Join Professor Hyun-Min Hwang of Texas Southern University as he examines the issue of plastic pollution.    Plastic is a polymeric material, not biodegradable, and may last hundreds of years in the environment. Substantial fractions of plastic waste are disposed of improperly, and are found everywhere, even in the middle of the ocean and deep-sea floor.  Small plastics, known as microplastics, accumulate inside of animal bodies and pass through food chains. Some plastics contain harmful chemicals added intentionally during manufacturing processes. These chemicals leached from plastics can cause toxic impacts on humans and wildlife. Plastic production is fast-increasing, so the amount of plastic waste in the environment will also continuously increase unless we change the way we live with plastics. There are easy-to-follow practices we can apply to everyday life to help protect, preserve, and sustain natural resources. The future is up to us. Join Professor Hwang to consider how we can make the earth a better place to live for ourselves, future generations, and wildlife as well. Time for interactive discussion will be provided after his talk.  Register for this talk on www.eventbrite.com. All registrants will receive a recording of the talk afterward.  Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com for more information.

Join Professor Gunnar Schade of Texas A&M University to learn about the issue of air pollution. Air pollution is a major factor for public health throughout the world. An increasing human population, increasingly clustered in urban areas, is exposed to a variety of air pollutants. Among the common pollutants, fine particulate matter and ozone exposure dominate health effects, which have become much better understood in the last two decades. While air quality has improved in much of the western world, population growth and the continued usage of fossil fuels to power economic growth has worsened air quality almost everywhere else. As the overwhelming amount of air pollution is caused by fossil fuels, namely their mining, combustion and widespread consumer use, a rapid transition to renewable energy use alongside the “electrification of everything” is expected to near eliminate air pollution as an environmental problem in the 21st century. Whether this can be achieved is therefore closely linked to climate change mitigation via phasing out fossil fuel use in energy production and agriculture. Time for interactive discussion will be provided after his talk.  Register for this talk on www.eventbrite.com at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-big-four-major-global-environmental-issues-their-causes-effects-s-tickets-378315811777. All registrants will receive a recording of the talk afterward.  Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com for more information.

Join Professor Sylvia Dee of Rice University to consider climate change, its causes, impacts, and solutions.  There is now a long-established global scientific consensus that climate change will damage human and natural systems at high expense. Climate change-induced disruptions to human-environment interactions occur via impacts such as sea level rise, storm surge, tropical cyclones, and degradation of ecosystems and resources.  Earth is already responding more quickly than predicted to rapidly shifting, pervasive radiative forcing. Our species’ future will depend on our ability to adapt to and mitigate this response.  Houston provides a geopolitically relevant model city for the impacts of climate change in low-lying coastal zones in the subtropics, where, globally, the highest development rates are occurring. The increasing frequency of flooding due to tropical storms and extreme rainfall have already cost hundreds of billions of dollars, and pose an existential threat to the nation’s energy security.  Houston is ground zero for the study of the impacts of climate change on coastal cities and energy infrastructure. In cities housing critical hubs for the petrochemical industry, the economic effects of climate change will resonate widely.  In this talk, Dr. Dee will summarize the science of climate change and the social challenges that accompany it, as well as the urgent need for solutions that can be adopted now to mitigate the social and economic consequences of environmental degradation. Time for interactive discussion will be provided after her talk. Register for this talk on www.eventbrite.com at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-big-four-major-global-environmental-issues-their-causes-effects-s-tickets-378315811777. All registrants will receive a recording of the talk afterward.  Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com for more information.

Gardening and growing fruit, vegetables, and herbs organically is easy when recreating systems of nature to incorporate plants for wildlife and for people. Gardening in the gulf coast climate allows us to grow year around. Carol Burton, Director of Garden Education at Urban Harvest will explore the seasons from Summer gardening strategies to Fall transitions for a bumper cool season crop and the top five fruit trees to get started. Time for interactive discussion with the speaker will be provided.  Please register for this talk on www.eventbrite.com. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions.

Join Professor Kerri Crawford of the University of Houston for a talk on the issue of biodiversity loss.  Our planet is home to millions of species that rely on each other and provide important ecosystem services. Humans, too, rely on nature — but we take a disproportionate amount of the resources and modify the environment in ways that negatively affect other species. Our effects on the environment are directly causing what many have termed “the 6th mass extinction.” In this presentation, Dr. Crawford will provide information on what biodiversity is, how quickly we are losing biodiversity, why biodiversity is important for us, and what is being done to protect biodiversity.  Time for interactive discussion will be provided after her talk.  Register for this talk on www.eventbrite.com. All registrants will receive a recording of the talk afterward.  Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com for more information.

Heat is the greatest weather-related disaster in the U.S., killing more people than any other kind of natural disaster.  And, Texas is one of three states with the highest heat-related deaths. A study found that the Houston area averaged 18 dangerously hot summer days per year from 1975 to 2010. Without any action to combat urban heat, Houston’s annual number of days hit by dangerous summer heat could rise to 80 by 2046. So, Houston’s urban heat issues are already serious and are forecasted to get much worse with the Climate Crisis. Urban heat negatively affects human and biodiversity health throughout the region, exacts a financial toll, leads to higher ozone levels, and reduces quality of life.  Heat mapping in Houston has shown that high heat is more concentrated in underinvested communities and/or Communities of Color, thereby widening historic inequalities. Fortunately, there are solutions that can be brought to bear to reduce urban heat.  Join Jaime Gonzalez of The Nature Conservancy, who led heat mapping efforts in Houston, for a discussion on the findings, their justice implications, solutions, and how houses of worship/people of faith can engage.  Learn more/register on www.eventbrite.com. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions.

