EarthBeat Weekly: Climate change forces migration. Pope Francis says it should be a free choice.

Climate change forces migration. Pope Francis says it should be a free choice. Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change September 22, 2023 In Pope Francis' message this year for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (Sept. 24), he said: "The decision to migrate should always be free, yet in many cases, even in our day, it is not. Conflicts, natural disasters, or more simply the impossibility of living a dignified and prosperous life in one's native land is forcing millions of persons to leave. … Migrants flee because of poverty, fear or desperation. Eliminating these causes and thus putting an end to forced migration calls for shared commitment on the part of all, in accordance with the responsibilities of each." The United States bishops echoed Francis' theme of "Free to choose whether to migrate or to stay" in their own statement issued ahead of National Migration Week (Sept. 18-24), saying: "We are compelled to respond with charity toward those who must uproot their lives in search of refuge, but efforts to manage migration — even when predicated on the common good — require that we also address the coercive forces driving people to migrate. Only through collective efforts to alleviate these forces and by establishing the conditions required for integral human development can people truly avail themselves of the right to remain in their country of birth." On Monday at EarthBeat, we published a feature story by NCR environment correspondent Brian Roewe that shows what this reality looks like for young people in Honduras. In March, Roewe traveled to a region of Central America known as the Dry Corridor and spoke with subsistence farmers there — many of whom once migrated, but ultimately returned — about the factors that influenced their decisions to leave the country, why they returned, and what empowered them to stay and call Honduras home. As the pope and bishops stated, there are many forces at play, but for those who Roewe met, the impacts of climate change were undeniably connected to their choices about whether to migrate. With support from local groups, international NGOs and development agencies — including Catholic Relief Services — these Honduran farmers have been able to adopt techniques and tools to adapt to climate change impacts, granting them the freedom "to choose whether to migrate or stay." Read more: In Honduras' Dry Corridor, climate change poses a painful dilemma: Adapt or leave Roewe was one of six journalists selected for Catholic Relief Services' 2023 Climate Change Reporting Fellowship that traveled to Honduras March 19-26. What else is new on EarthBeat: Catholic groups join sea of protesters in New York march against fossil fuels by Kimberley Heatherington, OSV News A crowd of 75,000 demonstrators from some 700 organizations and activist groups paraded through the streets of New York City Sept. 17 in the "March to End Fossil Fuels." Synod office announces plan to reduce assembly's carbon footprint by Catholic News Service The Vatican plans to send "efficient cooking stoves and water purification technologies to households, communities and institutions" in Kenya and Nigeria.   Considering the spiritual roots of ecophobia amid climate change by Daniel P. Horan The term "ecophobia" gives us a lens through which to view the human behavior that has harmed the rest of creation, writes Dan Horan.  Pope to global leaders: Save children, the planet 'before it's too late' by Justin McLellan, Catholic News Service Pope Francis told former U.S. President Bill Clinton and the global community to take action to ensure peace for future generations and stop climate change "before it's too late." Love and compassion: How women can address the climate crisis by Ellen Bernstein, Religion News Service If we approach the climate crisis from the place of love, many more possibilities open up. What's happening in other climate news: Biden launches American Climate Corps — Robin Bravender for E&E News At a Summit on Climate Ambition, the U.S. and China End Up on the B List — Max Bearak reports for The New York Times America passed the EV 'tipping point' — but many buyers still want gas — Shannon Osaka and Emily Guskin for The Washington Post Calif. Lawsuit Says Oil Giants Deceived Public On Climate, Seeks Damages — Michael R. Blood for the Associated Press Final Beat: "Help This Garden Grow" is a new, six-part podcast docuseries that tells the story of Hazel Johnson, a visionary of the environmental justice movement and a resident of the Altgeld Gardens community on the far South Side of Chicago. The show is a project of Respair Production & Media, in partnership with People for Community Recovery and Elevate. You can listen to it here. For more than 30 years, Hazel Johnson worked to clean up her corner of Chicago's southeast side. Ten years after her death in January 2011, NCR environment correspondent Brian Roewe reported for EarthBeat how Johnson's contributions to environmental justice continued to resonate. Read Roewe's 2021 coverage here. Thanks for reading EarthBeat! Stephanie Clary Environment Editor National Catholic Reporter sclary@ncronline.org Instagram: @stephanieclaryncr     Featured Advertisers   Are you brave enough to talk about money? Faith and Money Network’s study groups meet via video conference to explore faith-driven approaches to daily life’s money choices.   Advertisement