Bending the Arc

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The dense shrubbery behind these CSA maintenance workers, Jack Mohr and Jimmer Immel, is created by buckthorn, an invasive species, which is a tall shrub or small tree.

What is the meaning of invasive species?

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, “An invasive species is an introduced, nonnative organism (disease, parasite, plant, or animal) that begins to spread or expand its range from the site of its original introduction and that has the potential to cause harm to the environment, the economy, or to human health”.

Jack and Jimmer demonstrate how to remove the invasive buckthorn at the root.   

Jeff Atkinson, supervisor and land manager, states that buckthorn is a non-native plant, which threatens the future of forests, wetlands, prairies, and other natural habitats.   Buckthorn competes with other trees and overwhelms them.  Buckthorn spreads quickly through seeds distributed by birds and wildlife. “Harmful, non-native species can be found in all ecosystems across the United States. These species can cause costly economic and ecological damage each year including crop decimation, clogging of water facilities and waterways, wildlife and human disease transmission, threats to fisheries, increased fire vulnerability, and adverse effects for ranchers and farmers.”  Buckthorn can be difficult to remove in sections over the course of several years.  
(Reference:  https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-invasive-species-and-why-are-they-a-problem)

Learn more: 

USGS Invasive Species Program

U.S. Department of Agriculture

National Invasive Species Information Identification Center

Friends of the Mississippi River explain how buckthorn harms the ecosystem: click here to read the article.

Let Us Sow Hope: 2024 Feast of St. Francis

This year’s program by Catholic Climate Covenant is designed to assist you, your family, parish, school, diocese, religious community, or other Catholic institution celebrate the Feast of St. Francis (October 4th or another date that works for you and your community), become instruments of God’s peace, and commit to climate actions to avoid climate despair, and sow climate hope.  

Hold your own prayer service for the Feast of St. Francis using the document here.

Acknowledgments:

S. Patricia Weidman, CSA, Laudato Si’ Animator, guest writer
Special thank you to Chelsea Koenigs, Laudato Si’ Animator,
S. Julie Ann Krahl, S. Patricia Bogenschuetz.

This report highlights governor’s and Evers Administration’s continued efforts to bolster clean energy and sustainability while lowering energy costs for working families. 

Read the full press release

As Spring’s plantings have turned into Summer’s harvest, Land Justice Futures has been inviting you to deepen your roots alongside us in both Mother Law and Complicit No More, traditions and movements stewarded by the Indigenous movement leaders who advise us. 

These movements call us into a wider and deeper approach to ecological and racial repair—an approach that extends land justice to the paradigm-shifting cultural and structural change we must create for the future of life with our beloved Earth. 

(If you missed their first free hour-long Introduction to Mother Law and Complicit No More, you can come to the next, on Monday, August 19 at 4pm ET (3pm CT, 2pm MT, 1pm PT). Register here.) 

Now, Autumn is on the horizon—and with it, the launch of the Motherhouse Starter Series. After months of planning, the details of the program are finally available.Here are just a small sample of the 15 seasoned visionaries joining us:

• Mommabear, Condoled Bear Clan Mother of the Mohawk Nation and steward of the Mother Law tradition (Session 1)
• Pat McCabe, Woman Stands Shining, (Diné) activist, artist, writer, ceremonial leader, and international speaker (Sessions 1 & 4
• Sarah Augustine (Pueblo/Tewa), Author, activist, and co-founder of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery (Session 2)
• Max Dashu, feminist historian, artist, and author of Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Religion, 700–1100 (Session 4)
• Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Black womanist theologian and author of Resurrection Hope: A Future Where Black Lives Matter (Session 6)
• Michelle Schenandoah (Oneida) speaker, writer, thought leader, founder of the organization Rematriation and Complicit No More. Presented as a spiritual advisor to the Pope in the First Nations Delegation at the Vatican that prompted his apology regarding Indian Residential Schools. (Sessions 1 & 7)

In addition to the faculty: There is a Theological Council!
Along with the Land Justice Futures team and our faculty, our Theological Council will be there to find opportunities to connect to the spiritual, emotional and somatic side of the work, in ways that are accessible to people of all spiritual affiliations. 
See the full list of faculty and theological council members here on the info and registration page.
 

CSA honors IDWIP Day with a watch party of the film, "Inhabitants: Indigenous Perspectives on Restoring Our World."

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is August 9. The day highlights the rights of Indigenous Peoples to make their own decisions and carry them out in ways that are meaningful and culturally appropriate to them.  

The theme for 2024 is “Protecting the rights of Indigenous people in voluntary isolation.” Learn more.

In the spirit of our creation care initiatives and to honor the many gifts Indigenous people bring to our lands, CSA will be hosting an in-person watch party of the film, "Inhabitants: Indigenous Perspectives on Restoring Our World," on August 21 at 5:30 pm. This is open to the public. 

