Why Spirituality is Key to Addressing the Ecological Crisis
Rabbi Yonatan Neril, founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, discusses why religion has to be part of the ecological solution if there will be a lasting and sustainable solution to the ecological crisis. Rabbi Neril spoke at the New York City Faith & Ecology Seminary Education Conference in December 2016. If you are interested in hearing more commentary from Rabbi Yonatan Neril on the ecological crisis, please see this related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DSNNbBk_0E The conference engaged seminary deans and faculty to explore ways of integrating faith and ecology into their theology curriculums so that emerging clergy can speak to the ecological crisis. The full-day event took place at Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan, and was co-organized by The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, the Center for Earth Ethics of Union Theological Seminary; the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue at Jewish Theological Seminary; and the Green Seminary Initiative.…
An Interfaith Conversation about Population Growth & Climate Change (UN Climate Summit)
At the 2017 Climate Summit in Marrakesh, Rabbi Yonatan Neril, founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, shares his thoughts about population growth and the religious response to it. If you are interested in learning more about the intersection between faith and environmental issues, please see this video on why emerging clergy must address the ecological crisis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIH4J2uapk8
Can Religion Counteract the Damage Caused by Consumerism? (UN Climate Change Conference)
Consumerism has long been identified as a major driver of environmental damage, but can religion offer a genuine counterbalance to its destructive patterns? At the 2017 Climate Summit in Marrakesh, Rabbi Yonatan Neril, founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, tackles this question directly, exploring how faith traditions can serve as a powerful antidote to the excess and waste driven by consumer culture. He examines how religious values — rooted in restraint, gratitude, and stewardship — stand in direct contrast to the endless acquisition promoted by consumerism, offering a spiritual framework capable of reshaping how individuals and communities relate to consumption. Delivered on the global stage of a UN Climate Summit, Rabbi Neril’s remarks underscore the growing recognition of religion’s role in addressing not just the symptoms of climate change, but its underlying cultural and economic drivers. Viewers interested in additional insights from the 2017 UN Climate…
Consumerism: A Pseudo-Religion (UN Climate Change Conference)
Is consumerism more than just an economic pattern — could it actually function as a kind of pseudo-religion in modern society? At the 2017 Climate Summit in Marrakesh, Stewart Scott, founder and director of the United Planet Faith and Science Initiative, explores this provocative idea, examining how consumer culture has come to mimic many of the psychological and social functions traditionally fulfilled by religion — offering identity, meaning, and a sense of belonging through acquisition and material status. Scott argues that this pseudo-religious devotion to consumerism carries real harm, both environmentally and spiritually, as it displaces genuine values of community, purpose, and stewardship with an endless pursuit of material accumulation. Delivered at a UN Climate Summit, his remarks add a thought-provoking psychological and philosophical dimension to the broader conversation about consumerism’s role in driving environmental damage. Viewers interested in additional perspectives from the summit can also check out a related…
Following Gandhi’s Path to Sustainability
While on a recent trip to Jerusalem, Swami Avdheshanand Giri and Swami Parmatmananda Saraswati were interviewed by Rabbi Yonatan Neril, founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development. They shared ideas and Hindu wisdom about following Gandi’s path. If you are interested in seeing more Hindu ecology videos, please see this video on Dharma and sustainability. Swami Avdheshanand Giri, an enlightened Acharya and master of Vedanta, aims at making a spiritually awakened human being. Swamiji is the head of millions of saints. More than a hundred thousand of saints have been initiated by the Acharya. Swamiji has attracted a large number of intellectuals, teachers and social workers and has motivated them to work for the promotion of human rights, moral values, social harmony and social discipline. Over the last 19 years Swamiji has dedicated himself to the pursuit and sharing of the vast bounty of Vedanta. His take…
The Dangers Of Consumerism
While on a recent trip to Jerusalem, Swami Avdheshanand Giri and Swami Parmatmananda Saraswati were interviewed by Rabbi Yonatan Neril, Founder and Director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development. They shared about the dangers of consumerism. If you are interested in learning more about consumerism and what faith leaders have to say about it, please see this video on the Earth and consumerism in Islam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKqVZ3WA5iQ Swami Avdheshanand Giri, an enlightened Acharya and master of Vedanta, aims at making a spiritually awakened human being. Swamiji is the head of millions of saints. More than a hundred thousand of saints have been initiated by the Acharya. Swamiji has attracted a large number of intellectuals, teachers and social workers and has motivated them to work for the promotion of human rights, moral values, social harmony and social discipline. Over the last 19 years Swamiji has dedicated himself to the pursuit and…
Egoism: the Spiritual Root of the Climate Crisis (UN Climate Change Conference)
What lies at the spiritual root of the climate crisis? In this talk delivered at the UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, in November 2016, Rabbi Yonatan Neril points to a single, deeply human cause: egoism. He explores how self-centeredness — the prioritization of individual desire, comfort, and gain over collective wellbeing — underlies much of the environmental destruction humanity has caused. Rather than framing climate change as solely a technical or policy failure, Rabbi Neril reframes it as a spiritual crisis, rooted in humanity’s disconnection from humility, interdependence, and care for others. By naming egoism as the underlying driver, he suggests that meaningful climate solutions must go beyond external fixes and address this deeper inner transformation — cultivating values of selflessness, gratitude, and shared responsibility. Viewers interested in related themes from the 2016 UN Climate Summit can also check out a companion video on consumerism as a pseudo-religion.…
Spiritual Empowerment to fight the Climate Crisis (UN Climate Conference)
Can spiritual practice offer practical tools for confronting the climate crisis? In this talk delivered at the UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, in November 2016, Valériane Bernard explores the concept of spiritual empowerment as a genuine resource in the fight against environmental destruction. Rather than viewing spirituality as separate from climate activism, Bernard makes the case that inner strength, clarity, and purpose — cultivated through spiritual practice — can equip individuals and communities with the resilience and motivation needed to sustain long-term environmental action. She examines how this sense of empowerment moves people beyond despair or inaction, offering a grounded, values-based approach to engaging with one of humanity’s greatest challenges. Her talk adds an important perspective to the broader conversation on the intersection of spirituality and climate activism at the UN summit. Viewers interested in related discussions from the conference can also check out a companion video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OKG8b6dnQM&t=1s
Spiritual Transformation Needed to Address Climate Change (UN Climate Change Conference)
What kind of change is truly needed to address the climate crisis — technological, political, or something deeper? In this talk delivered at the UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, in November 2016, Imam Ibrahim Saidy makes the case for spiritual transformation as an essential foundation for meaningful climate action. He explores how addressing the environmental crisis requires more than external policy shifts or technical solutions — it demands an inner shift in values, consciousness, and relationship to the natural world. Drawing on Islamic teaching, Imam Saidy frames this spiritual transformation as a necessary complement to practical climate efforts, suggesting that lasting change begins with a renewed sense of humility, responsibility, and connection to creation. His remarks add an important Islamic voice to the broader interfaith conversation on the spiritual dimensions of the climate crisis at the UN summit. Viewers interested in related themes can also check out a…