Loretto Members Worldwide Respond to Climate Change Crisis

Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day. Its worst impact will probably be felt by developing countries in coming decades… Our lack of response to these tragedies involving our brothers and sisters points to the loss of that sense of responsibility for our fellow men and women upon which all civil society is founded.

Laudato Si’, 25

When speaking about climate change we often hear the rhetoric that every small individual action helps. While yes, individual actions are important, they are not the only way to combat climate change.

The solutions to the climate crisis are not simple, and they are not about anyone’s individual actions. Rather, we need to see our role as tapping into something much larger than ourselves and contributing to systemic change.

This week we asked our members abroad the following questions: How does climate change affect you and the people with whom you work? What do you wish people in the U.S. and other Western countries would understand about your daily lived experience of the climate crisis?

Read what Loretto members had to say about the effects of climate change in Guatemala, Haiti, Pakistan and Bolivia. We’re sharing these messages this week on Loretto’s Facebook page, too.