Climate Justice

The Saint Paul Climate Justice Team is responsible for this portion of the website. Among the items you will find here are the following:

A recording of a presentation by Climate Up Close, a group of climate scientists from Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, and NOAA, discussing what we know about climate change, detailing how climate change affects extreme weather, and framing what the future may hold.
The 2025 Lent Carbon Reduction Calendar that was prepared by members of our team;
How to watch Dr. Jesse Bell’s January 26 power point presentation about the effects of climate change on health;
An explanation of why Saint Paul UMC composts much of its food waste and what happens to that waste after it leaves the church;
A description of God’s Tree-mendous Creation project that resulted in the planting of 57 new trees in the last three years in an older neighborhood in south central Lincoln;
Summaries of climate-related legislation adopted by the 2025 Nebraska legislature and signed by the Governor as well as descriptions of climate-related bills that were not adopted but will carry over for consideration by the 2026 legislature.
Numerous other climate-related items, including many under the category of “Climate Change Resources.

In early 2024, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy completed and submitted to EPA a Priority Climate Action Plan for the state. A brief description of that plan and a link to the plan itself is available under the heading “The Priority Climate Action Plan for the State of Nebraska.” In July of that year, the EPA awarded $307 million to the Department to fund implementation of that plan. More details about how that money is to be used are described in the segment below about the plan.

Finally, this portion of the website has a brief description of what is contained in the Inflation Reduction Act related to climate change. A link in that section will take you to a more detailed description of the act and a listing of the many resources that are available to individuals and houses of worship to help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Congress is currently considering the repeal of a number of the provisions that currently make those resources available.

Climate Up Close Presentation on June 27

When was the last time you talked to a climate scientist? For most Lincolnites, the answer was “never.” That changed when Climate Up Close brought its tour to Nebraska. On June 27, 2025, four climate scientists affiliated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Cornell University, Harvard University, and Princeton University visited Saint Paul UMC to discuss what we know about climate change, how it affects extreme weather, and what the future may hold. A recording of the presentation is available below.

2025 Lent Carbon Reduction Calendar

Human emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are the primary drivers of climate change today. While the climate crisis may seem daunting and too vast for any one person to solve, we all have the power to make a difference by making eco-friendly choices in our everyday lives. The Saint Paul UMC Climate Justice team created this Lent Carbon Reduction Calendar, which aims to empower individuals to take small steps that add up to a significant positive impact over time.

This year, Lent began on March 5 with Ash Wednesday, and ended with Easter on April 20. The Lent Carbon Reduction Calendar encourages us to partake in a “carbon fast” throughout the Lenten season, in which followers turn away from actions that release climate-disrupting carbon into the atmosphere and turn back to a way of life that cares for creation. Entries include tips for reducing energy consumption, local resources for going green, journal prompts to arouse thought about climate change, and even meatless recipes! The tips are tailored to be practical, accessible, affordable, and easy to implement.

Even though Lent has now passed, you can use the calendar as a resource any time of the year. Review the entries, reflect, and decide which carbon-emitting behaviors you would like to reduce or eliminate.

Climate Change and Human Health with Dr. Jesse Bell

Immediately following the morning worship service on January 26, 2025, Saint Paul’s Climate Justice and Health Justice teams were pleased to co-sponsor a presentation by Dr. Jesse Bell, the Claire M. Hubbard Professor of Water, Climate and Health at UNMC. Dr. Bell’s remarks about the effects of climate change on human health were very informative and very well received. Dr. Bell has graciously shared a copy of his PowerPoint presentation given that day.

Composting at Saint Paul

For a few months we have been experimenting with composting at Saint Paul. Thank you, Saint Paul members and friends for helping to make that experiment work. We have learned two things so far. First, we need to do a much better job explaining why composting is important and second, we need to make it easier to understand at any given event what is compostable, what is recyclable and what is to be placed in trash. This is our initial attempt to address both those needs.

