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Climate Justice

At Saint Paul, we believe caring for creation is an essential expression of our faith. As United Methodists, we affirm that the earth is God’s gift and that we are called to be faithful stewards of the world entrusted to us. Climate change disproportionately impacts those who are already vulnerable, making climate action not only an environmental concern but also a matter of justice, compassion, and love of neighbor. Through education, advocacy, and sustainable practices, we seek to care for God’s creation, support healthy communities, and work toward a more just and hopeful future for all.

Join the Climate Justice Team

Composting at Saint Paul

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!

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.

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! 

Additional Climate Justice Opportunities

  1. 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. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. “Earthrise” by Amanda Gorman – A poem recited by National Youth Poet Laureate.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9.  For information on the sources and proportions of greenhouses gases in our atmosphere, take a look at: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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
  13. 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/.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
 
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