Please register

The Sisters of St Francis in Clinton have secured the right to show this film for free between the dates of August 14 through August 27. If you would like to watch this film, but are unable to attend the in-person watch party at the CSA Motherhouse, you can register to receive a link and view this film at your own convenience. Click here.
Watch the movie trailer:

Momentum has been building to shut down the aging Line 5 Pipeline that poses an immediate threat to the Great Lakes. In March, the documentary film Bad River premiered in theaters across the country, building awareness around the fight to shut down Line 5 and Enbridge’s trespass on Tribal land. The film is now available on demand.

On July 23, fourteen women gathered at the CSA Motherhouse to view Bad River together and were called to action. The Army Corps of Engineers will be making the decision as to whether or not Enbridge should be allowed to expand Line 5. A public comment period was scheduled to close on August 4, but has now been extended to August 30.

CSA members, Wisconsinites, and communities across the nation are standing strong to protect our water, our climate, the health of our neighbors, and future generations. You can join them by emailing your public comment by Aug. 30 to CEMVP-WiL5R-CDD-Comments@usace.army.mil or sign this online Sierra Club petition.

Additionally, write President Biden and ask him to revoke the presidential petition and shut down line 5. 

For more information, this Wisconsin Examiner article provides an interesting perspective to the situation.

For more support material, contact Tracy at tabler@csasisters.org. 

RELATED NEWS: Here is a link to an article that includes a very thorough and detailed video presentation on the problem of microplastics in our Great Lakes and the actions that the State of Michigan is taking regarding the problem.

Join the Laudato Si’ Action Platform’s August webinar, “Connecting Faith and Action.” Uncover the theology of integral ecology and discover tools for faith-based action with speakers from Oxford University and the World Research Institute on Thursday, August 8 at 8 am CT.

Part One:
Speaker Alberto Palecchi from the World Resources Institute, will unveil the guide "Science-Based Targets for Faith," which encourages faith leaders to lead us toward environmental responsibility and consciousness. Following him, Fr. Peter Rožič of the Laudato Si' Research Institute at Oxford University will delve into the theological foundations of integral ecology and its role amid the sciences, the social sciences and the humanities.

REGISTER HERE FOR THE AUG 8 WEBINAR

Part Two:
At 9 am, join a small group dialogue to discuss Fr. Peter Rožič’s and Alberto Palecchi’s ideas and share how they apply to our faith journeys and work around the world.

REGISTER HERE FOR THE 40-MINUTE DISCUSSION ON AUG 8
 

This webinar from the Laudato Si Action Plan delved into the grassroots efforts that contribute to transformation and identified the challenges local communities face in implementing sustainable practices. Alfonso Apicella, Global Campaigns Manager at Caritas Internationalis, shared insights on tackling grassroots challenges through community collaboration. He also discussed the impact of community collaboration on ecological goals, strategies for overcoming local challenges, and the potential for inter-community collaboration. This event was ideal for community leaders, environmental activists, policymakers, and anyone interested in grassroots movements’ role in ecological transformation.

Watch the recording here: 

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Sisters Monica Justinger, Julie Ann Krahl, and Clare Lawlor fish on Marble Lake, Michigan. They caught blue gill and bass in a location of good water quality. Inland spring-fed lakes are clean and stocked.

The Department of Natural Resources performs on-site checks for appropriate fishing licenses and approved catches of specific species. The State Department of Natural Resources protects the natural environment against pollution and misuse. True fishers and hunters appreciate DNR efforts advocating for the environment and protecting the outdoors.

How does the water quality of fish impact care for Earth?

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, climate change impacts hunting and fishing in many ways. Changing weather patterns cause species to shift the timing and location of migrations and where they choose to live. Droughts, wildfire, and harsher storms alter habitat and affect the availability of food, water and shelter animals need to survive. Warmer temperatures increase the threats of disease and spread invasive species. Hunters and anglers may need to change what, where, when, and how they hunt and fish. 
https://www.fws.gov/story/hunting-fishing-and-climate-change 

Water quality requires a sustained effort to eliminate single-use plastics as much as possible. Pope Francis told Nora O’Donnell during an interview, “It is a lack of conscience to use a plastic bottle and then throw it to the sea. This makes the sea unhealthy. We have to be conscientious about repurifying nature.” (National Catholic Reporter, June 7-20, 2024, page 4)

Have you had a conversation about how to use less plastic? 
How to protect our waterways from hazardous waste?

Sister Mary Ann Czaja toured the National Fish Hatchery and Aquarium in Edenton, NC. Americans like fish. America’s fish are in trouble. Aquatic habitat is declining because of erosion and sedimentation, altered stream flows, dams and obstructions, pollution, and invasive species. The Fisheries Program conserves species at risk for extinction and raises native fish and other species. (http://fisheries.fws.gov).

Are you looking for a way to teach children about creation care and the Catholic faith?

Download “God’s Creation Waits,” a free, downloadable PDF, for kids grades 2-5 and their adults, on noticing, appreciating, and protecting God’s Creation. View the free booklet here.