Why do we compost food and other organic materials at Saint Paul?
Placing food and other organic materials in with regular trash has two very negative impacts: (1) it adds bulk to the landfill that will shorten the life of that facility, and (2) more importantly, as food waste and other organics decay in a landfill, they produce methane gas. Methane is a greenhouse gas that does not stay in the atmosphere as long as carbon dioxide (CO2) but while it does last, it is 28 to 34 times as potent as (CO2) in trapping heat.

What can we compost at Saint Paul?
We can compost food waste, napkins and paper towels, coffee grounds, compostable plates cups, greasy cardboard and other organic material. In the future we will provide clear signage at each specific event where composting is to be done. In some cases that will be to compost just left-over food and napkins, but in others it may include plates and/or cups.

What happens to the food and other organic material that is collected at Saint Paul?
The light green bags of compostable material that are collected at Saint Paul are placed in a separate bin in the alley next to our trash and recyclable receptacles. The contents of that bin are picked up weekly by Waste to Energy, a division of Uribe Refuse Services, the church’s regular refuse hauler. According to Uribe’s website, it has collected and kept out of the landfill from all the participating institutions and residences that compost over 1,000 tons (that is 2 million pounds) of organic waste. Uribe has a long-term goal of collecting a total of 100 tons per day. Over 25 years, the goal is to collect and keep out of the landfill enough organic waste to reduce local greenhouse emissions by 430,000 metric tons.

What happens to the compostable material after Uribe collects it?
It is important to note that none of it finds its way to the landfill. It is all delivered to Prairieland Dairy in Firth, which mixes that organic material with dairy manure. Then, through a 12 to 16 week process at the dairy, it is turned into odorless, natural fertilizer for use in agriculture, landscaping and gardening. Uribe’s agreement with Prairieland allows Uribe’s customers to utilize that waste-to-fertilizer product for their own purposes.

Bottom line–composting is a win, win for those involved and for the environment!

God’s Tree-mendous Creation

Thank you Saint Paul!

On a gorgeous, sun-filled Fall Sunday in October 2022, over 30 members of our Saint Paul family gathered to celebrate and plant trees around the Peach Park neighborhood. The event, sponsored by SPUMC’s Climate Justice Team was held following morning church services, where planters and trees were blessed. Sack lunches were provided by the Near South Neighborhood Association, and master tree planter, Mark Wilson, provided instruction to the Discovery Kids (and adults) on the best planting methods for long-term tree success… then the SPUMC teams went to work, planting the first 10 of 37 high-quality trees provided by Saint Paul Church. The balance of the trees were planted by Great Plains Nursery the following Monday. Most gratifying were the connections made with neighbors, who asked to water and care for their tree, and they wanted to know a little more about SPUMC. Something more than simply tree roots may have been planted.

The tree planting effort continued in the falls of 2023 and 2024 when a total of twenty more trees were planted in the same general neighborhood in south central Lincoln. Those new trees were provided free by the Nebraska Forest Service and were planted by members of the congregation with help again from the Great Plains nursery. Most of the total of the 57 trees planted thus far are being watered by members of the congregation.

Thanks go out to the City of Lincoln, the Nebraska Forestry Service, the State Arboretum, the Near South Neighborhood Association, and most of all… our Saint Paul family who provided both monetary support and labor for this project. You are a blessing! Our last task, no small one, is to keep those trees alive and well. If you are interested in adopting a tree to provide financial or labor support of watering, please contact the church at 402-477-6951, or our tree watering coordinator, Reed Olson, at reedolson87@gmail.com.

Additional Climate Justice Opportunities

Climate-Related Legislative Bills in the 2025 Nebraska Legislature

The 2025 session of the Nebraska legislature concluded on June 2. Not much relating directly to climate change was adopted, but what was enacted and signed by the governor is described below. In some cases, the original bill was merged into another bill, which was then adopted. The descriptions of those enacted bills are followed by descriptions of the climate-related bills that either remained in committee or had failed to advance to Final Reading when the session adjourned for the year. All those remaining bills will carry over for consideration by the legislature in 2026.

