Climate Change: Putting Hope into Action
Climate change isn’t all about science, economics, politics, and polarization. At the heart of the crisis, it’s also about relationships – with each other, with our world, and with God and God’s creation. Using Katherine Hayhoe’s book Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, we will look at not only the hope for this world’s future, but our call to put that hope into action.
Each week will start with a brief recap of one of the sections of the book (which usually consists of 3-5 chapters) and then focus on the discussion questions listed for each section below.
Join us on Zoom on Tuesday evenings, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm, as we discuss Katherine Hayhoe's book and what it means to us to live out our faith in these changing times.
Source: Katharine Hayhoe. Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World. One Signal Publishers | Atria, 2021. (307 pages)
WEEK 1 (1/23/2024): SECTION 1 – THE PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTION
Homework:
- Get Katharine Hayhoe's book, Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, in your preferred format from your preferred bookseller or from your library.
- Read Section 1 - The Problem and the Solution.
- As you read, consider the questions below.
Questions for Discussion:
- Katherine Hayhoe's premise is that having impactful conversations about climate change starts not with science but with what we have in common and how those interests intersect with climate change. How does that compare with your experiences in engaging others on controversial topics?
- Where do you stand on climate change? Are you alarmed, concerned, cautious, disengaged, doubtful, or dismissive? Consider why you feel that way?
- Following Katherine Hayhoe's lead on Chapter 2 (Who Am I?), answer these questions: Who are you? Where are you from? Where do you live now? What do you love doing? Who do you love and care for? What do you believe?
- In what ways has climate change impacted your life?
- What do you hope to get out of this discussion?
Summary Presentation and Notes for Session 1: Putting Hope into Action Section 1 1-23-2024
WEEK 2 (1/30/2024): SECTION 2 – WHY FACTS MATTER—AND WHY THEY ARE NOT ENOUGH
Homework:
- Read Section 2 - Why Facts Matter – and Why They Are Not Enough.
- As you read, consider the questions below.
Questions for Discussion:
- What is your reaction to Hayhoe’s conclusion that humans “are the cause of all of the observed warming—and then some” (p. 47) in Chapter 4 (The Facts Are the Facts)?
- What is your reaction to Hayhoe’s comment “...when it comes to making up our minds about something, emotions usually come first and reason second” (p. 53) in Chapter 5 (The Problem with Facts)? When have you seen the “backfire effect” play out in conversations?
- How effective are fear, peer pressure, guilt, and shame as motivating factors in your behavior or in the behavior of others? Does your experience support or undermine Hayhoe’s observation that these may work temporarily but make things worse in the long run?
- What is your take away from this section about what is likely and not likely to work in terms of talking to someone else about climate change?
- How does your faith guide you in your conversations with others on controversial topics? How do you approach people with whom you disagree?
Summary Presentation and Notes for Session 2: Putting Hope into Action Section 2 1-30-2024
If you are interested in learning more about what climate change is, how we know it is real, why it’s happening, its impacts on us and on earth, and what is being done to address it, go to NASA’s Global Climate Change site.
WEEK 3 (2/6/2024): SECTION 3 – THE THREAT MULTIPLIER
Homework:
- Read Section 3 - The Threat Multiplier.
- As you read, consider the questions below.
Questions for Discussion:
- How do you see psychological distancing – the human tendency to ignore ideas that seem far away or not impactful on our own lives (Chapter 8, A Faraway Threat) – at work in your own life or the lives of those around you?
- How do you feel about trying to reduce our psychological distance about climate change at this point? Ready, anxious, worried, not ready…?
- In Chapter 10 (No Time to Waste), Katharine Hayhoe says we are not the victim tied to the train track waiting for climate change to destroy us but are driving the locomotive full throttle toward a bridge that’s down. We can either try to ride out the crash or stop accelerating (stop increasing our emissions) and hit the brakes (decrease our emissions) to minimize the damage. What is your reaction to that analogy?
- Hayhoe concludes Chapter 11 (The Sickness and the Cure) with “Climate change is not only a science issue…it is a health issue, a food issue, a water issue and an economic issue. It’s an issue of hunger, and of poverty, and of justice. It’s a human issue.” What speaks to your heart in this statement, and what is your heart saying?
- In what ways does our faith empower us to respond with hope?
Summary Presentation and Notes for Session 3: Putting Hope into Action Section 3 2-6-2024
WEEK 4 (2/20/2024): SECTION 4 – WE CAN FIX IT
Homework:
- Read Section 4 - We Can Fix It.