GET READY! Plastic Free JulyⓇ is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution - so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics?

Take the challenge!

Curious to know what people have done for Plastic Free July? Read inspirational stories to learn what participants are doing to reduce single-use plastic waste at home, work, or in their community. Learn about the steps they took, the challenges they overcame, and lessons learned. 

Do you have a story to share that will inspire and empower others? Share it with us!

Many sisters in the CSA motherhouse have been experimenting with a variety of plastic-free household items, including laundry detergent sheets, shampoo bars, toothpaste tabs, bamboo toothbrushes, beeswax food wrap, lip balm, dryer balls, and much more. Sister Peg Spindler has created an extensive list of companies offering alternative products for your kitchen, bath, laundry, and other areas. 
 

BNSF Railway writer, Susan Green, writes an alarming, but encouraging, article on the Navajo Nation’s plight for water leading to a water-by-rail solution in this April 2, 2024 article.

Green explains that “in the arid high desert of New Mexico, water is an increasingly rare commodity, especially in the eastern Navajo Nation, where many homes on the reservation have no running water. A pipeline is prohibitively expensive, and the main water sources are nearby wells that have already been tapped or contaminated.”

Chris Halter is Director of St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School in Thoreau, New Mexico. He explains, “Recent drilling for new wells proved costly and futile.” He knew bringing potable water to the area was urgently needed. Chris’ brother, Drew, saw firsthand how much the reservation relied on a water-delivery system, using a small fleet of water trucks to serve 250 families. With his railroad experience, Drew developed a new plan - Jacob’s Well. Jacob’s Well, Water by Rails Transportation Service, provides an alternative for environmentally friendly, timely, cost-efficient water, assisting overstressed water aquifers and depleted groundwater sources in areas of need across the United States, including delivering thousands of gallons of water each month from Mississippi to the Navajo Nation.

Watch this video that describes the Navajo water issue.

While moving water from one geographical watershed to another is by no means a perfect solution, it is an innovative way to meet the needs of people while work is done to rectify the problems with the local water sources. 

The costs for the mission’s water and transport are paid for by donations. You can donate online to help buy water for the St. Bonaventure Mission or donate over the phone: 877-989-4100. When making a donation, please mark in the comment section “water project for Jacob’s Well.”

This story was brought to our attention by Sister Barb DeBoo, CSA, who was on staff at St. Michael Indian School for 27 yrs (1992-2019). St. Michael was founded in 1902 by Saint Katharine Drexel to provide Catholic education to students on the Navajo Reservation. 

Take Action NOW to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline that threatens Tribal land, the Great Lakes and our climate.

Watch this informative short video that introduces the problem.

Then watch this full length film “Bad River” which is a chronicle of the Wisconsin-based Bad River Band and its ongoing fight for sovereignty; a story which unfolds in a groundbreaking way through a series of shocking revelations, devastating losses, and a powerful legacy of defiance and resilience. WATCH FOR FREE HERE. The movie trailer is also available here.  

The Army Corps has released a Draft Combined Decision Document for the proposed Line 5 construction. In the document, the Corps makes a number of preliminary determinations that will inform its upcoming decision about whether or not to issue a permit for pipeline construction. The Corps is seeking in-person and written feedback on its preliminary determinations. 
On June 4, the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers held an in-person public hearing in Ashland, WI. Catholic sisters from La Crosse attended a public hearing on June 4 in Ashland, WI. You can hear all the comments with this recording. 

Now, written comments to the Army Corps can be sent to CEMVP-WiL5R-CDDComments@usace.army.mil. The deadline for submitting written comments has been extended to August 4.
This is a critical opportunity to share our concerns about Line 5 with the Army Corps and the Biden Administration. Join the Sierra Club of Wisconsin by telling President Biden to shut down the pipeline with this online petition.
To prepare your written comments, here are some helpful resources including points to consider, sample testimony and links to additional websites. Remember, submit comments by August 4. Your action is crucial. You may also email your comments to Beth Piggush at bpiggush@fspa.org and she will forward them to the Corps on your behalf. Thank you!

Pictured here are CSA Associates Kelsey Beine, Michael Ketterhagen and Mary Ketterhagen, with Avery (the daughter of the tour agents for Mocha Origins), and Druscilla Namaganda (vanilla farm manager). CSA associates observed the process of farming vanilla beans for fair trade in Uganda.

Ms. Namaganda provided a tour of an organic farm that produces vegetables, vanilla, and pineapple. Growing and processing vanilla, cocoa, and coffee from the tree to the final product is an intensive endeavor of ecology and balanced economics. Their fair trade commitment provides equitable fair prices for the farmers, manufacturers, vendors, and shareholders, which the associates observed.

Farmers deliver the vanilla beans to the collection points, determine the pay, and transport the product to the factory for processing. Parents who earn a fair wage can adequately support their families, and their children receive a better education. Local farmers collaborate with one another and then share the profit. Farming practices of sustainability lead to better quality of life for all and for Earth. The visitors were impressed by the kindness, compassion, and gratitude of the local families, while valuing the experience.