Bills Directly or Potentially Related to Climate Change that Were Enacted or that Were Added to Another Bill that was Enacted:

LB20: Introduced by Senator John Cavanaugh: This bill provides that a public utility cannot deny an agricultural user who has a renewable energy source from also getting service from that utility as long as the ag user follows the requirements of that local public utility. Signed by the governor on February 25.

LB35: Introduced by Senator Brandt: This bill was introduced to clarify legislation passed last year about privately developed renewable energy generation facilities. It was indefinitely postponed at the end of the session because essentially the same provisions were incorporated into LB 43 which did pass and was approved by the governor on February 25 with the emergency clause. As adopted as part of that bill it does not appear to have any significant effect related to climate change.

LB264: Introduced by Senator Arch at the request of the Governor: In its introduced form LB264 would have repealed many existing Nebraska statutes, including two which were titled the Nebraska Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide Act and the Resilient Soils Water Quality Act. Both of those acts are relevant to addressing climate change. Before it was enacted, however, the language and purpose of that bill was replaced in its entirety with 216 new sections. Those changes made the bill a vehicle for transferring millions of dollars of cash funds administered by numerous agencies either to the General Fund or to other specific existing funds. The purpose of doing that was to help reduce the large budget deficit the state was facing. Since the bill had the emergency clause, it became effective with the Governor’s signature on May 21. Whether it will have any effect on state government’s climate-related actions is unknown at this time, but several agencies will have less funding to carry out whatever their assigned responsibilities are.

LB317: Introduced by Senator Brandt at the request of the Governor. This bill merges the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy to create a new Department of Water, Energy and Environment. Jesse Bradley, the current director of DNR will become the overall director of the new department, and Matt Manning, who currently oversees the planning and development of the Perkins County Canal project at DNR, will become the Chief Water Officer. The bill makes no obvious changes in the responsibilities of either of the current departments relating to climate change but the impact of the merger on such things as how the state implements the climate action plan NDEE produced in 2024 should be closely monitored. The bill was adopted on May 1, and was signed by the Governor on May 6. It had the emergency clause so it took effect on that day. However, the merger will not become operative until July 1.

LB344: Introduced by Senator Brandt: This bill did not pass with its original number, but essentially the same language that was in it was incorporated into LB36, which did pass and was signed by the governor on May 20. LB36 ended up being a catch all bill for several other introduced bills including LB344 and also LB459 described later here. For the LB344 portions of LB36 it requires that, beginning on January 1, 2026, any new or expanded commercial or industrial user being provided water by a municipality in excess of 25 million gallons annually shall be subject to the integrated management plan of the applicable natural resources district and shall make annual reports of water usage to that NRD. Also, the applicable NRD could require any municipality within either a fully appropriated or over appropriated area to file annual water usage and consumption reports

LB346: Introduced at the request of the Governor: This bill eliminates, effective July 1, 2026, dozens of state boards, commissions and advisory committees. Among those is the state Climate Assessment Response Committee that was created in 1992. The purpose of that committee, which is made up of state agencies and affected stakeholders, was to analyze applicable data and coordinate the response to “periods of drought or other severe climate situations.” The extent to which that committee has been active in recent years is unclear. The bill was adopted on May 28 and signed by the governor on May 30.

LB450: Introduced by Senator Fredrickson: This bill did not advance from committee as a separate bill, but it was added to LB288, which was passed and approved by the governor on May 30. It adds “grid resiliency improvements” to the list of energy efficiency improvements that the state should promote and that municipalities are authorized to finance. Such improvements would include but not be limited to back-up power generators, including those powered by renewable energy resources; solar panels with battery storage; and smart grid technology.

LB459: Introduced by Senator Conrad: This bill also did not advance from committee as a separate bill, but as noted earlier in the description of LB344, it was incorporated into LB36 which the Governor signed on May 20. The LB459 portion of LB36 establishes a “Home Weatherization Clearinghouse” within the Department of Environmental and Energy (soon to become the Department of Water, Energy and Environment). The purpose of the Clearinghouse is to serve as the primary contact point for persons applying for grants, loans or other programs that fund home weatherization projects regardless of what agency or entity was administering the weatherization program involved.

