In just a few weeks COP30, the UN sponsored climate conference will be held in Belém, Brazil, a city in the northern part of Brazil. Often called the gateway to the Amazon, it adjoins the Para River which flows into the Amazon Delta. The Amazon contains about half of the world’s remaining rainforests, and saving it will be a focus of the conference.
The past ten years have been the hottest on record, with ice levels even in the Arctic and Antarctic regions falling to their lowest point ever. Although in much of the world, clean energy reliance has soared, coal continues to be pushed by the new regime, while, of course, ignoring the health issues it causes the miners. (Wonder how the new Versailles ballroom will be heated.)
A new report from Rewiring America, an electrification nonprofit, indicates that the energy demand from the new AI centers will drive up electricity prices, which have risen twice as inflation. It’s becoming more clear that solar can supply the electricity we need not to mention heat pumps for water use, which is another issue with the AI centers. As Christians committed to creation care, we must be proactive, not reactive.
Prayer for the Day
Loving every ray of sunlight as we enter the season of shade,
Let us love every leaf falling from trees with vibrant colors;
Embracing the early morning fall chill breaking into sunlight,
Let us remember the many creatures now preparing for winter.
May we acknowledge our dependence on you, O God,
For you give us our changing seasons so we see your beauty.
In the name of the One who holds us in his hand,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
We have most of the technologies we need to phase out fossil fuels and slash planet-warming pollution from agriculture and other industries. But we’ll never muster sufficient political will until our cultural consciousness shifts.
Bill McKibben, environmentalist, in “Beyond the Solar Panel” (10/22/2025)
Generative AI also impacts the environment. It depends on massive data centers that require a tremendous amount of electricity and water to cool them. A New York Times article looked at the effects of a data center for Meta (the parent company of Instagram and Facebook) in Newton County, Ga. Some local residents suffered damage to their wells and plumbing during construction of the center.
Ryan McQuade, in Sojourners
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
From everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Psalm 90: 2