Friday Nudge: Climate News Sources

Friday Five: 5 excellent climate news sources to help you feel informed - and less overwhelmed.

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There is a saying that we preachers have often heard in our preaching classes: Preach with a Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in the other. The idea is that it is critically important to relate the Gospel message to the issues facing the world today and to allow the issues in the world to form our interpretations of the biblical texts.

Whether you are a preacher or not, the imperative in this idea is that, as people of faith, we must know about what is going on in the world, and how people and the planet are being affected. We are called to respond to the cries of the world; we cannot hear those cries if we are not informed.

“We will not care for what we do not love; we cannot love what we do not know.” - Sallie McFague

It is so easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of crises the Earth community is facing, both its human and other-than-human members. It is easy to feel powerless in the face of such need, helpless as the powers of fascism, hate, fear, and status quo complacency seem stronger than ever. Learning how to turn ‘off’ the news and take time with ourselves, our loved ones and the wider Earth community is critical for our mental, spiritual, and physical health.

Yet, we still need to be informed. If we are going to be empowered to respond, if we are going to act on behalf of people and the wider Earth community in love, then we need to know what is happening.

But we don’t have to be subscribed to every online news source or environmental journal (as someone who is subscribed to too many, please do as I say, and not as I do!) to be up to date on climate news. We simply need to find a few that offer trustworthy information about what is happening in the places we live and around the world.

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Friday Five: Climate News Sources

With that in mind, I have found five excellent sources for climate news for you to consider. I encourage you to choose just two sources - either from this list or others - one that focuses on your country and one that offers a lens on international climate issues, especially in the global South. We only need two sources; too many is overwhelming. Two good journalistic outlets will cover the bulk of what you need to know to be kept up to date as people of faith who care about the climate emergency.

Do you have a great climate news source you trust that isn’t on my list? Leave it in a comment below!

1. The Narwhal - I simply have to start with my favourite source for climate news in Canada, where I live. It is a first-rate non-profit organization that is funded by members. There is no paywall, but if you are able, supporting them through a monthly donation helps to keep them afloat. The amount that you can give is up to you! They describe their work as follows:

   Our team of investigative journalists dives deep to tell stories about the natural world in Canada you can’t find anywhere else.

   In only five years of reporting, The Narwhal has already won several significant awards for its environmental journalism.

2. The Grist - The Grist is also an independent non-profit organization; it is based in the US and focuses primarily on climate justice issues as they impact various parts of that country.

   Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Our goal is to use the power of storytelling to illuminate the way toward a better world, inspire millions of people to walk that path with us, and show that the time for action is now.

3. Climate Home News - This news source is a UK-based organization that covers international climate justice issues. They are careful in ensuring that the funding of their organization, through philanthropic and foundation grants, as well as individuals, is completely separate from their editorial decision-making.

   Climate Home News aims to be the go-to media outlet for a global community of doers and thinkers seeking to understand the political, social and economic drivers of the climate crisis and climate action.

4. Anthropocene - If you are keen on learning more about what innovations are coming out of science to respond to the climate emergency, then this news source may be up your alley! Focused on how to move forward with climate solutions, it provides a weekly curation of articles written in a highly accessible format.

   Our team of science writers pore through stacks of the latest climate and sustainability science and bring you a hand-picked selection of the most compelling research from around the world, a compendium found nowhere else.

5. The Guardian - And of course, there is the Guardian’s excellent coverage of the climate crisis. Whether you read selected articles online or subscribe to a print edition of The Guardian Weekly (this is what I do), this is an unparalleled source for climate news.

These are just a few of the excellent news sources that exist online (in addition to first-rate blogs such as Global Witness) that we can “hold” in one hand, with our Bible in the other. Not just for preachers, but for all of us who are people of faith.

What are you reading that helps you to stay informed?

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