In this image, Michael is learning how the workers sort the beans. The visitors learn how Fair Trade provides small farmers in more than 70 countries worldwide with an opportunity to secure a fair market price for their goods. Fair Trade helps to market and provide all vendors with the opportunity to earn a wage that is fair and equitable. 

Reflect

• In your area, are farmers developing fair trade practices of economy and sustainability?  
• How do our choices impact people in other places and other climates? The challenge is to balance production with profit for future generations.

Learn More about Fair Trade 
 

Laudato Si’ Week: Seeds of Hope

“There are no lasting changes without cultural changes … 
and there are no cultural changes without personal changes” (Laudate Deum, 70)

Laudato Si’ Week was Sunday, May 19–Sunday, May 26. 

Did you celebrate? If you missed it, you can celebrate now instead!
 
In the Laudato Si’ Celebration Guide, each day is themed with an activity, reflection questions, and additional resources in honor of the ninth anniversary of the Holy Father’s exhortation, inspiring "a personal and cultural transformation in the midst of our ecological and climate crises".  

Access the Celebration Guide
 

The Letter is a film that captivates audiences, evokes emotions, brings an overwhelming call to action, and a perfect fit for an Earth Day celebration - or any time of the year

Emmaus Ecumenical Catholic Community in Oshkosh, WI is an inclusive parish in the Catholic tradition where CSA Associate Pat Belongie attends. In honor of Earth Day and motivated by Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si', Pat presented the film The Letter to members of her church on April 28, 2024. She shares:

“It was a cool and rainy spring day, perfect for staying indoors and watching a movie, and that’s what the community of Emmaus did. The Earth Day event was a first for this small community. Following the morning prayer service and a light meal we returned to the chapel of the church to view the film. Prior to the movie, several people told me they would not be able to stay for the entire film (the film is 1 hour and 20 minutes long). However, the story has a way of drawing the audience in and only one person actually left before the end.

Pat goes on to say, “The film bears witness to the devastation caused by an ever-changing climate and those most affected: the poor, creation, the rain forests,,our oceans and waterways, and our very selves. Our hearts were broken open, tears were shed, but most importantly, everyone felt called to do something to protect the planet.”

The presentation concluded with an Earth Day prayer read by Mary Beth Petesch, written by Jane Deron, Ph.D. Jane writes: “We are called to experience, with mind and heart and soul, that all is communion through an ecological conversion, that we are all necessary to play a passionately informed role as we embrace our responsibility to ourselves, our neighbors, Creation, and the Creator. Amen”

As participants left, they were able to take home a variety of environmental resources and actions they could take to protect the planet. Reverend Mimi Maki expressed, “Let’s do this again!“ Pat agrees and says, “I am sure we will, for there is much to do and the call will remain. I was honored to participate in this endeavor in living out the mission of CSA in the protection of our common home Mother Earth.”

Associate Shannon Meagher also showed The Letter to members of her congregation earlier this year. Like Pat, her audience was small, but if only one more person becomes aware of our climate crisis it is worth showing again and again!

The film can be accessed for free at www.theletterfilm.org. A study guide is also available. Please consider a screening for your church or organization and let us know how it goes! For help in obtaining additional resources, please contact Tracy at tabler@csasisters.org

For more information about Laudato Si’ visit any of these websites: 
CSA’s Cosmology & Creation 
Laudato Si Movement
Laudato Si Action Platform
Catholic Climate Covenant
God’s Plan(et)
 

The life of Jesuit Priest and Scientist, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin is featured in an inspiring film about him, TEILHARD: Visionary Scientist. The film will be available for national and international streaming for two years, beginning May 20, 2024 on the free PBS App. 

1. Download the app: https://www.mpt.org/anywhere/pbs-app/ 
2. Search in the app for the film’s title: “Teilhard: Visionary Scientist”

DVDs of the program will be available at this link beginning May 20, 2024, as well.

Watch the trailer here:

Teilhard de Chardin television biography trailer from Teilhard Project on Vimeo.

Learn more about the Teilhard Project 

Watch for details on a CSA Watch Party in the future - or plan your own!
 

This Laudato Si’ Week (May 19-26) and Pentecost, let us gather in community to contemplate and nurture seeds of hope for our “suffering planet” (LD 2). Laudate Deum is a reminder about the urgency of the Laudato Si’ message and the need for both personal and cultural transformation amidst our ecological and climate crises.

This year’s Laudato Si’ Week theme is inspired by the symbol for Season of Creation 2024, “firstfruits.” Let us be seeds of hope in our lives and our world, rooted in faith and love.

Download this Celebration Guide to fully experience this Laudato Si’ Week. Inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, this eight-day guide seeks to motivate all people of good will to protect our Common Home through concrete actions and simple changes in the way we live. Each day a specific theme is proposed that addresses aspects of integral ecology, such as waste reduction, renewable energy use and water conservation.

