Whitney Terrill: Mobilizing an Interfaith Movement for Climate Solutions

Faith communities play an essential role in calling for greater justice in our world and can have a powerful impact on climate solutions by organizing multi-faith congregations around shared values for caring for each other. Whitney Terrill is the former Environmental Justice Program Manager at Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light. She is helping reach drawdown by partnering with faith and spiritual communities to engage in climate solutions. Through this work, Whitney believes these communities have a moral responsibility to address climate change and to play an active role in alleviating the suffering of others. Whitney is part of a growing multi-faith movement that builds spiritual alliances, generates momentum for collective climate action, and advocates for long-term solutions that create pathways for justice in our world.

One of the most important things you can do regarding climate change is talk about it.

• Growing up with the Mississippi River in the background, Whitney formed an early appreciation of this famous waterway. Later, after college, learning about efforts to make water a commodity to be publicly traded, which felt unjust to her,  helped fuel Whitney's desire to protect clean water as a right that everyone should have access to. This awakening inspired her to join others to help stop the Line 3 Pipeline, which crosses 200 bodies of water, including the Mississippi River, and compromises treaty rights in Northern Minnesota, as it causes pollution in lands and waters promised to Native communities to utilize forever. In this work, Whitney sees her role as a "spiritual ally" to follow the guidance of Indigenous Water Protectors, as well as the guidance of Dakota and Anishinaabe leaders—who often start protests with prayers and ceremonies—who see the Line 3 pipeline as the prophetic Black Snake that threatens their communities and sacred waters. Even though Whitney does not share the same religious beliefs, she can see the importance of acting together to achieve greater justice. How can multiple faith practices unite in a spiritual alliance to help create momentum toward environmental justice?
• One of the biggest challenges is managing the emotional burden and time commitments that are part of working on environmental justice initiatives, encouraging people, and building momentum even when there is the potential to lose a given fight. One way that Whitney works to overcome these obstacles is to hold value in prioritizing self-care and then caring for others in the community in turn. How can you care for yourself when working to make a difference for good in our world? Why do you think self-care and community care can be important aspects of being an effective organizer for environmental justice?
• Whitney has a deep connection to the land and Minnesota in particular. In sixth grade, Whitney took a field trip with her class to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Northern Minnesota, where she saw Lake Superior and the Saw Mill Valley. The experience of witnessing the beauty of nature, the birds, and the vastness of the sky was a transformational moment that deepened Whitney’s spirituality and love for the natural world. Whitney shares that she continues to think about this particular moment as a constant motivation in her faith and her work on climate change. Can you recall a field trip that helped to foster a deeper appreciation for nature? Where did you go, and what positive impact did it have on you?
• It will take everyone to respond to the climate crisis, and we will be more powerful when we act together. Yet, it is crucial to understand that while we have solutions, there are still many questions that can help us to discover new solutions, invest in research, and inspire dialogue. In Whitney’s work, she offers thoughtful questions that have come up in her organizing efforts: “How do we change a system ...not designed with the community in mind? How do we build power…without burning bridges with relationships that we actually need with energy companies? How do we give people enough space, time, energy, and care so they can prioritize climate change on top of everything else they have going on?” What are some questions that you have about climate change or climate solutions? Who is one person that you might be able to ask for guidance? What is an information resource that might provide answers to your questions?
• Faith plays a vital role in sending the message that there is a moral responsibility to care for the suffering of others and the planet, which is present in sacred texts of almost all faith traditions. Whitney shares that religious leaders have an even greater responsibility to act on climate change and that their efforts can influence spiritual followers and institutional spaces, leading to the greening of buildings, for example. Do you identify with a particular religion or faith practice? If so, do you have ways to connect with religious leaders to inquire about how they lead on climate change?
• Attending Hampton University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), was an important experience for Whitney, who shared, “I got a break from being a minority and had the opportunity to really have my culture centered.”Whitney discovered the importance of being immersed in the HBCU environment as helpful in building her confidence and belief in herself despite how others might discriminate against her. As a Black Muslim woman who wears a hijab, Whitney shares, “After experiencing racial slurs on the street, even religious slurs, I found it very hard to be outside.” As an active advocate for protecting the environment, this has been challenging. Whitney continues, “Just recently did I start feeling comfortable being outside again, which is so sad as an [environmental justice] organizer.” How have religious discrimination, racism, and other forms of discrimination hindered our ability to achieve drawdown collectively? How can we fight against racism while working towards solutions to climate change?

Learn about the solutions in this story.

• Solution Sector: Industry
• Solution: Reduced Plastics
• Climate Solutions Cluster: Improve Materials; Use Waste
• For more on all of the Drawdown climate solutions, visit drawdown.org/solutions.
• Learn more about Whitney’s work: Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light

Explore Climate Solutions 101, the world's first major educational effort focused solely on climate solutions. This video series combines Project Drawdown’s trusted resources with the expertise of inspiring, scientifically knowledgeable voices from around the world: drawdown.org/climate-solutions-101.

• Drawdown Ecochallenge, presented by Ecochallenge.org, is a fun and social way to take measurable action on the top solutions to global warming. Take the challenge, and see how a few weeks of action add up to a lifetime of change for you and the planet. If you want to take action on climate solutions like Whitney, visit drawdown.ecochallenge.org/challenges.
• The Drawdown Labs Job Function Action Guides are practical and shareable resources that highlight specific, high-impact climate actions employees in common corporate professions can take at work. 
• ChangeX connects people with proven ideas for strengthening communities with the resources needed to implement those changes. Explore countless ways to improve your community and help the world reach drawdown.
• Climate Generation's Green Careers for a Changing Climate Instructional Supplement (for Grades 6-8) contains resources to help young people learn about Green STEM Careers — careers that can help solve the impacts of climate change using STEM skills. Throughout this instructional supplement, students will be using the resource Drawdown to make important connections to solutions that these careers will implement.
• Solutions Journalism Network highlights the importance of reporting stories of climate solutions in the media to create a more equitable and sustainable world. Visit their Teaching Climate Solutions resource to find curated collections and the latest examples of climate solutions journalism.
• SubjectToClimate (StC) is a nonprofit online connector for K-12 leaders of all subjects to find materials on climate change at no cost. Explore StC’s educator-generated database to connect to Project Drawdown-based climate education resources.