Webinar Library

Faith Rally – Election Day Home Stretch

Feeling bruised, battered, or fatigued by this election season? Looking for a source of uplift down the home stretch to election day? Then, this webinar is for you. Three speakers rally our energy and direct our focus during a moment with so many profound implications for those who care about the climate crisis and the many interconnected issues of justice that we face today. The speakers include the Rev. Gerald Durley of Interfaith Power & Light, the Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., of the Hip Hop Caucus, and Karenna Gore, founder and director of the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary. The webinar is co-hosted by the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt of the United Church of Christ Environmental Justice Ministry and the Rev. Michael Malcom of Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and the People’s Justice Council.

December 8, 2022

Climate Savior or Neocolonialist? …Assessing Biden from an Indigenous Christian Perspective

The environmental movement has widely lauded the actions taken by the Biden-Harris administration in addressing the climate crisis through early appointments and executive orders. Yet, there is a larger context to consider as indigenous leaders continue fights against pipelines domestically and Syria is bombed internationally. In this webinar, Mark Charles, a dual citizen of the US and the Navajo Nation, provides an indigenous Christian perspective on Joe Biden’s presidency. Charles is a co-author of the book, “Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery.” In 2020, Charles ran as an independent candidate for the US presidency. The webinar is co-hosted by the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt of the United Church of Christ Environmental Justice Ministry and the Rev. Michael Malcom of Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and the People’s Justice Council.

What’s Fair? – The U S and Responsibility for the Climate Crisis

Historically, the United States has released more global warming pollution than any other country, and it remains the world’s second highest emitter. With its wealth and power, what are the moral obligations of the U.S. in confronting the climate crisis? In short, what’s fair? Three leaders in the effort to address this question in this webinar: Sivan Kartha from the Stockholm Environment Institute, Jean Su from the Center for Biological Diversity, and Susannah Tuttle from North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light. The webinar is co-hosted by the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt of the United Church of Christ Environmental Justice Ministry and the Rev. Michael Malcom of Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and the People’s Justice Council.

The Work of Justice – Job Creation and Climate Action

To emerge from the pandemic, an economic recovery that prioritizes jobs and justice is desperately needed. This webinar focus on what a just recovery would look like and what faith communities can do to call for legislation that embodies our values. The three featured panelists are: Natalie Mebane from 350.org, Bracken Hendricks from Urban Ingenuity, and the Rev. Dr. Ambrose Carroll, Sr., from Green The Church. The webinar is co-hosted by the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt of the United Church of Christ Environmental Justice Ministry and the Rev. Michael Malcom of Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and the People’s Justice Council.

Take a Stand: Stop Line 3

The Line 3 Expansion is a massive tar sands oil pipeline under construction through the heart of Northern Minnesota. If completed, it would cross more than 200 bodies of water, including the headwaters of the Mississippi River. It would also pass near the border of multiple Native nations and across hundreds of miles of treaty-protected land. In this webinar,learn more about Line 3 and what faith communities can do to stop it. Featured speakers will include the Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs from the Minnesota Council of Churches, Nina Berguland from Youth Council and Indigenous Council for Earth Guardians, and Julia Nerbonne from Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light. The webinar is co-hosted by the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt of the United Church of Christ Environmental Justice Ministry and the Rev. Michael Malcom of Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and the People’s Justice Council.

False Solutions: Climate Policies That Fail

Under public discussion and legislative consideration are an array of climate policies that vary widely in their goals and potential.

Some of these policies have been described as false solutions by climate activists and policy analysts. These policies are deemed to fail when it comes to what is required by the moral demands of science, equity, and justice.

Will a given policy actually reduce carbon emissions to the extent needed? Will it place unequal burdens on particular communities along the lines of race and poverty? Does it allow for extractive industries to essentially continue their present practices?

In this webinar, learn what faith communities should know in deciding what policies do and do not reflect core values.

