The Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN) educates and mobilizes evangelical Christians on their call to uphold the Biblical mandate to care for creation. EEN provides resources for individuals and congregrations and provides opportunites to network, volunteer, and get involved in campaigns.
Evangelical Environmental Network Website
Suggested Reading
These are some suggested books that might benefit people of faith and begin the process of thinking, discussing, and acting according to faith principles. These texts bring different perspectives and can be utilized by people of various stances to better understand how climate change connects to the mission of the Church and amplifies the harms towards the marginalized groups and the rest of creation.
Each block has a short description of the text and a link to book's website if applicable.
Laudato Si'
This Encyclical Letter by Pope Francis draws Christians into dialogue regarding the current state of the world, explores the Gospel message through creation, and calls us to act "for our planet and every living thing that dwells on it, especially the poorest and most vulnerable."
The Encyclical Letter can be found online in PDF form. A copy of the letter in book form is perfect for individual or group study as it also contains questions for discussion.
Laudato Si' Website
A Climate For Change
Written by climate scientist and evangelical Christian, Katharine Hayhoe and Pastor Andrew Farley, A Climate for Change shows why Christians should care about climate change. Using facts about climate change and tackling the complexity of these claims, the authors explore the role that Christianity can play in guiding decisions, and Christians, into the future on this important global issues.
This text is great for those who question climate change and its impact, or for those wanting to know why climate change is an important spiritual issue. This text is also great primer for evangelical Christians on climate change.
Climate Church, Climate World
Written by theologian, environmental activist, and United Church of Christ's spokesperson on climate change, Jim Antal argues why climate change is the greatest moral issue we have faced and how we might address and act on it as people of faith.
Written for lay people and church leadership, this book is easily understood and guides people of faith through material that leads to meaningful and faithful action. With guided questions in each section, it can be read individually or as a group book study.
Climate Church, Climate World Website
Honorable Mention
Written by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Band of Oklahoma, Braiding Sweetgrass explores indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge. This text is not a Christian text, but can serve as a jumping off point for Christians to explore the ways in which indigenous stories, wisdom, and relation to the world might inform our ways of thinking about our relation to the world and the responsibilities we have to creation, without appropriating indigenous ways.
Learning to become "naturalized to place" is key in this text, but brings up interesting things to consider about our own faith stories, science, and relating to one another and the world. Perfect for group discussions!
Get the book
Contact Me
E-mail: caleb.koebble1@gmail.com