Fighting climate change one small act at a time
Light bulbs and solar panels won’t solve the climate crisis. They’re signs of something greater.
There have been two heavy blows to climate change action in the United States in recent weeks. In West Virginia v. EPA, the Supreme Court handed down a devastating decision that weakens the executive branch’s ability to address climate change. In its 6–3 ruling, the court eliminated the EPA’s authority to direct electric utilities to shut down coal-fired power plants in favor of wind, solar, and other renewable forms of energy. Weeks later, Joe Manchin—a Democratic senator from West Virginia who has profited significantly from the coal industry in recent years—killed a promising congressional climate policy plan, citing inflation.
These two moments have wide-reaching consequences. For those who recognize the need for swift and large-scale action on climate change, the outcome could hardly be worse. Congressional, judicial, and executive tools that might guide the US’s response to climate change remain in the toolbox, unused. It’s enough to make a person feel hopeless.
In this issue, Anna Woofenden writes about green churches, focusing on small steps that congregations are taking to create their own responses to climate change. It’s hard not to wonder: What’s the point? We aren’t going to solve climate change with light bulbs and solar panels.
