If Republicans take control of Congress in the 2022 election, the party and their allies among right-wing Christian evangelicals will certainly block any government legislation to address the climate crisis. But in recent years moderate and progressive people of faith have been speaking out and taking action on climate change in growing numbers. While the national organization, Interfaith Power and Light, has chapters in 40 states and has been working on the issue for a quarter century, newer formations such as GreenFaith have become active in the U.S. and globally.
GreenFaith’s motto is “Building a grassroots, multi-faith movement for climate justice.” One of the group’s strategies is engaging in nonviolent direct action. On Oct. 20, 28 religious leaders and lay people were arrested at the New York City headquarters of Black Rock, protesting the giant asset manager’s investments in fossil fuel projects.
Between The Lines’ Melinda Tuhus spoke with Tyler Mark Nelson, a second-year post-graduate student at Yale Divinity School, who was one of those arrested at Black Rock. Here he explains what motivated him to get involved in the faith-based climate movement and his hopes for its future.
For more information, visit GreenFaith at greenfaith.org and Interfaith Power and Light at interfaithpowerandlight.org.
