Debra K Rienstra

Calling all preachers: Grist, the foremost #climate-focused newsroom in the U.S., is teaming up with The BTS Center and our EcoPreacher partners to bring you a workshop that will hone your craft and renew your spirit.

Space is limited, so register now to hold your spot: bit.ly/visioning-gr...

Refugia Podcast Episode 40 Kipuka to Kipuka: Islands of Life, Faith, and Restoration

Inviting you to my Substack page because I've been neglectful about posting recent podcast episodes and newsletters. It's all here! Hawaiian refugia, the mighty diocese of San Francisco, and so much more. Maybe start here?
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-po...

Refugia Podcast Episode 38 So Much Joy: Linda Racine and Traverse City Presbyterian Church

This is such a good one. If you attend a regular congregation and wish your church could do more about climate, listen to the marvelous Linda Racine and get inspired!
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-po...

Refugia Podcast Episode 37 Land as Primary Text for Healing Community: Elaine Heath and Spring Forest

Combine new monasticism with a faith-based farm, a forest, and some creative leaders, and you get Spring Forest. So great to hear Elaine Heath reflect on embodied spirituality and community building.

refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-po...

Refugia Podcast Episode 36 True Woo: Pete Nunnally and Water and Wilderness Church

This is a lovely one, an interview this week with the gentle and courageous Father Pete Nunnally of Water and Wilderness church.
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-po...

We knew it was getting bad at Paramount when Season 3 of Strange New Worlds was so so so terrible. Sigh.

Refugia Newsletter | Debra Rienstra | Substack A fortnightly newsletter for people of faith who care about the climate crisis and want to go deeper. Click to read Refugia Newsletter, by Debra Rienstra, a Substack publication with thousands of subs...

Refugia Newsletter AND Refugia Podcast! My latest newsletter has exclusive video of PUFFINS! And the podcast so far in Season 4 features terrific guests: Heber Brown III, Douglas Day Kaufman, David Celesky, and Judy Hinck. More to come!
refugianewsletter.substack.com

Refugia Podcast Episode 33 The Garden Became the Steeple: Heber Brown and the Black Food Security Network

Such a great conversation with the inspiring Heber Brown!
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-po...

Refugia Newsletter #102 Homegrown National Park, Sun Day fun, more good news about clean energy transition, church resilience hubs, and one super chill squirrel

Sun Day! This week's newsletter is a celebration of the clean energy transition that is happening, right now, despite... all the things.

refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-ne...

Season 4 dropping Sunday! Find the Refugia Podcast on your favorite podcast platform, and listen to conversations about Christian communities doing great climate work! Or sign up for my Substack newsletter to get episodes sent directly to your email inbox: refugianewsletter.substack.com.

Refugia Newsletter #101 Game-changing energy transition advances, myth-busting resources, agrivoltaic-improved wool and grapes, a youthful celebration of the sun, and salute to the moon

Need a boost of sunshine and mental vitamin D? Check out this week's newsletter.
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-ne...

Wow! This is good news.

Grand Rapids adopts climate action plan The plan sets a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 62.8% per capita by the end of the decade, but doesn't come with any requirements yet.

Great news! Grand Rapids, Michigan, (where I live) has an ambitious climate agenda, just passed by the City Commission.
www.michiganpublic.org/environment-...

Refugia Newsletter #99 Endangered endangerment, legal triumph, research on faith leadership, oysters, river parks, and a gigantic owl

Faith/climate news in manageable doses with lots of opportunities to dive deeper.
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-ne...

It is endlessly hilarious to me that the 5 denier scientists they are able to dig up for this ... are the same 5 denier scientists they were able to dig up 10 years ago, and 20 years ago.

One might ask why no new scientists are joining this faction. Must be the global conspiracy.

Please do not be fooled by the "report" coming out of the White House on how high levels of CO2 are actually fine and we all have nothing to worry about so we should keep burning fossil fuels. This report is bogus. See below.

Need Some Good News? Here's how the fight to Save Lives, Save EPA is gaining momentum

Really appreciate this good news about the fight against the insanity at the current EPA. Thanks to @jeremysymons.bsky.social.

Need Some Good News?
open.substack.com/pub/jeremysy...

Refugia Newsletter #98 Good news only with a dose of ordinary wonders

Just good news and beautiful photos this week: you need a break as much as I do.
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-ne...

Bishops from the Global South call for climate justice and the common home on the occasion of COP30 - River Above Asia and Oceania Ecclesial Network Catholic episcopal conferences and councils of Africa (SECAM), Asia (FABC), Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAM) published a document A Call for Climate Justice and the Common Home: Ecological conv...

"Without climate justice there is no peace, without ecological conversion there is no future, without listening to the people there are no real solutions."

Powerful document from the Catholic bishops of the global South ahead of COP 30.
www.raoen.org/2025/07/03/b...

Refugia Newsletter #96 Ocean conservation, women and climate action, epistemic anthropology, farm refugia, and climate art

Besides the usual stuff, two great books, two great interviews, and a killer graph. Plenty of inspiring and clarifying goodies this time!
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-ne...

Juneteenth and Its Role in Environmental Justice—for All - Inside Climate News Why the Rev. Mariama White-Hammond believes Juneteenth and celebrating the end of slavery is a way to lead broader society to freedom from the destruction of the environment and climate change.

So excited to see this excellent interview with the fabulous Rev. Mariama White-Hammond on Juneteenth and environmental justice!

insideclimatenews.org/news/1906202...

On Juneteenth especially, much gratitude for @greenthechurch.bsky.social, the Black Church Food Security Network, Soul Fire Farm, and so many other orgs fighting hard for climate justice and climate action.
blackchurchfoodsecurity.net
www.soulfirefarm.org
www.greenthechurch.org

I'm reading "Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America" by sociologist Christian Smith (from Notre Dame). It is SO GOOD. I feel like it's explaining all the cultural upheavals I've seen from my parents' generation to my kids'. Essential reading for faith leaders, imo.

Nice! Thank you--I hadn't seen this one. I have promised not to talk about beavers for the next few newsletters, but we will come back to them, I'm sure. Thanks for reading!

This Saturday is Show Your Stripes Day. Climate stripes on flags, socks, ties, etc. can help start a conversation.

showyourstripes.info

Yes. Called my senators today. It's easy, and it matters.

Refugia Newsletter #95 Protests, protecting IRA, global energy transition, Sun Day, and yet more beavers

Protests, defending the IRA, and other good stuff about faith and climate in this week's newsletter. Also: this photo of the Mediterranean (actually the Aegean).
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-ne...

Refugia Newsletter #94 Italy, Greece, ruined civilizations, Black food security, outdoor worship, and a dragon with indigestion

OK, I indulged in few travel photos, yes, but there's also helpful faith/climate news here.
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-ne...

Refugia Newsletter #93 Pope Leo XIV and climate, stalwart scientists, businesses doing good climate work (and not), whooping cranes, and yet more beavers

In which I say hopeful things about the new pope, attempt to highlight some positive choices by businesses, and of course, feature a story about beavers.
refugianewsletter.substack.com/p/refugia-ne...

This, too!