Third Act’s Faith Affinity Group extends an invitation for all of us to join Dr. Hayhoe to discuss how we might reach across cultural divides and have values-based conversations about climate change.

About this event

On November 7th, Third Actors will have a chance to hear from a world renowned atmospheric scientist who has been the lead author of three National Climate Assessments and is the chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy. Dr. Hayhoe is a best-selling author and a popular speaker, known for her ability to reach across the political divide and make climate science easily accessible to everyone. Her list of accomplishments and accolades is as long as a giant wind turbine blade, and includes being named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, the United Nations Champion of the Environment, and the World Evangelical Alliance’s Climate Ambassador. 

Wait, the World Evangelical Alliance has a Climate ambassador? Aren’t Christian evangelicals in America a big part of the problem when it comes to protecting our planet and our democracy? Don’t evangelical leaders always side with extreme right-wing politicians who parrot talking points from the fossil fuel industry?

Well, not Katherine Hayhoe. As an evangelical Christian and the daughter of missionaries, she faces the challenge of climate change with hope and the belief that we can come together to act for change. The Guardian calls her book, Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, “one of the most important books to have been written about climate change.” 

Dr. Hayhoe is not alone in bringing together climate science and the world of religion. A growing number of evangelical leaders now prioritize social justice and caring for creation – they just don’t get as much press attention as their ultra-conservative counterparts. Third Act’s Faith Affinity group recently brought the gospel of climate justice to several thousand such Christians at the Wild Goose Festival in rural North Carolina. Third Actors from the Faith Group and a half-dozen geographic Working Groups joined Bill McKibben and Third Act staff to lead an all-day climate justice camp in sweltering July heat. Amidst record-breaking temperatures, flooding, and wildfires, Bill’s talks on the main festival stage were well-attended. He spoke about environmental justice, how his faith informs his activism, and where he finds hope in these perilous times.

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe

Dr. Hayhoe is a best-selling author and a popular speaker, known for her ability to reach across the political divide and make climate science easily accessible to everyone. Her list of accomplishments and accolades is as long as a giant wind turbine blade, and includes being named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, the United Nations Champion of the Environment, and the World Evangelical Alliance’s Climate Ambassador. As an evangelical Christian and the daughter of missionaries, she faces the challenge of climate change with hope and the belief that we can come together to act for change. The Guardian calls her book, Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, “one of the most important books to have been written about climate change.”