Explain
In an era of a changing climate, stories hold tremendous power. As our global communities continue to grapple with the changing state of our climate, we must be prepared to share our knowledge, our experiences, and our wisdom, with one another. This section features local stories from across the Earth-- some rooted in experiences of devastation; others in examples of human resilience. It is necessary to hear stories from all sides of the human experience if we desire to learn, inspire, and take climate action together.
Explore: Local to Global
- As southern Spain dries up, its farmers get inventive Christian Science Monitor
- Rising seas force ‘underwater homeowners’ to mobilize The Seattle Times
- There’s Nothing Natural About Puerto Rico’s Disaster The Intercept
- Mozambique city fought climate change, but cyclone roared in The Seattle Times
- Why people in the US south stay put in the face of climate change The Guardian
- What you know about the American south and climate change is wrong The Guardian
- (Video) Earth-Based Spirituality: An Indigenous Paradigm Parliament of the World’s Religions
- Pacific Climate Warriors: Canoe Blockade 350 Pacific
- Climate change 'helps seas disturb Japanese war dead' BBC
- Climate Change Is Worsening Houston’s Housing Crisis Natural Resources Defense Council
- Climate strikes spread worldwide as students call for action BBC
- Cox's Bazar: Rohingya camp to be hardest hit by climate change Aljazeera
- Drought and climate change in Haiti Church World Service
- Greta Thunberg nominated for Nobel Peace Price for climate activism BBC
- How Climate Change is Fueling The US Border Crisis The New Yorker
- How Climate Change and Pollution Threaten Me BBC
- How climate change is pushing Central American migrants to the US The Guardian
- Human-caused climate change played role in Beijing’s 2013 airpocalypse Northwestern
- Indigenous communities fighting climate change Church World Service
- Indonesia: Grappling with Migrant Protection at Home and Abroad Migration Policy Institute
- Climate change and Human Stories at National Parks National Council on Public History
- Israel and Palestine Declare War … Against Climate Change United Religions Initiative
- Mozambique city fought climate change, but cyclone roared in The Seattle Times
- Climate Change and Voluntary Immobility in the Pacific Islands Migration Policy Institute
- Pakistan, drought and climate change Church World Service
- The children on the frontline of climate change BBC
- The Human Impact of Climate Change: Personal Stories The Climate Reality
- The People’s Forest Orion Magazine
- There’s Nothing Natural About Puerto Rico’s Disaster The Intercept
- When environmental racism and climate change collide The Guardian
- Why Lost Ice Means Lost Hope for an Inuit Village New York Times
- Why Muslims are marching for climate CNN
- Why people in the US south stay put in the face of climate change The Guardian
- Technological Sustainability Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers
Engage
1. In view of the above links and stories, what responsibilities do we have to act in solidarity with communities being affected by the climate crisis right now?
2. Confronting the climate crisis requires us to engage in a global conversation. What awareness can members of communities take away from one another’s stories? Take a moment to consider and then respond aloud to how these local stories around the world resonate with you or other members of your own community
3. Preparing Your Interview (20 Minutes)
Familiarize yourself with one of the Local Stories From Around The World (see above). Then, take 20 minutes to write out a full set of interview questions you would like to ask someone who has been affected by the events detailed in that story. Once you’ve written your questions, talk to at least one other person about the story you’ve focused on and explain to them the significance of the questions you plan to ask.