EarthBeat Weekly: Young Catholic at center of lawsuit challenging Trump's climate science rejection

Young Catholic at center of lawsuit challenging Trump's climate science rejection   EarthBeat Weekly Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change March 6, 2026   The ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, May 15, 2021. (OSV News/Reuters/Kathleen Flynn) Today at EarthBeat, I reported on one of the lawsuits filed in recent weeks challenging the Trump administration's reversal of the endangerment finding, the 2009 scientific determination by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that concluded greenhouse gases that are driving climate change pose a danger to public health and welfare.  The endangerment finding has served as the legal foundation for EPA's climate regulations, including limits on emissions from vehicles as well as power plants and other polluting industrial sources. The loss of such regulations is worrisome to Elena Venner, a 21-year-old Catholic and engineering student at California Polytechnic State University. Worrisome enough that she joined a lawsuit challenging the legality of EPA's repeal of the endangerment finding.  The suit, Venner v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is unique in that it alleges that ending the endangerment finding is a violation of the constitutional rights of Venner and her 17 fellow youth plaintiffs to life and liberty as well as religious freedom. "For me Catholicism is maintaining the dignity of all human life," she told me in an interview. "[In] Laudato Si', Pope Francis explains that protecting the environment and protecting human life, they're inseparable and we'll all interconnected. "And so with the endangerment finding [repeal] and just with climate change in general, our environment is being degraded," Venner said. "The conditions for basic life are dependent on maintaining a stable climate and access to clean air and water, and so when that isn't protected life isn't being protected." This was actually the second time I had interviewed a member of the Venner family. Back in the summer of 2019, I met with her older brother, Nick, on a hiking trail outside Denver to talk about the legal case he had joined as a child suing the federal government over its inaction on climate change. [In fact, my profile on Nick Venner was the debut story when EarthBeat launched in October 2019.] Both climate cases that the Venners joined were coordinated by Our Children's Trust, a nonprofit public interest law firm that has represented youth clients in a series of federal and state lawsuits seeking legally binding policies to address climate change. Young people go through an application process in order to join a case. Julia Olson, chief legal counsel for Our Children's Trust, said that Elena Venner's story of her religious background and how climate change has harmed her — poor air quality exacerbating asthma, family and friends evacuating their homes from wildfires, concern with a rapidly heating planet leading her to pause thinking about having children — made her an ideal fit for the endangerment finding lawsuit. In determining whose name gets attached to the case, Olson said they lean toward an older plaintiff, and "we always try to find someone to do that who's willing and able to take that on comfortably enough [in the public spotlight]. And Elena was graciously willing to step into that role." "I care a lot about climate change," Venner told me, "so I just wanted to be a part of helping where I can." Read more: Young Catholic is lead plaintiff in suit challenging EPA's endangerment finding reversal   What else is new on EarthBeat:   Climate change, crowds prompt maintenance on Michelangelo's 'Last Judgment' by Justin McLellan Visitors often reach the Sistine Chapel overheated after walking through non-air-conditioned galleries. Combined with rising temperatures those conditions have led to more sweat in the sacred space. Read more here »   Vietnamese sisters grow organic mushrooms to serve community and fund scholarships by Joachim Pham They use no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Waste is reused. Damaged mushrooms are dried and ground into seasoning powder. Read more here »   Vatican theological commission warns of replacing God with 'a world governed by machines' by Courtney Mares, OSV News The Vatican's International Theological Commission has warned that if humanity places total trust in technology in a "world ruled by machines," it risks replacing the "living God" with a counterfeit "virtual God." Read more here »   In these hopeless times, hope is a gift and a choice by Daniel P. Horan "Christian hope is nothing like optimism or the unfounded conviction that 'everything will work out fine,' " writes Daniel P. Horan. Read more here » What's happening in other climate news: The sea is higher than we thought and millions more are at risk, study finds —Seth Borenstein and Annika Hammerschlag for the Associated Press Oil, gasoline prices jump amid Iran strikes, with future uncertain —Rachel Frazin for The Hill Chart: US to overwhelmingly build clean power in 2026 —Julian Spector for Canary Media Trump's high-profile oil and gas lease sale in Alaska has no takers —Lisa Friedman for The New York Times After a lawsuit, USDA agrees to share climate risk data with farmers —Frida Garza for Grist Why electricity bills are so high — and how the blowback could hit Trump —Dan Gearino and Marianne Lavelle for Inside Climate News Dow asks Texas to legalize plastic pollution from its Seadrift complex —Dylan Baddour for Inside Climate News An Army Corps project could wipe out one of Florida's last thriving coral reefs —Nicolás Rivero for the Washington Post With only 3 women left, an Amazon tribe faced extinction. An unexpected birth now brings hope —Gabriela Sá Pessoa for the Associated Press Marsupials previously thought extinct for millennia discovered in New Guinea —Adam Morton for the Guardian Final Beat: Over the years, EarthBeat has reported several times on the stunning work of artist Angela Manno, who paints endangered animal and plant species in the style of sacred Byzantine iconography. That coverage has included several reviews and reflections on exhibits of the New York artist's captivating and thought-provoking images, which Manno said she's created to help foster an "ecological conversion" that's been championed by both Pope Leo XIV and Pope Francis. A 2019 United Nations report estimated 1 million species are believed to be in danger of extinction, mainly because of human activity such as climate change and deforestation. For those who haven't had the chance to see Manno's artwork in person, a new book offers a new opening to engage the animal icons at home, The Sacred Biodiversity Oracle. The boxed set includes 36 full-color reproductions of her sacred icons of threatened and endangered species along with a guidebook that includes references to integral ecology from Francis' encyclical "Laudato Si', on Care of Our Common Home" and theologians Leonardo Boff and Thomas Berry, among others. "The cards and guidebook are an extension of my art that allows more people to have access to it and to have a truly in-depth experience with the images and the creatures they represent, to foster awareness, compassion and action," Manno said in an email.  Starting next week, Manno's Sacred Biodiversity art series will be on display at the Moray Art Centre in Findhorn, Scotland. The series runs March 14-April 25, and will include several events, including an online discussion April 15 with Catholic theologian Elizabeth Johnson among the panelists. As always, thanks for reading EarthBeat.   Brian Roewe Environment Correspondent National Catholic Reporter broewe@ncronline.org     Featured Advertisers   Looking to Hire? Offering Retreats? Selling Books? Place an Ad in NCR's Online Classified Section for Only $75 per Month!   Advertisement

