On April 4, 2024, MFSA and United Methodist Creation Justice Movement (UMCJM) held a webinar entitled “Climate Teach in: Climate Justice Legislation for General Conference” in collaboration with the Creation Justice Movement. This was my internship project for the year. Thank you to all that attended and helped make it a success.

There were two speakers namely Cathy Velasquez Eberhart, who represented the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement, and Nancy Blade, a United Methodist Elder who co-chairs a new Northern Illinois task force focusing on eco-sustainability. Cathay Eberhart spoke about the UM Creation Justice Movement, what it stands for and ways to get involved with the work the UMCJM is pursuing. Nancy Blade gave an overview of creation justice resolutions that were to be proposed at the General Conference and at the annual conference level highlighting the importance of building coalitions. Two of those resolutions that resonated with me are those of the use of plastics and divestment from fossil fuels. These are solutions not only our churches can use but that we can take in our own personal lives.

We are called to be stewards of the earth and the use of plastics does not do earth and its inhabitants any favors. This is especially so for single use plastic products. What are single use plastic products you may ask? Single use plastic products are goods that are made primarily from fossil fuel–based chemicals (petrochemicals) that are designed for or intended to be used once and discarded. These include plastic and polystyrene food and beverage containers, bottles, straws, cups, cutlery and disposable plastic bags.

Approximately 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute and five trillion single-use plastic bags used worldwide every year. Half of all plastic products are single use plastics. Out of the seven billion tonnes of plastic manufactured worldwide, less than 10% is recycled (5 to 7% in the USA). We can start to see why there is so much plastic waste in our communities.Around the world, one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, while up to five trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year. In total, half of all plastic produced is designed for single-use purposes – used just once and then thrown away.

Plastic is used in a lot of industries and in a lot of homes. The majority of plastic unfortunately ends up in landfills, by the road sides, river sides or in the ocean. It is estimated that 75 to 199 million tonnes of plastic is currently found in our oceans and that amount is projected to be 23-37 million tonnes per year by 2040 if we do not change our relationship with plastics. A large portion of plastics are also imported by several countries for profit and then they are dumped or burned in local communities as a way of disposing of them which contributes to air pollution. These communities are often communities where the vulnerable and marginalized members of society live. Animals and children can find themselves trapped in a plastic container or suffocated by the plastic. Children and adults alike can find themselves without a safe environment to commune in and to play in.

Most plastic items break down into smaller pieces called microplastics that can enter the human body through inhalation and absorption and can accumulate in human organs. These microplastics can also be found in our water, food, in animals, in the soil and in the air we breathe.Some of these microplastics leach into our water through the plastic bottles we use and into food through food containers. These microplastics will then act as endocrine disruptors which can interfere with the body’s hormones and the functions they control.

Moves have been made in a lot of states to get rid of disposable plastic bags therefore encouraging use of reusable plastic bags. Is this the solution though? Limiting the use of single use plastics is not enough. Putting single use plastics in recycle bins and repurposing is not enough. We need to reduce and avoid using these single use plastics. By doing so we also cripple the fossil fuel industry that makes these plastics using petrochemicals which contribute significantly to the production of greenhouse gasses and thus global warming and climate change.

Avoiding plastic can be something we actively do in our lives. We can use reusable items instead of disposable items. Take a coffee mug with you when you go to your favorite coffee shop, use a reusable bottle for water instead of buying plastic bottles of water and avoid plastic straws. These are examples of small things you can do to help with the increasing problems of plastic use and disposal.  

Often, we use single use plastic items because they are easy to dispose of and convenient to use. We have a consumptive and throwaway culture and often we do not realize the impacts of our actions. We can unlearn these habits and create better habits. Sometimes what is best for us is not always the most convenient thing to do and we should not let a minor inconvenience get in the way of us helping to preserve this space for others and for future generations just as God has intended us to do.

The other thing that was mentioned that stuck with me was to do with divestment from fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have been by far the biggest contributor to this climate crisis as they account for over 75% of all global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions. Most of these fossil fuels are used in the petrochemical industries (75% of which are plastics), in the transport sector and in generating electricity. There are many climate friendly alternatives for petrochemical products such as plastics, fertilizer and pesticides that can be used. Climate friendly means of travel exist with e-cars, public transport and carpooling serving as common alternatives available. There are other sources of generating electricity, for example, solar and wind which are renewable and do not cause mass destruction to our environment. What this means is the use of fossil fuels can be avoided and our communities can operate in an environmentally friendly manner. 

Most of us find ourselves unknowingly investing in the fossil industry through our financial institutions. Speak to your bank or financial institution and find out whether they invest in fossil fuels or not. If they do then ask them to stop or go to a bank that does not invest in fossil fuels. 

“But I’m just one person,” you may ask, “what difference will it make?” Think about it, if you did it and inspired someone else to do it too, it could spark a movement that will result in less funding for fossil fossils and less pollution overall. Wouldn’t that be great?

Take a stand for the environment. Take a stand for the non-humans that are not able to stand up for themselves. Speak out for the vulnerable members of our societies. Get your local organizations to use less plastic in their products. God mandates that we do that not only for ourselves but for all of creation. Get the UMC to stop investing in fossil fuels which will also in turn reduce the amount of plastic in our communities. You can do so by signing this petition: Call for Divestment Sign on letter. For more information you can visit FossilFreeUMC.net.