Panelists include:
-Ashley Nicole McCray from the Indigenous Environmental Network
-Arjun Krishnaswami from the Natural Resources Defense Council
-Gabriela Sarri-Tobar from the Center for Biological Diversity.

The webinar is co-hosted by the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt of the United Church of Christ Environmental Justice Ministry and the Rev. Michael Malcom of Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and the People’s Justice Council.

They Knew: The US Federal Government’s Fifty Year Role in Causing the Climate Crisis

This webinar features one of the leading voices in environmentalism over recent decades: James Gustave Speth. Among his many accomplishments, Speth served the Carter administration, founded the Natural Resources Defense Council, and spent ten years as Dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He recently released a new book entitled, “They Knew—The US Federal Government’s Fifty-Year Role in Causing the Climate Crisis.” Naomi Klein has described it as “a damning record that will become a potent tool for justice.”

Movement Lessons: The First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit 30 Years Later

One of the best resources of the environmental justice movement today is its own history. Leading scholars in the field of environmental justice have described the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit as one of the most significant events in the movement’s history. In 1991, this summit literally re-defined the word “environment,” while issuing the landmark 17 Environmental Justice Principles that are still used as a source of moral guidance for environmental organizations to this day. This webinar features three key participants in the summit: Charles Lee, Vernice Miller-Travis, and Richard Moore.

A Global Just Transition – The UN Climate Conference through a Moral Lens

This webinar focuses on some of key moral issues that were at stake during the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. In a world where global inequality is thoroughly enmeshed with the climate crisis, a matter of central importance is whether wealthy countries will stop investing in fossil fuels and start investing in a clean and just transition to renewable energy. In this webinar, the following international climate policy specialists discussed the UN Climate Conference as it was happening: Kelly Stone from Action Aid, Chloe Noël from the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, and Ruth Ivory-Moore from the Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

A Polluted Democracy – Fossil Fuel, Money and Congress

Centering Africa at COP27

In this webinar, we will center the climate concerns and issues faced by Africa, the continent that bears the least responsibility for the climate crisis yet is most vulnerable to its destructive impacts.

A prominent concern for African nations at the 2022 U.N. Climate Change Conference is the matter of who will pay for the increasing losses and damages inflicted by the climate crisis.

Over the past 50 years, climate exacerbated drought has led to a loss of an estimated $70 billion in the Horn of Africa and southern Africa, while the cost of rising sea levels is projected to reach $50 billion by 2050 for islands and coastal areas.

Of far greater significance than what can be expressed in monetary amounts is the enormous loss of life that has occurred. Over the past 50 years, drought led to the loss of over a half million lives, while flooding has claimed the lives of 20,000.

The three featured panelists in this webinar are Ineza Umuhoza Grace from the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition, Dr. Tinashe Gumbo from the All Africa Conference of Churches, and the Rev. Michael Kalito from Theological Education by Extension in Zambia (TEEZ).

Wartime Threat – Increased Fossil Fuel Production at Home

The fossil fuel industry is using the war in Ukraine to push for ramping up production in the United States. As a result, communities on the frontlines of the industry face the wartime threat of more pollution and more harm to their health. In this webinar, we learn about the history that shapes the threats faced, and we hear directly from those fighting at the grassroots to protect their families and communities. Featured speakers will include Roishetta Ozane from Healthy Gulf, Lois Bower-Bjornson from the Clean Air Council, and David J.X. González from the University of California-Berkeley.

Discerning and Deciding: Bold Climate Action

According to a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world has less than three years for its greenhouse gas emissions to peak and head into a relatively rapid decline. Careful discernment is needed on where people of faith and conscience should place their time and energy in organizing for the policies that will lead us to a more just and hospitable world. To help in this discernment, this webinar features three leaders in the climate movement: Keya Chatterjee from the U.S. Climate Action Network, Miranda Ehrlich from the Sierra Club, and Jean Su from the Center for Biological Diversity.