SojoMail - Soul care for the weary

View this email in your browser By Betsy Shirley Editor in Chief, Sojourners This week, the Sojourners staff is gathering in Washington, D.C., to do something radical, subversive, and decidedly countercultural: close our laptops and take a retreat. In our day-to-day work, we regularly publish articles that remind us rest is holy resistance, not a "reward for the productive." We know Jesus himself made time to rest, pray, withdraw, and share meals with his friends. Or as one Sojourners author put it: “If there is an idealized activist mold of constant productivity, Jesus did not fit.” Still, I bet we’re not the only ones who find that easier said than done, especially when so many worthy things cry out for our attention. But we try to practice what we preach here at Sojourners. So instead of bringing you new content, we’re prescheduling this message and sharing some oldies-but-goodies from our archives on the topic of rest and sabbath. Taking time to rest can be a privilege, not accessible to everyone—an economic reality we want to change. Meanwhile, if rest feels elusive, try this: Put your feet firmly on the floor. Relax your shoulders. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Exhale slowly. Maybe repeat a restful Bible verse like Psalm 46:10 (“Be still and know that I am God”). When you open your eyes, know that you are deeply loved, just as you are—regardless of what you have achieved (or not) today. We hope you’ll carry that spark with you into the weekend, and we’ll see you here again next week. Soul Care for Weary Activists (by Edgar Rivera Colón) So much of what passes for self-care is commodified. Here’s what we need instead. Read the full article Advertisement Our Latest Stories How a Week With Benedictine Sisters Made Me a Better Radical (by Hannah Keziah Agustin) Amid news of wildfires, landslides, and war, I learned that God is the one who finishes the good work of justice. Read more What Do We Want? Justice! What Have We Got? Burnout! (by Liz Cooledge Jenkins) Dorcas Cheng-Tozun and Trish O’Kane offer practical ways to advocate for change without depleting our souls in the process. Read more Why Faith Activists Need Embodied Joy (by José Humphreys III) The surprising power of a two-step and a twirl. Read more Rest Is Resistance, Too (by Jeania Ree V. Moore) Sleep deprivation is a racial and social justice issue of white supremacy and capitalism. Read more Advertisements How do we build pathways out of poverty? While charity can address urgent needs, lasting change takes investment. Acumen is more than a nonprofit. It’s a network of bold entrepreneurs, trusted donors, and emerging leaders who are solving problems where others won’t. Follow the journey of a dollar with Acumen. Seeking Simplicity, Connection, and Repair in a Broken World Feeling burnt out? Light for the Way brings together 50 years of wisdom on how contemplation, rest, and community fuel justice work. With voices like Wendell Berry, Kathleen Norris, Joan Chittister, and Daniel Berrigan, this is your guide to reclaiming spiritual practices during difficult times. Donate Subscribe Unsubscribe or update email preferences Copyright © 2026 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842