As people of faith and conscience, we believe elections are a referendum on the values that will shape our future. How can we renew our fragile democracy? How do we honor the human dignity of every person? Will we protect our Sacred Earth and our children’s future? What policies will prioritize the common good and confront future crises that remind us of our interdependence? Many of the defining moral issues of our time are on the ballot: faltering democratic institutions, too much wealth in the hands of a few, damage to the climate, cruel immigration policies that tear families apart, mass incarceration that devastates communities of color, senseless gun violence, and threats to global public health and security. These challenges are daunting. To move forward in a spirit of hope, and to resist despair and cynicism, join this weekly discussion group where we’ll navigate the urgent moral questions raised by the coming election, allowing you to discern your path forward. Can’t make it every week? Join as you are able, or for those topics most of interest to you. The topic for each week’s discussion is given below. All attendees receive an electronic copy of the Faithful Voter Reflection Guide from Interfaith Power & Light, plus supplemental materials provided by the facilitator. Register on www.eventbrite.com at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/faithful-voter-weekly-discussion-group-tickets-384102800817?aff=ebdssbdestsearch. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions.

Sept. 13: Protecting Our Sacred Earth                    Sept. 20: Protecting Democracy & Voting Rights

Sept. 27: Loving Our Immigrant Neighbors           Oct. 4: Building an Economy of Inclusion

Oct. 11: Pursuing Restorative & Racial Justice      Oct. 18: Respecting the Dignity of LGBTQ People

Oct. 25: Protecting Everyone’s Health                   Nov. 1: Creating a More Peaceful World

As people of faith and conscience, we believe elections are a referendum on the values that will shape our future. How can we renew our fragile democracy? How do we honor the human dignity of every person? Will we protect our Sacred Earth and our children’s future? What policies will prioritize the common good and confront future crises that remind us of our interdependence? Many of the defining moral issues of our time are on the ballot: faltering democratic institutions, too much wealth in the hands of a few, damage to the climate, cruel immigration policies that tear families apart, mass incarceration that devastates communities of color, senseless gun violence, and threats to global public health and security. These challenges are daunting. To move forward in a spirit of hope, and to resist despair and cynicism, join this weekly discussion group where we’ll navigate the urgent moral questions raised by the coming election, allowing you to discern your path forward. Can’t make it every week? Join as you are able, or for those topics most of interest to you. The topic for each week’s discussion is given below. All attendees receive an electronic copy of the Faithful Voter Reflection Guide from Interfaith Power & Light, plus supplemental materials provided by the facilitator. Register on www.eventbrite.com at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/faithful-voter-weekly-discussion-group-tickets-384102800817?aff=ebdssbdestsearch. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions.

Sept. 13: Protecting Our Sacred Earth                    Sept. 20: Protecting Democracy & Voting Rights

Sept. 27: Loving Our Immigrant Neighbors           Oct. 4: Building an Economy of Inclusion

Oct. 11: Pursuing Restorative & Racial Justice      Oct. 18: Respecting the Dignity of LGBTQ People

Oct. 25: Protecting Everyone’s Health                   Nov. 1: Creating a More Peaceful World

It is well known that global warming and associated climate changes are linked to the increase of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere. Humans generate anthropogenic carbon dioxide and methane in many different ways. A carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide and methane that are generated as a result of an individual’s actions per year. The average carbon footprint of the U.S. is 16 tons, which is much higher than global average (about 4 tons). To avoid catastrophic climate change, nations across the globe agreed to reduce the global average carbon footprint to 2 tons by 2050. The major contributors to carbon footprint include transportation, consumption of food, other products and household energy use. Join Professor Hyun-Min Hwang of Texas Southern University to learn how we can make significant reductions in our carbon footprints.   Time for interactive discussion with the speaker will be provided.  Please register for this talk on www.eventbrite.com at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-tickets-400699070707. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions.

As people of faith and conscience, we believe elections are a referendum on the values that will shape our future. How can we renew our fragile democracy? How do we honor the human dignity of every person? Will we protect our Sacred Earth and our children’s future? What policies will prioritize the common good and confront future crises that remind us of our interdependence? Many of the defining moral issues of our time are on the ballot: faltering democratic institutions, too much wealth in the hands of a few, damage to the climate, cruel immigration policies that tear families apart, mass incarceration that devastates communities of color, senseless gun violence, and threats to global public health and security. These challenges are daunting. To move forward in a spirit of hope, and to resist despair and cynicism, join this weekly discussion group where we’ll navigate the urgent moral questions raised by the coming election, allowing you to discern your path forward. Can’t make it every week? Join as you are able, or for those topics most of interest to you. The topic for each week’s discussion is given below. All attendees receive an electronic copy of the Faithful Voter Reflection Guide from Interfaith Power & Light, plus supplemental materials provided by the facilitator. Register on www.eventbrite.com at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/faithful-voter-weekly-discussion-group-tickets-384102800817?aff=ebdssbdestsearch. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions.

Sept. 13: Protecting Our Sacred Earth                    Sept. 20: Protecting Democracy & Voting Rights

Sept. 27: Loving Our Immigrant Neighbors           Oct. 4: Building an Economy of Inclusion

Oct. 11: Pursuing Restorative & Racial Justice      Oct. 18: Respecting the Dignity of LGBTQ People

Oct. 25: Protecting Everyone’s Health                   Nov. 1: Creating a More Peaceful World