Climate Migration: Responding with Faith, Care, and Equity

Migration stemming from the damage done to our climate is underway right now as the lives of people around the world are being uprooted and disrupted. From sub-Saharan Africa and the Pacific Islands to Alaska and Louisiana, we are seeing the present consequences of drought, extreme weather, and rising sea levels. According to a recent UN climate report, 20 million people have been displaced each year since 2008 due to extreme weather that is often exacerbated by the climate crisis. There is much we can do as people of faith to respond to this situation. This webinar features Drocella Mugorewera from Bridge Refugee Services, Geronimo Ramirez from the International Mayan League, and the Rev. Irene Hassan from the United Church of Christ’s Refugee and Migration Services.

US Military and Environmental Justice

The United States military is one of the world’s biggest polluters. As an institution, it leads the world in oil consumption and emits enormous amounts of greenhouse gases. In order to grasp the environmental impact of the U.S. military, we must go beyond statistics and numbers. One must listen to those from the communities directly affected. This webinar provides an overview of environmental justice concerns pertaining to the U.S. military while also centering the voices of those engaged in the struggle to stop the pollution of the Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility on the island of Oahu. To bring the lens of legislative solutions, Congressman Kaialiʻi Kahele joins the panel. Along with Kahele, featured panelists include: Wayne Tanaka from the Sierra Club, Danny Tengan from Hawaiʻi Conference of the United Church of Christ Disaster Response, and Lorah Steichen from the National Priorities Project.

Evangelical Christianity and the Climate Crisis

With its size and its collective power, evangelical Christianity has had a significant presence in the political, cultural, and religious landscape of the United States. As such, it becomes critically important to understand evangelical Christianity today in relationship to the climate crisis. How do evangelical Christians regard the climate crisis? What are the political implications of this? To address these questions, this webinar features Dr. Robin Veldman who authored “The Gospel of Climate Skepticism: Why Evangelical Christians Oppose Action on Climate Change” along with the Rev. Kyle Meyaard-Schaap of the Evangelical Environmental Network and Emily Robertson of Young Evangelicals for Climate Action. The webinar is co-hosted by the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt of the United Church of Christ Environmental Justice Ministry and the Rev. Michael Malcom of Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and the People’s Justice Council.

Getting Congress to Act: Strategies Tactics and Vision for 2022

Frederick Douglass once said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand.” This webinar focuses on the art and craft of making a demand while casting a vision of what can be achieved in the year ahead. The webinar focuses specifically on how people of faith can best organize themselves to place pressure on Congress to act in 2022. For insight and guidance, this webinar features Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Rev. A. Kazimir Brown, Rev. Chibuzo Nimmo Petty, and Kim McMurray.

When Disaster Strikes: Faith Communities Responding with Equity and Justice

Faith communities are often on the frontlines of responding to climate-related disasters. More than a spirit of goodwill is required to effectively respond and minister in such critically important times. Because disasters often expose, widen, and exacerbate the gaps of pre-existing disparities, it is essential that communities of faith prioritize and hold fast in their commitments to equity and justice. This webinar equips faith communities with the knowledge and awareness required to act in accordance with our values. Featured speakers include Marcus Coleman, Jr., from FEMA’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Marcie Roth from the World Institute on Disability, and the Rev. Fred Meade from the United Church of Christ’s Disaster Resource & Response Team for the Southern New England Conference. This webinar was produced as a collaborative effort of UCC Environmental Justice Ministries, UCC Disabilities Ministries, UCC Disaster Ministries, Alabama Interfaith Power & Light, and the People’s Justice Council.

Overdue: Environmental Justice for All

The United States has a long history of environmental injustice that has led to undue burdens of pollution on people of color and low-income communities. This webinar focuses specifically on environmental injustice in relation to access to clean water. Our special guest is Lynn Thorp who serves as the National Campaigns Director for Clean Water Action. This monthly installment of Creation Justice Webinars was co-hosted by the Andy Wells-Bean who serves as the National Environmental Justice Fellow for the United Church of Christ and the Rev. Michael Malcom who serves as the Executive Director for Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and the People’s Justice Council.

