From the Arctic to the Amazon: Reporting on religion in the extremes

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From November 10-21, international representatives will gather in Belém, Brazil–in the heart of the Amazon rainforest–for the COP30 climate summit.

Billed as a critical event to assess progress on the Paris Agreement, evaluate national climate plans and discuss the Amazon’s sustainability, the event not only highlights the region’s biodiversity and challenges but reminds us that the hot spots of climate change are often far from familiar institutions and global centers.

In the Arctic, melting ice reshapes both landscapes and livelihoods, raising questions of survival and meaning. On low-lying islands in the Pacific, rising seas threaten ancestral graves and sacred sites, forcing communities to reimagine their relationship with place, identity and faith. In the Amazon, where Catholic priests bless river communities and Indigenous voices advocate resilience, religion is emerging as a frontline voice against the bleeding edges of climate change. And when extreme weather events — from heat waves to hurricanes — leave devastation in their wake, faith groups are on the front lines of responding and rebuilding.

Religion is shaped by these changes, even as it shapes the way individuals and communities react. It is woven into the ways people understand loss, cultivate resilience, cope or hold onto hope at the planet’s margins.

For journalists, covering religion in these contexts means widening the lens. The story isn’t only about policy debates or institutional statements; it’s about how belief is lived at the edges: in prayers for safe hunting grounds, rituals for vanishing coastlines and ceremonies that reinterpret tradition in the face of upheaval.

By telling these stories with nuance, journalists can illuminate how climate change is not only an environmental crisis but a spiritual one — reshaping the meaning of place, community and religion itself.

As COP30 approaches, this edition of ReligionLink offers resources, relevant stories and expert sources for reporting on religion and climate change in the extremes.

What about "Arctic religion"? A conversation with Julia Duin

When veteran religion reporter Julia Duin was a visiting scholar at the University of Alaska from 2014-2015, she noticed that much of what was going on in the Far North held numerous ramifications for the rest of the world.

Various world powers were tussling over rights to the fast-melting Arctic; permafrost, oil, rare earths, public lands and climate change were part of the public lexicon; the world’s shipping was heading away from Central America to the “new Panama Canal,” aka the Bering Strait, and there was talk of developing Alaska’s west coast with new ports and icebreakers to counter Russia’s warlike intentions.

“It was clear,” Duin said, “the North was going places.”

And while she saw reports about booming birth rates among the Inuit, climate change coverage and stories about geopolitics and tourism, there was a dearth of religion coverage. So, Duin decided to make it her thing.

Since then, she has reported how the Chabad movement was shortly to send Iceland its first rabbi in 2018, interviewed members of Iceland’s revived paganism movement and profiled Greenland’s first Baptist pastor. Duin has also charted how relatively new religions to the region (Jehovah’s Witnesses, Muslims, the Norse Ásatrú movement, in addition to those mentioned above) were establishing footholds in the Arctic as traditional denominations — like the Lutherans — were losing ground.

In an interview with ReligionLink, Duin shared insights from her reporting on Arctic religion over the years:

What tips or suggestions do you have for reporters looking to learn more about “Arctic religion”?

Look for the pioneers who are setting up shop (e.g., the famous Sikh in Whitehorse who does TikTok videos in the snow) or who are challenging the status quo (e.g., the Baptist pastor taking on the Lutherans in Greenland).

The biggest uncovered story in Arctic religion are the Pentecostals. They are everywhere, including Russia. I visited a Pentecostal church in Nuuk in 2021 and was amazed at how it was completely Greenlandic — the only Danish face was that of a visiting pastor. I heard this in Nunavik (northern Quebec) as well: Northern peoples are attuned to the supernatural, so spiritual experiences like prophecy and healing resonate with them. Shamanism was traditionally huge in Greenland, but knowledgeable folks tell me it’s died out; only the fakes are making noises now. Shamans were big in Alaska until Christian missionaries arrived in the late 19th century.