Don’t stop there!! Catholic Relief Services is urging all to engage in advocacy efforts aimed at influencing policymakers priorities and decisions. On May 21, participate in Call Congress Day  to advocate for climate change adaptation, sustainable agriculture, and food security. Register here or text CALL CONGRESS to 677-68 to join this nationwide event. 

Last week, Catholic Climate Covenant praised the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) newly updated power plant emission standards. These emission guidelines will reduce coal ash, carbon, mercury, wastewater, and other power plant pollutants and improve the quality of life and the health and well-being of the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters for generations to come. The EPA’s carbon pollution power plant standards, alongside the Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed in Aug. 2022, are projected to reduce carbon pollution by up to 75% by 2035. Read the Covenant’s full statement.

We invite you to join us and others in the faith community in thanking EPA Administrator Michael Regan for this important step to protect human health and respond to the climate crisis. Write your letter.

Plants and animals depend on Earth’s daily cycle of light and dark to govern life-sustaining behaviors such as reproduction, nourishment, sleep and protection from predators.

The International Dark-Sky Association restores the nighttime environment and protects communities from the harmful effects of light pollution through outreach, advocacy, and conservation.

Light pollution is the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally. Light pollution disrupts wildlife, impacts human health, wastes money and energy, contributes to climate change, and blocks our view of the universe. What can be done about light pollution? Learn more at darksky.org

The Earth Day Fair returns to Founder’s Hall at the motherhouse of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) at 320 County Rd K in Fond du Lac. On April 27, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the public is invited to interact with Earth-focused exhibitors and participate in various planned activities. 

Get all the event details!

In celebration of Earth Day, CSA hosts Common Ground, a film that unveils a dark web of money, power, and politics behind our broken food system. The film reveals how unjust practices forged our current farm system in which farmers of all colors are literally dying to feed us. The film profiles a hopeful and uplifting movement of white, black, and indigenous farmers who are using alternative “regenerative” models of agriculture that could balance the climate, save or health, and stabilize America’s economy - before it is too late.

Watch the trailer here:

Request a screening and get more information at https://commongroundfilm.org/
 

Trillion Trees Pledge

On Earth Day (May 22) 2024, Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in celebration of Earth Day today and Forest Appreciation Week this week, announced that the state is increasing its Trillion Trees Pledge planting goal from planting 75 million trees by the end of 2030 to planting 100 million trees by the end of 2030. Gov. Evers and DNR also released the Wisconsin Trillion Trees Pledge 2023 Annual Report today, which shows Wisconsin has planted more than 32 million trees since Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #112 in 2021 committing Wisconsin to the Trillion Trees Pledge, bringing the state more than 40 percent towards its goal just three years into the pledge. Read the full press release.

Access to Solar

On April 23, Gov. Evers announced that Wisconsin is receiving a grant of $62.4 million from the Biden-Harris Administration to help fund solar systems for low- and moderate-income households across Wisconsin. Read the full story.

Funding New Energy Innovations

On April 24, Gov. Evers announced that the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin awarded $7.8 million from the Energy Innovation Grant Program to 28 projects that will expand access to clean energy and invest in the adoption of innovative technologies and processes. Learn more.

Federal Funds Go to Conservation and Restoration

On April 25, Gov. Evers announced that the Wisconsin Department of Administration is set to receive a total of $4.6 million through President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.The award will be directed towards two habitat conservation and restoration projects. Read the full release. 

What will happen next? Consider subscribing to press releases.
 

Catholic Climate Covenant’s 2024 Earth Day program focuses on the growing problem of plastic pollution and complements the secular Earth Day theme of “Planet vs. Plastics”.

Do you know?

• The United States is the world’s largest plastic polluter; every year we produce 35 million tons of plastic waste.
• Every 15.5 hours, Americans throw away enough plastic to fill the largest NFL stadium in the country, AT&T Stadium in Dallas, and the pile grows larger every year.
• Plastic piles up in landfills, litters our communities, pollutes beaches, and breaks down into microplastics that get EVERYWHERE - including inside us?!
• Less than 9% (some say only 5-6%) of plastics actually get recycled in the U.S.
• The production of plastics is a huge source of greenhouse pollution and is expected to overtake emissions from coal-fired power plants by 2030.

In this short video from Environmental Health News, learn how our throwaway culture is connected to plastic pollution and why it has become such a huge problem.  

We must deal with the plastic crisis if we are to control the climate crisis, to improve the health of our air and oceans, and to protect the Earth’s biodiversity and human health. You are encouraged to learn more and avoid adding to the plastic waste crisis whenever and wherever possible.  Learn more by participating in Catholic Climate Covenant’s 2024 Earth Day program - Healing Our Throwaway Culture: A Focus on Plastics. The one-hour program will help your community learn about how plastic production, consumption, and disposal are impacting human and planetary health, and give you strategies for personal, community, and systemic actions. The Earth Day program can be used any day that fits your community’s schedule. Learn more.