Bills that Were Not Enacted Either on Their Own or as Part of Another Bill but Will Carry Over for Consideration During the 2026 Legislative Session:

LB8: Introduced by Senator Dungan: In 2024 the legislature provided for tax credits for producers of sustainable aviation fuel but specified that those credits would be of the nonrefundable type and that there was a five-year limit on how long those credits could be claimed. This bill would change those credits to be of the refundable type (i.e., they would be subtracted from the tax owed, even if the amount of the credit is greater than the amount owed). The bill would also eliminate the five-year limit on those credits. Remains in the Revenue Committee.

LB23: Introduced by Senator John Cavanaugh: This bill would allow the Department of Economic Development to develop a program to provide grants to non-profit organizations to establish bike-sharing programs. The Legislature’s intent would be that $250,000 be appropriated for the department to establish the program. Remains in the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee.

LB121: Introduced by Senators Hardin and Lippincott: This bill would prohibit “Land disposal of solar panels, wind turbine blades and the component parts of solar panels and wind turbine blades.” Remains in by the Natural Resources Committee.

LB137: Introduced by Senator Dungan: This bill would prohibit HOAs and similar organizations from prohibiting or restricting the installation or use of solar energy systems or of pollinator gardens and would also prohibit the imposition of any fee by any such entity related to the installation or use of such systems or gardens. Remains in the Judiciary Committee.

LB163: Introduced by Senator Spivey: This bill would provide for the creation of the Office of Climate Action within the Department of Environment and Energy (to become the Department of Water, Energy and Environment on July 1, 2025). Its purposes would include serving as the point of contact to assist with policies and programs dealing with climate action. The new office would be required to prepare a climate action plan for the state by July 1, 2026. (It is not clear how this new plan would relate to the climate action plan adopted by NDEE in 2024). This new office would also be required to annually prepare a report that details (1) how any legislation adopted the previous year supports, hinders or affects climate action; (2) the extent of federal funding secured for climate action; (3) the office’s collaboration with stakeholders, political subdivisions and organizations; (4) a synopsis of local climate action plans and programs; and (5) any recommendations for additional climate action through investment or activities. Remains in the Natural Resources Committee.

LB207: Introduced by Senator von Gillern: Current law imposes an additional fee of $150 for registration of any alternative fuel vehicle except motorcycles and plug in hybrids for which the fee is $75. This bill would increase the fee to $450 for commercially registered alternative fuel vehicles with a gross weight of more than 7,500 pounds. An amendment proposed by the committee would limit the $450 fee to commercially registered vehicles that are not registered under separate statutes as being in inter-jurisdiction commerce. On General File.

LB349: Introduced by Senator Prokop: This bill would add “electric energy storage resources” to the current definition of “privately developed renewable energy generation facilities” and would subject those storage resources to review by the Power Review Board and to the same pre-construction requirements as other proposed renewable energy facilities with that same or greater capacity. Senator Prokop has offered an amendment that would add electrical energy storage resources to the list of types of property that Public Power Districts could acquire by eminent domain, but would not allow such use for the acquisition of any such storage resource capable of receiving electricity from the electrical grid, or from a generation source with which it is associated, and storing it for later injection of electric energy into the electrical grid. Remains in the Natural Resources Committee.

LB471: Introduced by Senator McKeon: The purpose of this bill would be to prevent the state and local governments from restricting the “use of, purchase of, or sale of any motor vehicle based on the energy source used to power any component of the motor vehicle.” It would also prevent NDEE (soon to be NDWEE) from seeking a waiver from the Clean Air Act to enact more stringent vehicle emission standards than those required by the federal EPA. Remains in the Natural Resources Committee.

LB503: Introduced by Senator Bosn: This bill would authorize counties to become “American energy friendly counties in exchange for additional tax revenues from owners of privately developed renewable energy generation facilities.” A county could pursue such a designation by applying to the Department of Revenue or by submitting the issue to voters in that county. If approved to be an American energy friendly county, that county would be limited in the extent to which it could impose requirements on the installation, operation or decommissioning of solar and wind turbine sources of energy. The bill would also create a grant program to help counties become American energy friendly counties. Remains in Revenue Committee.