December 7, 2022

The Birth of a Movement – A 40th Anniversary Retrospective

Just as the Montgomery Bus Boycott was a watershed event in kickstarting the Civil Rights Movement, a six-week civil disobedience campaign in Warren County, North Carolina, served as the watershed event for the Environmental Justice Movement in 1982. As more than 500 people were arrested to prevent the dumping of toxic waste in a predominantly black community, a nation soon became awakened to the crisis of environmental racism. The impact of the Warren County protests would ripple outward around the world and continue to be felt until today. In this webinar, we hear from three persons who were an important part of the protests: Dollie Burwell, the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr., and the Rev. William Kearney.

The Inflation Reduction Act: How It Can Benefit Faith Communities

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) changes the landscape of what’s possible for faith communities when it comes to solar and energy efficiency. For example, did you know that this new law now makes it possible for nonprofit organizations to receive a direct payment from the federal government that equals 30% of a solar installation’s cost? Yet, there is much about the law and how it can benefit faith communities that requires careful attention and navigation. There can be an alphabet soup of technical and financial jargon that one must confront when it comes to understanding PPAs, RECs, and more. Moreover, there are important questions about the best way for a faith community to discern what is the best way to finance solar or energy efficiency upgrades. For this webinar, the featured panelists are Jerome Garciano, who authored the Green Tax Incentive Compendium, and Rebecca Perera, who is the Director of Lending for the United Church of Christ Cornerstone Fund.

Restoring Nature – What People of Faith Can Do to Heal the Earth

Douglas Tallamy’s books have awakened thousands to the problem of wildlife decline and the solution that resides in habitat restoration. This is a solution of which you and your faith community can be a part. The solution can be as close as your yard or the property surrounding your place of worship.

In this webinar, Tallamy outlines the crisis faced and what we can do in response. The green teams and green thumbs of faith communities will learn not only about cultivating native plants in the landscapes around them, but also what can be done to create a transformative movement full of actions ordinary people everywhere can take.

To care for God’s creation, we can start by simply stepping outside the doors of where we gather for worship to make the most of our sacred places.

In this webinar, Tallamy raises our awareness and equips us to make a difference in our world.

Getting Ready for Earth Sunday: Resources for Congregations

Amidst the climate crisis, leadership from communities of faith is sorely needed. Thankfully, Creation Justice Ministries has created an ecumenical resource that will assist churches in answering the call placed upon us in this moment. The resource is entitled “Weathering the Storm: Faithful Climate Resilience.” It specifically helps churches respond to the question, “How can our churches be hubs of resilience, helping our neighbors weather the physical and spiritual storms of the climate crisis?” The resource can be used year-round and is also particularly useful in preparing for Earth Sunday. In this webinar, Avery Davis Lamb, Co-Executive Director of Creation Justice Ministries, introduces the resource and talks about specific ways churches can craft a powerful message and experience on Earth Sunday and beyond.

Why Prophets Matter Today: Confronting the Climate Crisis

As the Theologian in Residence for Ames United Church of Christ and as the United Church of Christ’s Environmental Justice Minister, the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt gives a keynote address on the relevancy of the Hebrew prophets in confronting to today’s climate crisis. He outlines 10 “Naked Truths” pointing to both the need for prophetic action and the key elements of prophetic action.

Prophetic Action Today: Confronting the Climate Crisis

As part of the Theologian in Residence Program for Ames United Church of Christ, three climate justice leaders discuss prophetic actions being taken today. The speakers include: Nellis Kennedy-Howard, the Rev. Michael Malcom, and Hector Arbuckle. This event was cohosted by Ames United Church of Christ, the Iowa Conference, the Central Association of the Iowa Conference, and the National Setting of the United Church of Christ.

Standing Rock and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance

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August 16, 2019

Katharine Hayhoe on the Green New Deal

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Mobilizing for the Green New Deal with Varshini Prakash

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