This article is the seventh in CPJ’s Ink & Impact series featuring young writers from across the country. In today’s political climate, often marked by cynicism and despair, CPJ’s annual Ink & Impact conference helps Christian young people become messengers of hope. In a world dominated by digital distractions, Ink & Impact develops writers who can articulate complex political topics in an approachable, nuanced way to inform the public. The views and opinions reflected in these articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of CPJ.
A Changing World
In November 2024, I joined 70,000 people in Baku, Azerbaijan for the 29th annual United Nations climate conference. Conferences of the Parties (COPs) host delegates from nearly every country to negotiate international climate goals.
The most famous of these UN climate COPs occurred in Paris in 2015 and resulted in a treaty called the Paris Agreement, adopted by 195 parties. Put simply, the overarching goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming by 2 degrees Celsius or ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Every subsequent COP is like a status report: countries give updates on their progress toward reaching the Paris Agreement and are challenged to set more ambitious climate goals.
To understand the significance of a few degrees temperature increase, it is important to clarify the difference between weather and climate. Weather is the short-term state of the atmosphere, while climate is the long-term average of weather patterns measured over decades. Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, a Christian and a renowned climate scientist, describes climate change as a planetary fever. Just like the human body, an increase of a few degrees is a serious problem.
Climate change is a human-induced phenomenon caused by excessive greenhouse gas emissions. Emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere essentially wraps a blanket around our planet and traps heat, increasing global temperatures.
Earth, like the human body, regulates itself through countless complex processes. But as human activity releases excessive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and our climate destabilizes, the planet’s ability to regulate everything from water cycles to ecosystem biodiversity is compromised, and this triggers feedback loops that have profound consequences for all life on Earth.
Climate change has become a politically polarized issue in the United States, and it is a topic many Americans feel strongly about. But climate change is more than a buzzword: it is a real and present reality that affects not only our environment but all of us who depend on it. It is an immediate threat to human health and safety, and it disproportionately impacts poorer, marginalized communities. It is an ecological issue and an issue of human rights and public justice.
Self-Silencing and Climate Conversations
Yale’s Program on Climate Change Communication reveals that most Americans (65% in 2025) already believe climate change is happening and are concerned about it. So why aren’t more of us talking about it? And why do climate conversations matter at all?
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe has spent decades studying Earth’s climate. On top of being an accomplished scientist, she is one of the world’s leading climate communicators, which means she spends a lot of time explaining why climate change matters and what individuals can do about it. In her book Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, Hayhoe puts it simply: “The most important thing we can do about climate change is talk about it.”
Like me, you might be surprised by her answer. The environmental narrative in the U.S. is action-focused and driven by guilt, fear, and anger. We are told to waste less, reduce meat consumption, buy solar panels, sacrifice international travel, purchase organic products, and drive an electric car, to name just a few items. This wide range of demands is enough to overwhelm even the most committed environmentalist, let alone everyday individuals with careers, hobbies, interests, families, and responsibilities of their own.
Our negative association with climate change has consequences. Self-silencing creates its own feedback loop. We do not talk about climate change because we believe others do not care, and our silence reinforces this misconception. Silence snowballs into apathy and inaction, deepening our guilt and despair, and ultimately strengthening our desire to not engage with the issue.
Fortunately, talking about climate change can initiate a positive feedback loop: realizing that others care encourages us to start conversations, which in turn inspires others and catalyzes collective action.
Conversations allow us to connect climate change to our everyday experiences and to imagine what a more abundant future could look like. They help us realize that others care about climate change, and there are things we can all do to honor God and care for the world entrusted to us.
A Public Justice Response
Government, civil society, families, and individuals each carry distinct responsibilities to preserve the natural world. Protecting the planet we all depend on matters for all of us.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is among the most urgent priorities for government and civil society alike, though each institution’s role looks different in practice. Reducing emissions protects public health, safety, and the economy.
Federal, state, and local governments should invest in cleaner technologies and incentivize a transition to renewable energy. Enforcing environmental regulations and holding polluters accountable is also important. International cooperation across state borders establishes a foundation of trust and mutual benefit, and is a vital part of ensuring global climate action is just and achievable.
Businesses can establish sustainability goals or develop a Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and incentivize the use of renewable energy. On a larger scale, cities have also begun developing Climate Action Plans aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, preserving natural resources, and increasing quality of life while lowering costs.
Advocacy is equally important. Businesses and civil society organizations may use different approaches to advance climate goals, but both have an opportunity to build greater consensus around climate change. Educating people and providing a space for them to engage with creation cultivates a deeper connection to nature and motivates collective change.
Likewise, churches care for creation because it is part of discipleship—it is a tangible expression of love for God and our neighbors. Christian advocacy models the active love Jesus invites his followers to emulate. It’s a love rooted in our conviction that God’s world is good and worth caring for.
What if your church planted a community garden, or started a buy and sell group to reduce waste? What if you replaced your church’s plastic communion cups with reusable ones? What if your church launched a hiking group, or a creation-themed book club? What if you picked up litter in your community once a month? What if you pledged prayer or financial support to Christian climate organizations?
Promoting the common good includes advocating for the flourishing of creation. Beyond individual actions, civil society institutions can embody God’s heart by participating in the restoration of creation. This might look like planting a garden, composting, reducing food waste, cleaning up litter—the possibilities for faithful engagement are as varied as the communities we inhabit.
Practicing Creation Care
Nature is deeply interconnected, reflecting God’s relational design. Every plant, animal, and ecosystem depends on relationships to thrive. As Christians, we are called to respond to the climate crisis with active, hopeful love. Creation care means caring for God’s world through everyday actions, and one of the most important things we can do is the simplest: talk about it. Climate action doesn’t need to feel like a chore, and it doesn’t need to be expensive or inconvenient. It can simply begin with a conversation.
A great place to start is by asking: What do I love? What brings me joy? Creation care becomes joyful when it connects with the gifts and interests God has given you.
A Hopeful Story
I co-host a podcast called Rivers in the Desert that explores the intersection of faith and climate action. The podcast takes its name from Isaiah 43:19, which offers a beautiful vision of God’s redemption and reconciliation of all creation. As we await God’s renewal of all things, we are invited to participate in that restorative work. Loving our neighbors means caring for the Earth we share with them.
Solving climate change can feel impossible, and we often convince ourselves that our actions are insignificant. As followers of Jesus, our goal is not perfection but faithfulness. We are called to be salt and light to a groaning creation, and to embody our faith by living intentionally, sacrificially, and courageously. Hope is not an emotion; it is a practice. Our faith should inform and shape every aspect of our lives, including how we choose to engage with creation.
What ways can you practice faithful stewardship of creation? What are your gifts, hobbies, or passions? How are those things threatened by a changing climate, and what would it look like for you to start a conversation about that?
Aislyn Patrick graduated from Beloit College (May 2026) with a B.A. in Environmental Justice & Citizenship, Philosophy, and Political Science. Aislynn is passionate about helping Christians see and experience God’s heart through creation. She is a co-creator of ‘Rivers in the Desert,’ a podcast exploring faith and climate action, and she currently works in ministry.
Graphic by Center for Public Justice