In 2022, 175 nations agree to develop a legally binding agreement on plastic pollution by 2024, prompting a major step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production, use and disposal. Read more. The fourth session of negotiations started earlier this week in Ottawa, Canada. Follow this and insist that our U.S. government supports a strong UN Plastic Treaty with mandatory, ambitious, scientifically based, and enforceable control measures and obligations to ensure results and accountability. 
SIGN AND SHARE THIS PLASTIC POLLUTION PETITION

Consider making some personal commitments.

Laudato Si' Action Platform invites Catholic Religious women and men to participate in an inspiring event, “Voices of Faith and Hope: Global; Catholic Religious in the Heart of Climate Action,” hosted by the religious sector of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform and the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission of International Union of Superiors General (UISG).

The event is May 22, and they are looking to feature diverse and powerful stories from religious around the world. Selected stories will be presented as part of the event, providing a platform for sisters to share their journey and inspire others.

SHARE YOUR STORY HERE

Event Details:
Title: Voices of Faith and Hope: Global Catholic Religious in the Heart of Climate Action
Date: Wednesday, May 22
Time: 6:30 AM Mexico City, 8:30 AM New York, 1:30 PM London, 2:30 PM Rome, 3:30 PM Nairobi, 8:30 PM Manila
Hosts: Laudato Si' Action Platform and International Union of Superiors General

Stories that are not selected for live presentation may still be featured on our blog or social media channels as part of the Laudato Si' Week celebrations and beyond.

Please submit your responses by May 10. They will contact you shortly after to notify you of their decision. This is an opportunity to share your story with a global audience and to highlight the critical role of our faith in the ecological movement. 

CSA is a registered “Green Team” with Faith in Place, an affiliate of Interfaith Power & Light. Faith in Place champions justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; fight for those most impacted by environmental injustice; and believe the environmental movement must be rooted in justice. They offer several free programs, events and resources on their website.

If you missed last week’s virtual earth vigil, you may watch the recording.

Did you know that the City of Fond du Lac is a designated Bird City? Fond du Lac’s Bird City Wisconsin designation is an honor the city achieved in 2012 and has renewed annually since then. This recognition reflects the importance that the Fond du Lac community places on protecting its avian wildlife and the habitat on which they rely. To be recognized as a Bird City, a community must meet criteria spread across six categories: habitat creation and protection, community forest management, limiting threats to birds, education, energy and sustainability, and the official recognition and celebration of World Migratory Bird Day.

Bird City Wisconsin provides highly visible public recognition to municipalities that understand that healthy communities are the sum of many parts, including birds. Bird City Wisconsin supports its communities, including Fond du Lac, in their efforts to protect and manage green space, educate their citizens, build and erect nesting structures, landscape with native plants, and reduce threats to birds like collisions and outdoor cats. Bird City Wisconsin also supports cities’ efforts to generally make urban areas both friendlier for birds and places where people want to live and work.  

Annually, Fond du Lac celebrates World Migratory Bird Day with events during the last week of April and the first week of May.

Birding in Fond du Lac
Thursday, April 25, 6 p.m., Fond du Lac Public Library, McLane Room
Steven Thompson, local bird photographer extraordinaire will share his favorite photos of birds and the best places to bird in Fond du Lac to capture your own stunning images.

CSA Earth Day Fair
Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
Visit the Bird City exhibitor table and sign up for a guided bird walk on the CSA escarpment at 2:15.

World Migratory Bird Reception
Thursday, May 2, 5 p.m., THELMA Sadoff Center for the Arts
Bird art on display by members of the THELMA Visual Artists. Tom Schultz, National Geographic Illustrator will give a presentation about his work and Bill Volkert, WI naturalist will be reading from one of his published books.

Guided Bird Watching
Friday, May 3
6 p.m. walk at Camelot Business Park
Saturday, May 4
7 a.m. walk at the Greenway Arboretum
10 a.m. walk at Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
1 p.m. walk at Lake Winnebago shore and boardwalk

Build a Bird: Glass Fusion Workshop
Saturday, May 4, 2 p.m., Trista Holz Studios (13 E. 1st St.)
Work with local artist Trista Holz to learn how to stack and fuse glass into your own beautiful work of ornithological art!

Local Galleries Featuring Bird Art
All May
Gallery & Frame Shop (94 S. Main)
Sumercé Artisans (52 E. Division)
Trista Holz Studios (13 E. 1st St.)

No one should be allowed to gamble with water – but that’s exactly what financial speculators are trying to do by trading water futures on the stock market.  Allowing financial speculators to profit off and drive up prices on a resource is dangerous.  

Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Ro Khanna just re-introduced legislation to ban water futures trading.  Ask your representatives to co-sponsor. 

Take Action Here.

