In years to come, when I think back to the weeks and months of the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, the soundtrack to this period will be that of Disney’s Frozen I and II. Such is one’s musical taste when their six-year-old is spending so much time indoors. I have been particularly struck by one song from Frozen II, “Some Things Never Change.” It’s a lively exploration of how, despite constant change, some things remain the same, prompting Anna, one of the main characters, to sing, “That’s why I rely on certain certainties.”

This line is poignant to me, as so many…

The annual Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) serves as the main venue for countries to assess the progress thus far made on tackling climate change and to negotiate on steps moving forward, steps as such as the recently ratified Paris Agreement.

An interesting element of the UNFCCC COP process has been the growing emergence and involvement of faith groups as stakeholders in, and observers to, these climate negotiations. Indeed, in the run up to COP22, the Moroccan Economic, Social and Environmental Council in partnership with the Rabita Mohammadia of religious…

Seemingly unattainable just 7 years ago, the world has accomplished a remarkable feat — in under a year, 195 nations have come together to not only agree to a global agreement on combatting climate change but a sufficient number have also ratified the agreement, shepherding it into legal force.

We frequently see the terms “transformational” or “paradigm shift” used in the climate change space, often without an explanation of what these terms mean. …

Applying spiritual principles to climate change

The last six years of my professional life have revolved around the concepts of environmentalism, sustainability and climate change. One of the most interesting experiences during this period was the three years that my family spent living and working in Tunisia. When people ask why we were based in Tunisia, I usually give a fairly standard answer: I worked for the African Development Bank which was, at the time, headquartered in Tunis.

However, the more honest and elaborate answer is that my wife and I decided to move to Tunisia to support the local…

Creating Coherence to Combat Climate Change

I was recently having lunch with a colleague from my past life working in international development and, given my novelty with the U.S. Baha’i Office of Public Affairs, the conversation inevitably came around to how I was enjoying my new role and coping with the transition. Beyond the standard topics such as adjusting to new office dynamics and understanding the requirements of a new role, the conversation interestingly came around to the concept of coherence.

We discussed the extent to which people compartmentalize their lives — keeping their personal and professional lives separate, dividing…

Reflecting on Earth Hour

My daughter is two years old. She enjoys talking to her parents, playing with her friends, spending time with her mom, turning the faucet on and off — mostly on as opposed to off! — and, just recently, turning the lights in our home on and off. Repeatedly.

She is at an age where she is asserting her personality, beginning to understand cause and effect and is on the cusp of grasping complex issues. On the cusp but not quite, which is to say that she doesn’t grasp that the water flowing from the faucet is…