WCC NEWS: Amid war, churches amplify call for end to illegal occupation of Palestine

During a webinar on 4 March that occurred amid a war between Israel and Iran, to the sounds of sirens in the background, the World Council of Churches (WCC) amplified its call for states to hold Israel accountable for ending the illegal occupation of Palestine. Webinar: From Condemnation to Consequences 04 March 2026 The webinar, moderated by WCC advocacy officer George Sahhar in Jerusalem, marked the beginning of a new campaign, “From Condemnation to Consequences,” that portrays the escalating crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the clear, yet unfulfilled, legal obligations of the international community to demand concrete, legally-grounded consequences for Israel's persistent violations of international law.  Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC programme director for Life, Justice, and Peace, opened the webinar by noting that the WCC conceived the campaign in an environment completely different from what has happened in the last 72 hours, and now people are gathered at a very grave moment of escalation in the Middle East. “But our campaign needs to remain focused on the commitments that the churches have made together, with all their partners, to see how we move from the statements and condemnation of the occupation and annexation of Palestine, and to try to translate this into concrete changes and transformation,” said Mtata.  Dr Yudith Oppenheimer, executive director of Ir Amim, noted that, over the course of the past two years, there have been rapidly unfolding developments in Jerusalem and its vicinity that have been largely overshadowed by the war in Gaza and the war going on right now.  She named settlement expansion in East Jerusalem, an unprecedented rise in home demolitions and forced evictions, and moves leading to the complete collapse of the Status Quo, among other grave violations of human rights and international law. “Together, these actions threaten not only the future of Jerusalem but the broader prospects of peace, justice, and security for both peoples,” she said, citing that plans for nine new settlements with over 20,000 housing units have advanced in East Jerusalem since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Many of these plans are designated for lands in the hearts of Palestinian neighborhoods. Hana Kirreh, a member of the WCC Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel International Reference Group, presented the remarks of Mayada Tarazi, director of operations, human resources, and international relations for the YMCA.  “Families are getting displaced again and again,” noted Terazi, highlighting that women and children are bearing a painful brunt of the upheaval. “Many are still without homes, without access to water, food, medical care, and safety,” she said. “Women say, ‘we aremanaging or surviving,’ but what is happening is not normal, and it is not acceptable—and too often it feels that no one is doing enough to stop this.” A former ecumenical accompanier, John Wardlaw, a human rights lawyer from Australia, shared his eyewitness accounts of families being forcibly evicted under inhumane conditions and time constraints, as well as other acts of violence and grave violations of human rights and dignity.  Showing photos of Silwan, where the community has initiated a public art project in which eyes are painted on the fronts of homes, he noted that God’s eyes do not close on the suffering of Palestinian communities.  “All of these people in the houses that have the eyes on them, are subject to eviction notices,” he explained.  Iskandar Majlaton, programme coordinator for the WCC Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme Palestine and Israel, urged people to endorse the campaign, which runs through 31 March, and urged churches and partners all over the world to use the advocacy materials already produced. “Everything is already online and published—and you can use it,” he said.  “From Condemnation to Consequences” campaign will call for accountability to end occupation of Palestine Campaign page and resources WCC-EAPPI Opening remarks – Kenneth Mtata, webinar From Condemnation to Consequences Right to Education in East Jerusalem See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland