From Rabbi Yonatan Neril, ICSD founder and executive director.
We have one home. With 7.7 billion people and 15 million species, the earth is our collective ship. We have to figure out how to live sustainably, together. We have a shared responsibility for each other. What you do and what I do matter, for ourselves and everyone else on board.
About six billion people– 85% of humanity—affiliate with a religion. Religion informs values, which inform environmental behavior. Religion is a fundamental part of many people’s lives and a key motivator. It is one of the greatest forces for changing hearts and minds. A person is able to live at varying levels of soul awareness, and a sustainable planet will require that we cultivate ourselves to live at higher levels of consciousness.
What does it mean to bring religion to bear in addressing the ecological crisis? Faith traditions and institutions can help cultivate humility, conscious relationships, long-term thinking, and moderated consumption. A sustainable, thriving, and spiritually aware society can realize the prophetic vision of a new earth.
The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development manifests this vision primarily through four projects. First, the Faith Inspired Renewable Energy Project, in cooperation with faith institutions in Africa and a renewable energy developer, deploys solar and wind fields to bring electricity to Africans, reduce indoor air pollution and deforestation, and curb climate change.
Second, the Interfaith Eco Seminary Engagement Project promotes teaching of ecologically informed theological education, to spur courageous moral leadership for sustainability.
Third, ICSD provides thought leadership on religion and ecology. Our short videos, posts, and blog posts provide an effective vehicle for delivering our unique faith-based ecological perspective on Facebook, Twitter, ICSD’s blog, and YouTube. Fourth, ICSD co-organizes Interfaith Environmental Conferences that amplify the voices of religious leaders and scientists on spirituality and ecology.
