By Leo Dee
North Carolina recorded record rainfall in 2018. Wilmington received over 8 feet of rain, smashing its previous record (set in 1877) by over 150%! The September storm caused almost 8 trillion gallons of polluted water to spill over into oceans. And North Carolina’s water quality (already one of the worst in the States) fell to a new low.
Human caused climate change is behind this strange weather pattern as carbon dioxide released from fossil fuels insulates the earth and prevents natural cooling. The excessive heat also powers a much stronger water cycle, with more water evaporating from the oceans and being dropped on land. This means that some parts of the US are experiencing excessive heat, and some are experiencing record storms and rainfall and some are experiencing both!
So, what’s the solution?
Well, part of the solution is making people aware. And that’s just what North Carolina’s religious seminaries are doing. The Wake Forest University School of Divinity is teaching future religious leaders in sustainability, with courses on “The Ecological and Spiritual Impact of our Food” and the Duke Divinity School is teaching about the Spirituality of Place, Agrarian Theology for an Urban World and Caring for Creation. And the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary teaches about Environmental Responsibility,
Training religious leaders who will inspire their communities, in the future, with the importance of living a life that respects the world and climate, is an important step towards solving the climate crisis.
We are grateful for their initiative!
