Remember when Pope Francis called for action on climate change? That was back in the fall of 2015. Last week I had the opportunity to see what some Catholics are doing in response to his call for action when I visited one of our local partners, The Prairiewoods Center. The Center is run by nuns; it’s a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. They provide education on evolution and climate change to tens of thousands of people.
Seriously! Evolution and climate change! That’s what these ladies do! They will also teach you tai chi. As a child, when I thought about nuns and education, I mostly pictured them whacking kids with rulers. (Not from personal experience, mind you.) But culturally, I had some very negative misconceptions, and I know that many who are part of the super secular, maybe even a little anti-religious, culture in which I was raised feel the same way. That is why I thought it would be cool to share this story with you, because it’s illuminating when you encounter people and places that really shatter your stereotypes.
Prairiewoods puts on one of the largest Earth Day celebrations in the region: Eco-Fest, which attracts thousands of people every year. This year they’re focusing on carbon and climate change. NCSE’s Iowa-based Science Booster Clubs will be contributing an exhibit. Our volunteers are already scheduled to put a combined sixty hours of labor into the project. And that’s just for our little part of the festival. The whole of this celebration will require hundreds if not thousands of hours of volunteer labor, from virtually every significant greenish organization in the region.
Prairiewoods does a lot to educate the surrounding community about the same issues NCSE promotes, although they come at the mission from an entirely different direction. Prairiewoods is, in their words, “dedicated to the effort to bring our Christian Story and the scientific Story of the Universe into one story that will give greater meaning and purpose to life.” The scientific information they provide at the Center is generally accurate, and where they’re a little off it's because they’re not completely up to date, not purposely trying to misinform. Their approach to both evolution and climate change is completely intertwined with their love of God, their desire to appreciate what they term the creation, and their call to service.
Their response to Pope Francis’s “Eco-Encyclical” has been huge. Not only are they running a very popular series of workshops on climate change, they’ve made a number of serious investments in CO2 reduction at their center, which is also home to many of their staff. Through the installation of new solar panels and other green technology, including solar hot water, radiant floor heating, and really extensive gardening, they are reducing their CO2 output from an estimated 10 tons of CO2 in 2015 to a projected 2 tons in 2016. That’s impressive!
NCSE has a long history of allying with clergy as part of our effort to defend science education. As we continue to expand our partnerships, it’s cool to build on this history. And for me, it was inspiring to see people take such drastic and effective action on climate change as a response to a call of faith. I’m excited that the Science Booster Clubs are partnering with them at Eco Fest this April. It should be interesting to see how the people who come to this event will respond to a hands-on, purely scientific approach. I’m willing to bet the experience will be very positive for everybody.
