Eleventh International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses

Abstract

Scientists famously have an aversion to faith, but there may be no greater leverage point in the world than religion for scientists to utilize. An estimated 84 percent of the world’s population belongs to a spiritual faith, and many are fervent followers. Surely the success of any environmental sustainability solution for the planet will be dependent upon its adoption by people of faith. Yet the connections between religion and nature remain vastly under explored. This paper presents an event ethnography of when faith-based environmental leaders met for a week to bridge the divides between religion and science as well as between their own faiths, while delving into their own connections to nature, in order to create an interfaith ethic of the ocean. What was the result of their work? What challenges were faced in the process? And what lessons can be learned for others wishing to follow their path of interfaith cooperation on environmental issues? Research methods include document analysis, event observation and event participation.