Be Fruitful and Multiply and Fill the Earth: Until When?
Rabbi Yonatan Neril – I asked the former Anglican Archbishop of Burundi whether God’s statement to the first human beings, to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth,” still applies. Burundi is one of the world’s poorest countries, and has a high birth rate, a low rate of family planning, and a deeply religious population.
When we became the weather
Rabbi Yonatan Neril – I am fortunate to have survived several flash floods. I ran for my life up a hill in northern India when floodwaters swept through.
Why I Like To Compost, and Why Noah Did Too
Rabbi Yonatan Neril – There’s something earthy about seeing my food peelings become soil that connects me to the circular nature of life.
What Does God Have to do with Disposables?
Rabbi Yonatan Neril – A few months ago, I went swimming in the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea on the coast of Israel. As I swam, I kept getting pieces of plastic in my hands and on my face.
Animals, Religious Ethics, and What We Eat
Rainer Hagencord and Tanja Mancinell – In the beginning, God created heaven and earth, light, water, vegetation and – even before humans – all the animals in the sky, on the earth and in the water. And finally Adam and Eve. Animals have been part of creation from the very beginning. They were the first creatures blessed by God. Accordingly, the Bible teaches us to treat animals with kindness and respect.
The Vaccine and Fighting the Pandemic’s Roots
Rabbi Yonatan Neril – The new COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out offer us the promise of returning to normal, getting back to work and school and the lives we had before.
How Much More Tar Needs to be Spilled to Awaken Us?
Rabbi Yonatan Neril – On February 21, the Israeli Ministries of Environmental Protection, the Interior and Health jointly asked the public to refrain from going to any Mediterranean beaches on Israel’s 121 mile (195 kilometer) coastline…
What Does God Have To Do With Solar Energy?
Rabbi Yonatan Neril – I pray in a synagogue in Jerusalem with solar panels on the roof. While people have prayed in buildings — and times in history — both light and dark, renewable energy can enable the flow of spiritual energy.
Environmental Justice and Religion
Quinn McVeigh – Environmental racism is a key focus of the environmental justice movement. It refers to not only a disproportionate access to environmental benefits such as clean air and local parks, but also to disproportionate exposure to hazards such as toxic waste and contaminated water supply.