LR22CA: Introduced by Senator Dungan: This proposed constitutional amendment would, if approved by the Legislature and adopted at the November 2026 general election, add to the state constitution the following new section: All people shall have a right to a clean and healthy environment, including pure water, clean air, healthy soils, balanced ecosystems, a safe climate, and diverse and abundant native flora and fauna and to the preservation of the natural, cultural, scenic, recreational, and healthful qualities of the environment. The state, and each subdivision thereof, shall serve as trustee of the natural resources of Nebraska and shall conserve, protect, and maintain such resources for the benefit of all the people, including present and future generations. The rights and obligations in this section shall be self-executing. Remains in the Natural Resources Committee.

The Priority Climate Action Plan for the State of Nebraska

On March 1, 2024 the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy submitted a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) for the State of Nebraska to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. NDEE developed the plan using a $3 million grant from funds provided by the federal Inflation Reduction Act. The plan was completed after a number of outreach meetings, one of which was in Lincoln. As noted by NDEE director Jim Macy, the plan “focuses on voluntary, incentive-based programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all economic sectors while promoting environmental stewardship and economic growth throughout the state, including low-income and disadvantaged communities.” Many of the incentives proposed by the PCAP are intended to reduce GHGs resulting from agricultural activities which are calculated to produce 42% of the GHGs attributable to Nebraska, but incentives are also planned for non-agricultural purposes. The plan as submitted is reviewable at https://dee.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Nebraska%20Priority%20Climate%20Action%20Plan.pdf.

In July 2024, the EPA awarded the department with a grant of $307 million to be used to implement the plan submitted in March. According to the July 23 Lincoln Journal Star, the funds will be used to “boost ‘climate-smart’ agriculture and reduce agricultural waste from livestock. The grant also will fund projects to improve energy efficiency in commercial and industrial facilities and low-income households, as well as deploy solar panels and electrify irrigation wells.”

NDEE is currently working on the second phase of the plan, which will be labeled a Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) to develop short-term and long-term greenhouse gas reduction measures across all sectors of the economy. That plan is due to be completed by December of this year. It will also analyze workforce impacts arising from the proposed actions and associated training needs.