- As you read, consider the questions below.
Questions for Discussion:
- Chapter 12 (Why We Fear Solutions) discusses “solution aversion,” in which our resistance to change is because we fear the solutions may be too difficult, personally harmful, or too little to make a difference. How is this perspective helpful (or not helpful) to you?
- What is your reaction to Hayhoe’s perspective that for Christians, “Love is key to acting on climate: caring for the poor and the needy, those most affected by the impacts of a changing climate, as we as creation itself. It’s not only our responsibility, it’s who Christians believe God made us to be”? (page 142)
- Hayhoe says that the fossil fuel industry and not individuals are responsible for the preponderance of climate change. She also says that we’re not going to “solve the climate crisis” by changing individual choices alone. We have to change the system which is dependent on fossil fuels. How do you react to that? What are your reflections about your individual responsibility and corporate responsibility?
- What excites you about all the current ways described in Section 4 for reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and other avenues of reducing the rate at which the earth’s temperature is rising? How does the material in these chapters give you hope?
Summary Presentation and Notes for Session 4: Putting Hope into Action Section 4 2-20-2024
WEEK 5 (2/27/2024): SECTION 5 – YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE (Part 1)
Homework:
- Read Chapters 18-20 in Section 5 - You Can Make a Difference.
- As you read, consider the questions below.
Questions for Discussion:
- In Why You Matter (Chapter 18), Katharine Hayhoe says believing we can do something and make a difference both individually and communally are key to responding to climate change.
- Where do you see that at work in your life?
- How does that impact your sense of empowerment about climate change?
- In What I Do (Chapter 19), Hayhoe offers a variety of low-carbon habits, noting that while her individual choices won’t substantially change things, it helps build a sense of efficacy and empowerment to share with others.
- What practices seem achievable for you?
- While Hayhoe didn’t explicitly mention a faith connection with her choices, how do you tie your choices to your faith identity?
- Hayhoe says, “The most important thing every single one of us can do about climate change is to talk about it...” Not with scientific data and facts, but with personal stories that connect you and the person you’re talking with to why climate change matters and “what we can do about it in our own lives.” We’ll get into this in more detail next week but for this week.
- Think back on what you love doing, who you love and care about, and what you believe (from Week 1). What connections can you make with what you love that can be a conversation point with people around you?
Summary Presentation and Notes for Session 5: Putting Hope into Action Section 5a 2-27-2024
WEEK 6 (3/5/2024): SECTION 5 – YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE (Part 2)
Homework:
- Read Chapters 21-22 in Section 5 - You Can Make a Difference.
- As you read, consider the questions below.
Questions for Discussion:
- Hayhoe believes the most important thing we, as individuals, can do about climate change is to have conversations. She urges us to talk about why climate change matters to each of us, to share what we are doing about it, to advocate for change in neighborhoods, businesses, towns and cities, regions, etc., and to inform yours and others’ voting decisions. Bond, Connect, and Inspire (Chapter 21) offers tips on how to have effective conversations about climate change with others.
- What conversations do you feel ready to try or what barriers are holding you back from engaging in these conversations? How might we, as a group, support you?
- How can you see these conversations happening in your neighborhood? In your church? With your community leaders and political representatives?
- How do you react to Hayhoe’s quote “Active Hope is a practice...it is something we do rather than have. …Rather than weighing our chances and proceeding only when we feel hopeful, we focus on our intention and let it be our guide.” (p. 244) In what ways do you put your hope into practice?
- Hayhoe concludes: “…it is not too late to avoid the most serious and dangerous impacts. Our choices will determine what happens. The future we collectively face will be forged by our own actions. Climate change stands between us and a breathtaking, exhilarating future. We cannot afford to be paralyzed by fear or shame. We must act, with power, love, and a sound mind. Together, we can save ourselves.” (page 245) As we conclude our study, what gives you hope?
Links for Further Resources:
- NASA Climate Change (science.nasa.gov/climate-change and climate.nasa.gov) provides information on what climate change is, why we know it is real, the causes behind it, the effects of climate change, and what can be done to solve it. A good go-to to start looking into it.
- Climate.gov (NOAA) (climate.gov, toolkit.climate.gov, and climate-change-impacts) includes resources for reaching out to communities, groups, and organizations, with case studies and success stories. Climate change impacts is useful in gathering information on how climate change impacts those things that are important to us.
- ScienceMoms.com (and climate-change-solutions) provides resources for engaging in conversations and for taking action on climate change.
