It was more than a full house at the Weitz Community Engagement Center on July 30 as an overflow crowd learned about Pope Francis’ Encyclical “Laudato Si” which lays out our responsibility to care for God’s Creation and how we can take action to create a more sustainable environment for the future of our region, state and world.

OTOC Environmental Sustainability Action Team

Panelists included Father Dennis Hamm, Professor Emeritus in Catholic Theological Studies at Creighton University; Dr. Roger Bergman, Director of the Justice and Peace Studies Program, Creighton University; and Rev. Kim Morrow, Director of Nebraska Interfaith Power & Light.

Rev. Morrow laid out clearly the science behind climate change. Fr. Hamm and Dr. Bergman gave an overview discussed in engaging manner each of the chapters in the encyclical. More than a dozen people asked questions or made comments in the following period of question and answers.

Mike McClellan of the OTOC Environmental Sustainability Team invited participants to sign on a petition asking the US Envoy to the to the United Nations Climate Change Conference to “lead the way for significant worldwide reductions in carbon emissions necessary to impact climate change.” OTOC will be circulating that petition at future OTOC meetings and several upcoming workshops sponsored by OTOC member congregations this fall.

The event was sponsored by Interfaith Power and Light and Sierra Club in collaboration with the OTOC Environmental Sustainability Team

35 people joined in Conversation about Sustainable Food Policy

Thirty five people came to Urban Abbey on July 23rd  to discuss  Sustainable Food Policy in Nebraska with Nathan Morgan, Executive Director of United Methodist Ministries. This OTOC Issue Cafe will focused on:

  • Learning more about UMM’s and other efforts work to develop locally grown food;
  • Discussion about 3 bills related to food policy that were pending in the last  Unicameral  session, especially LB 176 related to the vertical integration of pork production which could impact how food is produced in Nebraska;
  • Sharing your ideas and information about issues OTOC could  work on to improve the sustainability of our food and reduce the impact of producing food on our environment.