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Dear Friend,

Living in Juneau, Alaska, where the annual rainfall exceeds four feet, precipitation is a fact of life.

Brown rubber boots (“Xtratuffs”) are a cultural symbol and moss grows on rocks and buildings alike. At a bicycle tour company where I worked in high school, proper rainwear was almost more important than the bikes themselves. Inside our work garage, loaner rain jackets and rain paints were often strung across clotheslines looking like gigantic prayer flags, drying themselves for the next tour.

Although I’m no longer guiding tourists, I’m guessing the jackets’ use has gone down. Recent summers have been noticeably dryer, especially in 2019. That year, the rain was less frequent, and for a prolonged stretch in July, smoke and hazy sky prompted the city to issue an air emergency declaration, advising residents to “limit outdoor aerobic activities until air quality improves.” Of course, the weather and smoke were related to one another. Across Alaska, unseasonable heat fueled over 100 wildfires, burning over 3,800 square miles and sending smoke particles to far-off places like Juneau. The wildfires are concerning not just because of what they point to, a warming climate, but also what they will lead to, an increase of emissions of greenhouse gases from the burning itself.

This third Sunday of Advent, we invite you to reflect on caring for God’s wondrous and beautiful creation, in particular Alaska’s Arctic.

Photo credit: Nolin Ainsworth, Holy Name Postulant and FAN Intern

It turns out, the far North is warming faster than the rest of the world. Much faster. Since 2000, Arctic warming is over twice the global average, according to the most recent Arctic Report Card, an annual review of the Arctic environment compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. The report touches on all aspects of the environment of the Arctic, which is not just the ice pack that bears the same name, but all the land and water north of 66 degree latitude.

As science supports, the human contribution to these climate changes is significant. The actions we take now to reduce our carbon footprint and stand up against the fossil fuel industry are more crucial now than ever. As Pope Francis teaches in Laudato Si, steps we take today will reverberate down through the centuries: “Since the world has been given to us, we can no longer view reality in a purely utilitarian way, in which efficiency and productivity are entirely geared to our individual benefit. Intergenerational solidarity is not optional, but rather a basic question of justice, since the world we have received also belongs to those who will follow us.”

In the language of the Gwich’in people, Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit means “the sacred place where life begins.” The “sacred place” is the Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge.

The first thing we can do is lift up our sisters and brothers in Alaska. Native organizations in Alaska are the first line of defense against the destruction of God’s gift of the Arctic. We invite you to lift up local organizations who are on the front lines protecting the integrity of creation.

Follow and share these organizations on social media:
Defend the Sacred Alaska, on Facebook and Instagram.

Gwich’in Steering Committee, on Facebook and Twitter.

Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic, on Facebook.

Fire and heat, bless the Lord.
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord.
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord.

~Daniel 3: 66-70

Supporting our native Alaskan sisters and brothers online is a great first step. Second, join Franciscan Action Network’s advocacy and submit comments to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) opposing the leasing of lands in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas companies. The Trump administration has rushed to lease lands in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge even before the public comment period ends on December 17.

Rushing the process to sell sacred lands is an affront to people of faith. As Franciscan-hearted people, we must protect the integrity of creation. The beauty of the Arctic is a unique gift from God, who calls us to protect our common home. We must make the BLM know our opposition to leasing land from the Arctic Refuge.

The BLM requires hard copies of comments and FAN has already sent more than 800 letters from FAN members like you. Because time is short, another Alaska-based organization will hand-deliver comments they receive by this Thursday, December 17.

We urge you to send a short comment by Dec. 17 explaining that as a person of faith associated with the Franciscan Action Network you oppose selling sacred land to companies that will desecrate God’s gift of creation. Each comment must be individualized to count, so please personalize your comment to make it your own.

Wishing you peace and all good things this Advent season.

Nolin Ainsworth
OFM Postulant and FAN Ministry Intern

Franciscan Action Network | 202-527-7565 | info@franciscanaction.org

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