Climate Change Resources

25 Steps to Lower CO2 Emissions – The organization called Cool Congregations, the same organization that recognized Saint Paul both nationally and at the state level for our God’s Tree-mendous Tree Project, has produced a very informative 2-page list of 25 steps costing less than $25 that we can take to lower our CO2 emissions.
Tax Credits – Another very informative product is produced by the Citizen’s Climate Lobby. It lists in brief the several tax credits and discounts available specifically to homeowners and renters as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Effects of Climate Change on Human Health—The Lincoln Journal Star and the Omaha World Herald had identical articles on Sunday, February 19, 2023 about the adverse, but too often overlooked, effects of climate change on human health. The following link is to the Journal Star article. https://journalstar.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/health-matters/health-matters-climate-change-already-impacting-nebraskans-health/article_2b99e666-ab83-5d77-b4c2-d38e9fc593ac.html
Decoding the Weather Machine – A documentary outlining what is happening scientifically to our planet because of the addition of greenhouse gases to our atmosphere and what options exist for reducing the increases in global warming.
SojoAction Christians and Climate Q&A – This resource aims to demystify the topic of climate change and clarify the call to take action for climate justice. Designed for Christians of all backgrounds, it addresses the most common questions and concerns we hear about the climate crisis and provides clear steps for action.
“Earthrise” by Amanda Gorman – A poem recited by National Youth Poet Laureate.
Climate Change Books
The following are recommended as sources of information that will further explain climate change and its impacts:
1. David Attenborough’s book entitled “A Life on our Planet” was the subject of a class led by David Lux in 2023. In that book the author testifies to how rapidly and dramatically he has seen life on our planet change in the more than 90 years of his lifetime. He also offers ideas for how we could reverse those changes.
2. The book serving as the basis for a class led this year by David Lux is entitled “Not Too Late” by Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua. It is subtitled “Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility.” That subtitle sums up the message of the book which contains essays by a number of authors about how we need to have hope that climate change can be reduced and how we need to turn that hope into action.
3. Bill Gates book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” not only describes the nature and extent of the climate challenge ahead of us, but also the technological obstacles that must be overcome to meet those challenges.
4. “The Future We Choose” by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac describes what we can expect in the future (2050) if we alternatively do or do not do anything to stop emitting greenhouse gases.
5. A short 112 page book that includes speeches by Greta Thunberg, the remarkable Swedish teenager who has gained worldwide acclaim for her advocacy for climate change action is titled “No One is Too Small to Make a Difference.”
6. A slightly different twist on the environmental challenges ahead can be found in Doug Tallamy’s book “Nature’s Best Hope, A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Backyard.” In that book the author explains how important insects and plants, especially the native plants that support the insects, are essential to the continued existence of our ecosystems.
7. Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, an internationally recognized climate scientist, is the author of a book entitled “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.” In that book Dr. Hayhoe explains how we can more easily start and have conversations with others about climate change.
The IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) produces a new report each year. The 2023 report released in March emphasizes the need for urgent climate action and describes how the most vulnerable global populations are the most at risk from current and increasing impacts of climate change. It also suggests that global resources are sufficient to prevent climate change catastrophes if the political will is present. Both a four-page press release about the new report and the report’s summary for policymakers can be found by searching for IPCC 2023 report.
For information on the sources and proportions of greenhouses gases in our atmosphere, take a look at: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions
To calculate your own carbon footprint and see which of your activities are causing the most emissions, do the fun activity found at: https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator.
To learn about emissions globally, by type of gas being emitted, by economic sector and by country, see: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data.
Arguments are still being made about whether electric vehicles result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions when their manufacture and disposal are also considered. For an excellent article about how much lower emissions are with an EV, read: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2021/07/electric-cars-have-much-lower-life-cycle-emissions-new-study-confirms/ An even more recent analysis of the greenhouse gas emission differences between fossil fueled and electric vehicles can be found at https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/driving-cleaner
A blog about plastic bags and the damage they cause can be seen at: https://blog.padi.com/2017/03/27/7-facts-plastic-bags-will-change-way-use/.
An article about divestment in fossil fuels in the New Yorker magazine can be found at: https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-powerful-new-financial-argument-for-fossil-fuel-divestment.
Composting of food waste and other organic materials is another way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The City of Lincoln’s website has several items of interest about composting including how to do it ourselves and what is available commercially in that regard. It can be easily accessed by going to: https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/home and by searching for “compost.” The UNL Extension Service also has made a lot of helpful information about composting available at: https://extension.unl.edu and by searching for “compost” there as well.

Climate Change Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

In 2022, Congress adopted, and President Biden signed, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The act has provisions relating to many subjects, but those intended to address climate change are the most extensive. According to a summary of the act, it will put the U.S. on a path to a roughly 40% emissions reduction by 2030 and represents the single biggest climate investments in U.S. history, by far. An abbreviated summary of the claimed benefits of the act is found below. A more detailed summary can be found at: https://earthjustice.org/brief/2022/what-the-inflation-reduction-act-means-for-climate

An abbreviated summary of the claimed benefits of the act.

Lowers energy costs for Americans through policies that will lower prices at the pump and on electricity bills, help consumers afford technologies that will lower emissions and energy prices, and reduce costs that would otherwise be passed on to them.
Increases American energy security through policies to support energy reliability and cleaner production coupled with historic investments in American clean energy manufacturing to lessen our reliance on China, ensuring the transition to a clean economy creates millions of American manufacturing jobs, and is powered by American-made clean technologies.
Invests in decarbonizing all sectors of the economy through targeted federal support of innovative climate solutions.
Focuses investments into disadvantaged communities to ensure that communities that are too-often left behind will share in the benefits of the transition to a clean economy.
Supports resilient rural communities by investing in farmers and forestland owners to be part of growing climate solutions, and by ensuring rural communities are able to better adapt to a rapidly changing climate.