EarthBeat

Nick Norman throws a bucket of water on fire in his Altadena neighborhood Jan. 8. He, wife Timithie, brother-in-law Mitchell, and others worked to protect their home and others amid ongoing fires in Altadena and the Los Angeles area. (Courtesy of Nick Norman)

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The climate is changing,
a matter of moral urgency.

How Catholics and other faith groups speak out and take action. Where ecological concerns and moral conviction meet, well that's our beat.

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Faith

Catholic family in Altadena holds off flames, looters with courage — and prayer

Nick Norman says firefighters and law enforcement were of little assistance in protecting his Altadena neighborhood from wildfires and looters Jan. 8 and 9, but many in the community came together to protect what they could on their own.

Timothy J. Burger

A woman pushes a shopping cart full of coolers and cold beverages during a summer heatwave in New York City July 11, 2024. Seventeen U.S. states set annual heat records in 2024, the hottest year to date. (OSV News/Reuters/Caitlin Ochs)

Science

'Grim but not hopeless': Catholics reflect as 2024 is hottest year on record

In spite of the many plights, environmental and otherwise, facing the world, the pope has called humanity to hope.

Brian Roewe

U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland addresses the Tribal Nations Summit from an auditorium on the White House campus in Washington Nov. 15, 2021.

Politics

Deb Haaland, America's first Native Cabinet secretary, considers her legacy

"Growing up in my mother's Pueblo household made me fierce. I'll be fierce for all of us, our planet, and all of our protected land," Haaland said in 2021 ahead of her congressional confirmation vote.

The Swannanoa Christian Church holds its first Sunday service since Hurricane Helene.

Justice

Faith organizations have a complex relationship to disaster relief

Church volunteers feel called by Christ to help those impacted by Helene. For some, that means fulfilling a mandate to alleviate suffering. For others, it also means proselytizing.

Mary Beth Keenan's daughter touches daffodils in their yard. (Courtesy of Mary Beth Keenan)

Small Earth Stories

Faith and a forest preschool help our family care for creation

Mary Beth Keenan

After "Bluey," the Holy Spirit and Google led this mom to enroll her 3-year-old in a forest school, her whole family learned more about caring for creation and cultivating community — with human and nonhuman friends.

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