U.S. Senator John Barrasso (Wyo.) recently introduced a bill that seeks to block the Biden Administration’s proposal to advance protections for old-growth forests. This bill is an attack on our climate-critical trees and forests and must not pass. Logging will continue to destroy our nation’s oldest trees.

The Biden administration's proposal, called the National Old Growth Amendment, will safeguard mature and old-growth trees across federal lands -- allowing them to continue to store carbon, provide clean water and support wildlife for centuries to come. Read more.

The Barrasso bill will do the opposite. By blocking the National Old Growth Amendment from going into effect, the bill will give the timber industry access to logging in our old-growth forests.

For the ecosystems they support, old-growth trees are gifts that keep on giving. For the timber industry, a tree's value grows until backhoes, bulldozers and saws cut it down.

We're counting on Environmental Action supporters like you to help save America's oldest trees and keep pristine wildlife habitats intact.

Stand up for our oldest trees.
 

Back in 2017, Walmart launched “Project Gigaton,” an ambitious project to eliminate one gigaton (1 billion metric tons) of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain by 2030. For reference, that’s the equivalent of taking more than 211 million passenger vehicles off the road for a whole year. This is also close to the amount Japan releases in one year as of 2021.

In February, Walmart announced that Project Gigatron had met its goals-six years early. More than 5,900 suppliers, responsible for around 75% of Walmart’s sales, participated. Companies big and small committed to taking steps to reduce their emissions in one or more of six areas: energy use, product design and usage; packaging; transportation; and waste.

The Walmart Sustainability Hub has been called the “village” for Climate Change aware companies that want to save the planet. The website offers “toolkits” of resources and information for each of the Project Gigaton pillars (Emission, Energy, Agriculture, Waste, Packaging, Deforestation, and Product Use) to help suppliers get started or advance their existing work. They also include a focus on worker dignity and safety.
A March 30, 2024 Fortune article details how the project works and the secrets to Walmart’s success. Read the full story

Walmart says, “Although we have achieved our 1 gigaton goal, we will continue Project Gigaton — because as a society we have a long way to go. Building a net zero emissions future will require a massive transition in our world’s energy and transport systems, materials and infrastructure… We hope Project Gigatron will continue to set the standard for corporate climate action - because a more sustainable supply chain is a more resilient one. A more resilient supply chain isn’t just better for our business, it’s better for people, communities and the planet.”

We hope so too, Walmart! Thanks for leading the way.
 

UNANIMA International plans a parallel event alongside the first ever UNGA Sustainability Week (April 15-19, 2024).

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President is calling for all stakeholders to #ChooseSustainability, highlighting that “impactful transformation remains central to the ongoing efforts to advance all three dimensions of sustainable development - social, economic, and environmental - to achieve peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all.”

UNANIMA International invites members and friends to join the parallel event they are organizing called, “Holistic Approaches for a Sustainable Future: Centering Individual, Collective & Planetary Well-Being” on Tuesday, April 16th 12-2 pm CT. This is a hybrid event. 

Read the full concept note here.

Please Register

Faith Climate Action Week is 10 days in April during Earth Month - April 19-28, 2024.

This year's Faith Climate Action Week focus film, Common Ground, is a powerful follow-up to Kiss the Ground. Common Ground provides hope for future generations with concrete ways to fix a broken planetary system. The film explores how regenerative agriculture can help heal the soil, our health, and the planet.

“By fusing journalistic expose’ with deeply personal stories from those on the front lines of the food movement, Common Ground unveils a dark web of money, power, and politics behind our broken food system. The film reveals how unjust practices forged our current farm system in which farmers of all colors are dying to feed us. The film profiles a hopeful and uplifting movement of white, black, and indigenous farmers who are using alternative “regenerative” models of agriculture that could balance the climate, save our health, and stabilize America’s economy – before it’s too late.”

CSA JPIC is hosting a FREE in-person screening of the documentary on 
Tuesday, April 23 at 6 pm 
in Founders Hall in the CSA Motherhouse.

This event will not be livestreamed.

REGISTER HERE 

Then on April 24 at 11am, join the Interfaith Power and Light webinar conversation with Gabe Brown - Regenerative Farmer and Advocate from the Common Ground film.

Register for the webinar

The second annual ‘International Day of Zero Waste’ on March 30 highlights the importance of sustainable production and consumption practices.

The second annual International Day of Zero Waste on March 30 highlights the need to increase waste management globally and recognize the importance of sustainable production and consumption practices. We need to view waste as a resource, recovering materials as much as possible and reducing extraction of limited natural resources. Zero waste initiatives help achieve Goal 11 and Goal 12 of the UN’s Sustainable Development agenda. These goals address all forms of waste including food loss and waste, natural resource extraction and electronic waste.

2024 ‘Water for Peace’ theme hopes to create a positive ripple effect.

