Bending the Arc references a quote by Rev. Dr. King who said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” This digital newsletter from the CSA Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation office showcases the work of changemakers, opportunities to learn, and opportunities for you to help “bend the arc” toward justice. Full contents of the newsletter are published on this page.
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Climate Scientists and Others Continue to Raise Red Flags
June 27, 2025
Large areas of Canada, the United States and even across the ocean recently experienced poor air quality for several days as a result of intense Canadian wildfires. On June 4th, according to the Natural Resources Canada’s website, there were 78 wildfires classified as uncontrolled, 64 were controlled and 23 that were “being held.” The earth’s climate has changed and wildfires are far more common than in the past. According to Canadian elected official Corey Hogan, “From 1981 to 2015, there were an average of 18 smoke hours per year in the city of Calgary. No year had over 100. Now we see hundreds of smoke hours routinely: 315 in 2017, 450 in 2018, 439 in 2021, 512 in 2023, and 2024 was 200.”
Mr. Hogan appealed to members of parliament about the threats of climate change. “We cannot wave away climate change. It is not a future threat; it is a present one. It takes a somewhat willful blindness to ignore the increasing frequency of so-called 100-year floods and once-in-a-generation forest fires. It takes a denial that borders on malice to ignore the increase in hurricanes, droughts and heat waves that climate change has brought, which have cost the lives of thousands across the globe.” Yet, Canada continues to consider the construction of more fossil fuel pipelines.
Here in the neighboring United States, the Department of the Interior recently announced an expansion of coal mining to sites that were being closed down. Funds were shifted from shutting down the plants to expanding them. This at a time when atmospheric CO2 levels in May 2025 were the highest they’ve ever been in human history. The Interior Department said it would allow the mine’s operator to mine nearly 60 millions tons of coal, mostly for export to Asia. Read more here.
While climate scientists and others continue to raise red flags, smoky skies become more common and a hotter climate poses threats for millions of people; yet, the topic of climate change is stifled by many influential people.
“The truth is: the natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water and air. It is the most precious thing we have and we need to defend it.” - Sir David Attenborough
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Cosmology & Creation