Faith and climate activists go to Wall Street — and get arrested

Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change

August 2, 2024

A demonstrator is arrested and dragged by the New York Police Department outside Citigroup’s headquarters on July 30 in New York. (NCR photo/Camillo Barone)

Today (Aug. 2), interfaith environmental activists plan to gather in Newark, New Jersey, to protest Formosa Plastics, a petrochemical company working to open a large plant in St. James Parish, Louisiana. Pollution from the proposed plant would contaminate the low-income Black community, which is already adversely affected by industry in the area.

Catholic Sharon Lavigne, founder of RISE St. James, plans to travel from Louisiana's "Cancer Alley" to attend the demonstration. In 2021, Lavigne won the Goldman Environmental Prize for North America. And in 2022, The University of Notre Dame presented her with the prestigious Laetare Medal — considered one of the highest honors in the U.S. Catholic Church. She often speaks about how God inspired her environmental activism.

Earlier this week, on Tuesday (July 30) and Thursday (Aug. 1), the same group of activists held peaceful protests outside Citigroup's New York headquarters, urging the global bank to stop investing in fossil fuel projects, since burning fossil fuels is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

"All of the large U.S. banks, including Citi, are the worst funders of the climate crisis in the world. And since the Paris Climate Agreement was signed [in 2015], no bank has put more money into fossil fuel industry projects than Citi," Rev. Fletcher Harper, executive director at Greenfaith, told NCR staff reporter Camillo Barone for EarthBeat.

The three events in New York and New Jersey this week are part of the "Summer of Heat on Wall St.", a three-month-long line-up of demonstrations against corporations and financial leaders investing in fossil fuels. This week specifically highlighted the activism of people of faith.

Catholics who flew from other states, including Louisiana and Texas, to take part in the Summer of Heat Faith Week spoke to Barone at Tuesday morning's protest outside Citigroup in Manhattan. Some Catholics were among the 24 activists who were arrested by NYPD for blocking the bank's entrance.

What else is new on EarthBeat:

The religion of opposing government climate action

by Mark Silk, Religion News Service

Rather than contest the overwhelming evidence of anthropogenic climate change, the new climate denialism asserts that such initiatives just won’t work. While this represents a telling shift — call it a strategic retreat — in denialist messaging, it’s also a doubling down on the anti-government ideology that has been a staple of faith-based climate skepticism.

Ways that women's congregations take action to protect God's creation

by The Life Panelists

The Life - Faith-based actions are crucial in addressing the climate crisis. Our sister panelists discuss how their communities have responded to Pope Francis' call for transformative stewardship of our ailing Earth.

Sisters train, empower youth in Kenya to mobilize on climate action

by Wycliff Peter Oundo

The Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya are training youth to become environmental stewards through their Sisters' Led Youth Empowerment Initiative.

What I learned about congregational sustainability

by Nancy Tadala

I listened to a program on congregational sustainability. By planning well, using local resources and being transparent, we can ensure our projects and congregations thrive.

Archbishop prays for residents, tourists in Canadian Rockies town devastated by wildfires

by Quinton Amundson, OSV News

On an emotional note, Edmonton Archbishop Richard W. Smith said: "We share the sense of loss with all of those who live in the town, who care for it and who have helped build it. And to those in Alberta and around the world who have experienced the magic of Jasper: The magic is not lost, and it never will be."

What's happening in other climate news:

Extreme heat is making schools hotter — and learning harder —Jessica Kutz for The 19th*

One in 11 people went hungry last year. Climate change is a big reason why. —Ayurella Horn-Muller for Grist

Fossil fuels made the Olympics 5 degrees hotter —Emily Atkin for HEATED

Oil companies sold the public on a fake climate solution — and swindled taxpayers out of billions —Amy Westervelt for Vox

Wind and solar energy overtake fossil fuels to provide 30% of EU electricity —Ajit Niranjan for The Guardian

In the Developing Field of Climate Psychology, 'Eco-Anxiety' Is a Rational Response —Nina Dietz for Inside Climate News

Final Beat:

While some environmental activists of faith believe the best way to convince banks like Citigroup to stop investing in fossil fuels is with boycotts and protests, others take the approach of shareholder advocacy in hopes of achieving the same goal.

One such group is the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, who for the past three years have filed a shareholder resolution at Citigroup's annual shareholder meeting asking the bank to assess its climate and human rights policies and whether it is actually abiding by them. Support for the resolution over the three years has ranged from 26-33%.

Thanks for reading EarthBeat!

Stephanie Clary
Environment Editor
National Catholic Reporter
sclary@ncronline.org
Instagram: @stephanieclaryncr