Faith Leaders Converge at ‘Ground Zero’ of America’s First Climate Refugees

By now, most Americans have seen the images of Syrian refugees fleeing their homes by boat, children in tow, to brave the choppy Mediterranean waters that claim the lives of thousands each year. Just as refugees in regions like Syria and Bangladesh are fleeing crises hastened by climate change, U.S. citizens are beginning to face the reality of domestic climate refugees.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina blasted the state of Louisiana, devastating millions of lives. Sixteen years later, climate-related disasters are impacting the region again with rising sea levels displacing indigenous communities whose lands now sit just below the surface of a rising tide.

Louisiana’s Isle de Jean Charles, and communities like it, are heavily impacted by “storm surges exacerbated by climate change, coastal oil and gas development, and wetland degradation” pushing “the island under water,” according to Ensia publisher and director Todd Reubold in his review of the new film, “Can’t Stop the Water,” a documentary on the migration of climate refugees in the Gulf’s wetlands.

Roughly eighty miles north of Isle de Jean Charles in New Orleans, our partner organization Greenfaith convened young leaders to “raise faith” around the issue of climate change in a diverse body of religious communities. Organizers of the event specifically chose New Orleans because it is “ground zero for the impact of climate change” in the United States. Meyaard-Schaap, creation care coordinator for the Christian Reformed Church, shared, “I have heard stories of islanders whose entire culture and heritage are disappearing beneath the rising tides,” during her involvement with “young leaders of all the major faiths (Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Baha’i, and people who say they are spiritual but not religious).”

Since 1955, 90% of the landmass of Isle de Jean Charles has disappeared.

Rev. Fletcher Harper, executive director of Greenfaith and Blessed Tomorrow leader, explained, “We are at a critical point in history. The window for action to protect our world from climate change is closing fast.” Harper’s interfaith coalition, which has been addressing climate change for decades, is “turning to the next generation of leaders” and training them to communicate the urgency of climate change effectively. Rev. Harper continued, “They are the last generation who can do anything about this crisis, and they will be the first to truly see its impacts if we fail.”

Apart from the Gulf Coast being “ground zero” of domestic climate impacts, it is a rich tapestry of religious traditions, comprised of a myriad of fluid faiths that include enclaves of Islam, Judaism, Christianity and indigenous traditions dating back centuries. Twenty percent of the Louisiana population identifies with historically black churches such as Blessed Tomorrow's newest partner, African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC), a faith community founded on principles of social justice, rendering their expertise in mobilizing people of faith invaluable.

While the work and dedication of leaders like Greenfaith and the AME Church are inspiring, they can not quell the rising tides alone, making the empowerment of young faith leaders across the U.S. more important than ever. Without strong leadership from people of faith, regions like Florida and New York are next on the list of states impacted by the encroaching salt water. But impacts in the U.S. are not limited to rising sea levels, as some communities are large enough to suffer from floods and droughts simultaneously.