Halki Summit IV

COVID-19 and Climate Change: Living with and Learning from a Pandemic

A Series of Webinars: January 26-28, 2021

Click here to Register to Attend

COVID-19 has lowered global carbon emissions; but it hasn’t slowed climate change. Our response to COVID-19 has precipitated the discovery of a vaccine; but it has left the world with a staggering number of deaths.

The pandemic of Covid-19 has permanently affected our planet and altered our lives. The world has wrestled to survive and learned to live with the coronavirus. But what are the lessons that we have learned? What has been the impact on nature and the environment? What have been the implications for healthcare? And what have we understood about the relevance and importance of science?

Program

Impact on Nature

January 26, 2021 @ 8:00 PM EST

The novel coronavirus is a global human and ecological crisis. Covid-19 is a stark reminder of our failed relationship with nature. Loss of wildlife and natural habitats, as well as the repercussions of such losses on poorer and indigenous communities, are exacerbated by infectious diseases. What does climate change teach us about the coronavirus? How does the coronavirus affect climate change? What have we learned and what have we yet to learn about this pandemic or how the social, economic, and ecological impacts can be mitigated?

Speakers:
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Bill McKibben
Mary Evelyn Tucker
Shantha Ready Alonso

Importance of Science

January 27, 2021 @ 8:00 PM EST

While politics and science – and by analogy, religion and science – do not always mix well, the pandemic has compelled them to enter a relationship, even if with some regret or resistance. How have governments responded to scientists and the science of Covid-19? How have churches responded to scientists and the science of Covid-19? Does a vaccine solve all our problems? Are we prepared to make necessary changes in our lives? How has Covid-19 affected science and technology, as well as our perception of science and religion?

Speakers:
Metropolitan John of Pergamon
Nadia Abuelezam
Katharine Hayhoe
Gayle Woloschak

Implications for Health

January 28, 2021 @ 8:00 PM EST

As the novel coronavirus affects the lives of millions of people throughout the world, rising above national boundaries and racial differences, it has invariably left an indelible mark on matters of public health and mental health. What is the importance of coordination and cooperation, of mandatory lockdowns and social distancing, as well as of leadership and support? And what is the tradeoff between health and economy? What is the appropriate response to – and what have we learned about – the need to care for people?

Speakers:
Sotiris Tsiodras
Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago
Sandra Mathoslah
George Stavros

Speakers & Organizers

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

The Ecumenical Patriarchate

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is spiritual leader to 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. He is the 270th Archbishop of the 2000-year-old Church founded by St. Andrew, serving as Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch since 1991. The Patriarch’s … Continue reading →
Metropolitan John

The Ecumenical Patriarchate

His Eminence Elder Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon taught at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as London and Thessaloniki. He is served as Chairman of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Religion, Science and Environment Committee (1995) and currently chairs … Continue reading →
Metropolitan Nathanael

Ecumenical Patriarchate

His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago graduated from Hellenic College (2000) and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (2003). He earned an STM in Christian ethics (2003) and a Th.D. in bioethics from Boston University (2007). He also studied … Continue reading →
Nadia Abuelezam

Boston College Connell School of Nursing

Nadia N. Abuelezam, Sc.D., is an infectious disease epidemiologist and assistant professor at the Connell School of Nursing. Trained in mathematical modeling, data analytic approaches in public health, and mitigating health inequities for vulnerable populations at the Harvard T.H. Chan … Continue reading →
Shantha Ready Alonso

Creation Justice Ministries

Shantha Ready Alonso has served as Executive Director of Creation Justice Ministries since 2015. Creation Justice Ministries educates, equips and mobilizes Christians in the United States to protect, restore, and rightly share God’s creation. Based on the priorities of its … Continue reading →
Katharine Hayhoe

Climate Center at Texas Tech University

Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist who studies climate change and why it matters to us. She has received the American Geophysical Union’s climate communication prize, the Stephen Schneider Climate Communication award, and the United Nations Champion of the Earth … Continue reading →
Sandra Mathoslah

United States Public Health Service

Lieutenant Commander Sandra Mathoslah is a United States Public Health Service pharmacist officer currently serving as a Program Management Officer in the Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s Division of Healthy Start and Perinatal Services. She provides programmatic expertise to grantees … Continue reading →
Bill McKibben

350.org

Bill McKibben is a contributing writer to The New Yorker, a founder of the grassroots climate campaign 350.org and the Schumann Distinguished Professor in Residence at Middlebury College in Vermont. He was a 2014 recipient of the Right Livelihood Prize, … Continue reading →
George Stavros

Danielsen Institute of Boston University

George Stavros is a licensed psychologist. He trained at the Danielsen Institute of Boston University (1994-1999), working at the Institute since 2004 and serving as Executive Director since 2009. His vocational journey started at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of … Continue reading →
Sotirios Tsiodras

Hellenic Republic

Dr. Sotirios Tsiodras is an internal medicine physician, specializing in infectious diseases and is currently in charge of Greece’s management of the Covid-19 crisis. Born in Sydney, Australia, he first graduated from the University of Athens in 1991 and received … Continue reading →
Mary Evelyn Tucker

Yale University

Mary Evelyn Tucker is co-director of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, where she teaches in an MA program between the School of the Environment and the Divinity School. With John Grim she organized 10 conferences on World Religions … Continue reading →
Gayle Woloschak

Northwestern University

Gayle E. Woloschak is Professor of Radiation Oncology and Associate Dean of The Graduate School at Northwestern University. Gayle received her B.S. from Youngstown State University and Ph.D. from the University of Toledo (Medical College of Ohio); she completed her … Continue reading →
Fr. John Chryssavgis

Ecumenical Patriarchate

Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, studied in Athens and Oxford, and taught in Sydney and Boston. He serves as theological advisor to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. His publications include Light Through Darkness: the Orthodox tradition (Orbis Books), … Continue reading →
Nicholas Anton

Secretary

A Chicago native, Nicholas Anton is Director of Operations for the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops USA. Previously he was Ecumenical Officer and Director of the Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America … Continue reading →
Spyridoula Fotinis

Facilitator

Spyridoula Fotinis serves as the Coordinator of Programs for the Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Her work focuses on bridging the work of the Department on social issues at the United … Continue reading →