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July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, according to the World Meteorological Organization, with the Atlantic Ocean near Florida measuring 101.1 degrees, likely the highest ocean temperature ever recorded anywhere in the world. Canadian wildfires burned nearly 46 million acres over the summer, and Maui’s August wildfires were the deadliest fires in the United States in over a century.
As the climate crisis accelerates, a new coalition of Unitarian Universalist organizations is collaborating to share resources and ideas to have greater impact in their climate justice work.
“No one role in our ecosystem can tackle climate justice,” explains Rev. Kelly Dignan, co-director of UU Ministry for Earth, a member of the coalition. “It behooves us to realize we have different specialties we can call on to create a cohesive, collaborative strategy for climate justice.”
To learn more about the Climate Revival, the Climate Justice Coalition, and how you can get involved, check uuclimatejustice.org.
UU organizations working together instead of in silos will produce exponential results, says Rachel Myslivy, climate justice organizer for Side With Love’s Organizing Strategy Team.
She notes that in the past there have been efforts to collaborate around climate justice among UUs, and “this is the newest flourishing of it.” Moreover, she adds, “We don’t need to be arguing about whether marching is the best way to advance climate justice or whether it’s working at the legislative level. We really need all those things.”
So far, members of the coalition include the UUA Side With Love Organizing Strategy Team, UU Ministry for Earth, and the Coalition of UU State Action Networks, among many others.
In 2022, the coalition adopted a shared theme of climate-forced displacement, with each organization approaching the theme from their unique approach. For example, Side With Love had worked for about a year fostering climate resilience and community care for UU congregations in the face of climate disasters, including creating a disaster preparedness toolbox for congregations, available on sidewithlove.org.
"We don’t need to be arguing about whether marching is the best way to advance climate justice or whether it’s working at the legislative level. We really need all those things."
In 2023, the coalition came together for a series of four retreats designed to cultivate relationships and amplify opportunities for continued work. In 2024, the coalition will continue working together to clarify its mission, goals, and shared work.
The UU Climate Revival, “Reimagine Together: From an Extractive Age to a New Era,” planned for this fall, will include worship and creative engagements for all ages, with opportunities for community building and reflection designed to deepen the connections between social justice, racial justice, and environmental action.
To learn more about the Climate Revival, the Climate Justice Coalition, and how you can get involved, visit uuclimatejustice.org.