In the Judeo-Christian story of creation, humans were gifted with earth and all it has to offer. We were also charged with taking care of it. We have failed at this on a massive scale.

How weird is it that many Christians are the leading deniers of climate science, and a bunch of non-believers are leading the charge to save God’s good creation from the damage we have done to it?

But thank God for the kids. No one can muster righteous indignation, anger at injustice and impolite truth-telling quite like a teenager. It takes a kid (like Saint Greta) to tell congress that they just aren’t trying hard enough. It’s the kids who have the most to lose–as the earth may just give out on its life-giving ground, air and water during their lifetimes.

It can seem overwhelming–this charge to save the planet. But there are a lot of us sharing this third rock from the sun. If all of us did one thing (okay, two or three things) to help save the planet, we just might.

Reducing our meat consumption really can make a difference. You don’t have to be a vegan to curb the amount of animals in your diet. My friend Stefanie at Green Sage Life has a lot tasty meat-free recipes and tips on how to live a more plant-based life. I’m no vegetarian, but I definitely eat more meat-free meals now. It’s tastier than you think.

Eliminating single-use plastics is another place to start turning the tides. This one is a hard one for me. I found this list of 10 Ways to Reduce my plastic use, and I’ve mastered about six of them. What if everyone on the planet adopted at least one of them? It does indeed make a difference.

Take it a step further and consider your carbon footprint as a whole. This is where it starts to get difficult. It involves (among other things) considering how much fossil fuel you are consuming…and that involves your car…and driving…and doing less of it. Yikes. I am currently a car-less citizen of NYC, but I’m not far removed from a life of getting in my car and going wherever I want whenever I wanted. Being mindful of that is a doozy. But isn’t one or two less car trips a week worth having an inhabitable planet?

The main thing we can do is take the threat to our planet and our charge from God to be good stewards seriously. Our kids (thank God!) are demanding it. Will we listen? What are you and your faith community doing to save this earth that God so graciously gifted to us? Be sure and share!

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Rev. Anne Russ is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA), currently based in New York City. Doubting Believer provides tools and encouragement for the rollercoaster ride of your faith journey. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram and YouTube. You can also follow on TikTok. Get emails to keep up with all that is happening.