Rooted in the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, World Water Day celebrates freshwater and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. It is all about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. This year’s theme is ‘Water for Peace’, which focuses on the critical role water plays in the stability and prosperity of the world. When water is scarce or polluted, or when people have limited or unequal access, tensions can rise between communities and countries. More than 3 billion people worldwide depend on water that crosses national borders. Yet, out of 153 countries that share rivers, lakes and aquifers with their neighbors, only 24 countries report having cooperation agreements for all their shared water.

Explore resources to learn more and promote engagement.

Matthew 25: Ministries in Blue Ash, Ohio helps the poorest of the poor and disaster victims throughout the United States and around the world. They accept monetary donations and product donations of misprinted, slightly damaged, over-stocked or gently used supplies from corporations, organizations and individuals nationwide.

Since March 2023, Matthew 25: Ministries has been accepting donations of empty plastic pill bottles for inclusion in shipments of medical supplies. Their pill bottle program fulfills the dual needs of improving medical care in developing countries and caring for our environment. Learn what is acceptable and how donations are handled here: m25m.org/pillbottles/

Looking for other ideas to reuse your pill bottles at home? A search on Etsy will provide ideas for reusing your bill bottles to hold anything from Q-tips to M&Ms, match sticks to paint brushes.

Of course, we are all challenged to avoid single use plastics whenever possible, and start converting our household items to plastic-free packaging. What’s the problem with plastics? Aside from an aggravating reminder of our wasteful society, plastic is a growing hazard to our health and the environment. Read this short article or any of the ones listed below:

1. Sam Meredith, "Just 20 companies are responsible for over half of 'throwaway' plastic waste, study says," CNBC, May 18, 2021.
2. Hannah Ritchie, Veronika Samborska and Max Roser, "Plastic Pollution," Our World in Data, last accessed February 19, 2024.
3. Justine Calma, "Amazon generates millions of pounds of plastic waste," The Verge, December 15, 2020.
4. Steve Mufson, "Amazon plastic use soared in 2020, environmental group says," The Washington Post, December 15, 2021.
5. "2023 Global Brand Audit: The Coca-Cola Company is once again the top global plastic polluter," Break Free From Plastic, February 7, 2024.
6. Holly Thompson, Steve Blackledge and Matt Casale, "The Whole Foods Plastic Problem," PIRG, March 2, 2023.
7. Jenn Engstrom, "Statement: Amazon to phase out single-use plastic padded shipping bags," PIRG, July 19, 2023.
8. "Costco makes new commitments to reduce plastic use," PIRG, October 12, 2023.
9. "Chick-fil-A's new chicken sandwich shouldn't come with a side of plastic waste," PIRG, August 16, 2023.

Follow PIRG's Beyond Plastic page for ongoing updates and action ideas. 

International Forests Day is March 21. This year’s theme is Forests and Innovation - New Solutions for a Better World.

Learn more about the Collaborative Partnership on Forests’ vision for meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Register today for an 8-week course that offers an in-depth study of the essential teachings of Thomas Berry on Monday nights starting March 4.

Explore a new story perspective on the Ecozoic Way. Herman Greene, a close friend and leading scholar of Thomas Berry, will lead the course. Session topics include:

1. Thomas Berry:  The Man, His Times, and Influences on His Thought
2. The Ecozoic Era:  Moving on from a Terminal Cenozoic to an Ecozoic Era 
3. The Great Work:  Moving from our Modern Industrial Civilization with its Devastating Impact to that of Benign Presence
4. Reinventing the Human at the Species Level
5. The New Cosmology
6. Call for Ecozoic Societies
7. Essential Understandings for the Great Work
8. Applying Thomas Berry’s Teachings: Reform of Religion and Law

Learn more and register here. Early bird registration of $240 ends Feb. 26.

Every hunting season in Wisconsin, hunters release hundreds of hound dogs in packs to chase and harass black bears and other forest creatures. Besides harming wildlife—including protected species, like wolves—hound hunting hurts the dogs, who can be injured or killed in bloody fights with the animals they pursue. This brutal practice also threatens the safety of humans who visit the forests where it happens.

Wisconsin legislators have recently passed a bill allowing hound hunting to extend into the spring months of May and June, when black bears have just emerged from hibernation and are out with cubs, wolves are at den sites protecting their pups, and animals are most vulnerable.

With your help, we can stop this bill from becoming law and let the wildlife of Wisconsin’s Northwoods focus on raising their young in peace.

Tell the governor to veto this cruel bill now!

Laudato Si' Movement monthly prayer guides are designed to inspire you to pray, contemplate, reflect and act for creation. In it, you will find:

• Step-by-step instructions on how to use this prayer guide for an encounter;
• Intention of the month and Laudato Si' quote;
• A prayer to give thanks to the Holy Trinity;
• A reflection to embrace integral ecology by Prof. Dr. Telmo Pedro Vieira, Laudato Si' Animator from Santa Catarina, Brazil;
• Illustrative images of the song of creation and the cry of creation;
• And for February… the invitation to embrace Lent through a Lenten calendar guide. 

Monthly Prayer Guide

PDF version