Loras Students Consider Climate Action and Faith

This fall, eight Loras students attended a statewide interfaith conference on climate concerns in hopes of helping to educate and engage with fellow students about the need for climate action.

As part of Called to Climate Action, the Loras students took part in a student leadership workshop, as well as a prayer service devoted to working through faith to improve climate concerns

“I enjoyed being at an event with other climate advocates across the state, especially fellow college students,” Jacob Jansen (’20) said. “It brought hope through a sense of solidarity that we are in this together.”

Joining Jansen were Mallory Gardiner (’22), Wah Wah Lwin (’21), Harriet Siegrist (’21), Laura Brinez Camacho(’21), Mariana Bayona Paez (’22), Annie Flanagan (’22) and Bobby Johnson (’21).

Jansen explained, “Coming back to campus, the event help instill a sense of motivation. The speakers were empowering, and they emphasized the importance of faith in climate action.”

Since attending, the students are hoping to convey the need for climate solutions forward across campus and beyond.

“The guiding question of the conference centered around “How does your faith, call you climate action?” I hope to continue to be a leader in helping Loras fulfill its Catholic mission of caring for God’s creation.” Jansen said.

In addition to the conference, Loras students organized a climate awareness march as part of Du-Earth Week in September, coordinated a letter-writing campaign to legislators to stress sustainability goals while creating legislation, and have hosted sustainability events throughout the semester.

Called to Climate Action was organized and led by college students across Iowa. They have planned the event, drafted the 2019 Iowa Religious Leaders’ Statement on Climate Change, and created the pledge inspired by the organizing question: “As I discern my calling, how does faith invite me into climate action?”