What outlets are covering this? Or who is missing the story?  

The major media have ignored religion “up there.” Unless it has to do with tourism or national security, Canadian media do not care. I discovered an amazing Muslim doctor in Winnipeg who has made it his life’s work to build a string of mosques across Canada. He’s basically finished the job without getting money from overseas. What an amazing feat — and do you think any Canadian journalists have covered this? No. When the new Anglican bishop of the Diocese of the Arctic got elected in May, I begged a publication in Yellowknife, with offices just down the street, to do a story on this guy.  They refused.

What do you recommend for reporters looking to jump on the “Arctic religion” beat?

I am simply laying the groundwork for reporters who come after me. If I can create a body of work (would love to do a book on religion in the Arctic but who would publish it?) for journalists to refer to, I’ll be satisfied.

There’s a vast amount of the Arctic in Russia that I have no way of getting to any time soon. I quoted from one scholar who’s done work inside Russia, but another reporter will probably have to cover more of that ground.

My biggest barrier is finding funding. I do travel writing on the side, which is how I got the Greenland tourism folks to pay for my trip there. Deals like that are hard to swing and I had to pay my own way to Iceland. A grant from the Religion News Foundation helped with that. A trip I took to Nunavik last November came out of my own pocket. I’ve sold two stories from that trip, but doubt I will make that money back. Sadly, few publications are buying travel stories about the Arctic. I’ve also tried to market climate change or Indigenous population stories about the region too — no luck.  If you can get National Geographic to send you to these places, all power to you.

Until then, spend some vacation time in this part of the world or find a way — like I did — to live up there for a time. Read the tourism sites from these parts of the world; collect every article you can find about travel there, subscribe to newsletters about the Arctic like ArcticToday.com and attend conferences (there are two major annual ones in Anchorage and Reykjavik).

The stories are out there!

Alaska, Antarctica and the Amazon: A Q&A with Luis Andres Henao

“Everyone,” says multimedia reporter Luis Andres Henao, “should be paying close attention to the Arctic and the Amazon because of the critical role that these ecosystems play in the weather and climate changes experienced by billions across the Earth.”

And as a member of the Associated Press’s Global Religion team, Henao knows, from firsthand experience reporting from Alaska, Antarctica and the Amazon how resourceful and resilient people, who live in these immense, remote and stunningly beautiful regions are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

“The Arctic is now warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet,” he said. “Faster warming means the melting of frozen lands where the Inuit of Alaska and Greenland have survived for generations by hunting for seals, whales and polar bears in some of the most remote, vast and rugged places on Earth.”

On a reporting trip to Shishmaref, on Sarichef Island in the Chukchi Sea, just north of the Bering Strait and five miles from the Alaskan mainland, Henao learned how the permafrost on which local homes are built is thawing and, as a result, hunting trips are becoming more dangerous on thinner ice that cannot support the weight of dog sleds and snow machines. Talking to a local in an Inupiat village on a border island in western Alaska near the Arctic Circle, the real-world impact of these changes hit home. The man told Henao he had lost his brother, a skilled hunter who knew the ice and trails well, on a hunting trip when his snow machine fell through ice that melted earlier than usual. The local man blamed his brother’s death on climate change.

Beyond personal impact stories, Henao cautioned other reporters to pay attention to religion and climate change in remote parts of the world because of their potential impact on economics and geopolitics.

In a wide-ranging conversation with the veteran AP reporter, he opened up about his own reporting experiences and what he’s learned covering religion and climate change from the Arctic to the Amazon–and multiple places in between.

Why should people, especially reporters, be paying more attention to places like the Arctic and the Amazon? 

The Amazon is a buffer against climate change that is vital to the planet’s health. It’s an immense region about two times the size of India that crosses into several South American countries. As the world’s largest rainforest, it’s a crucial absorber of carbon dioxide. The greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuels is the main driver of global warming. But the Amazon is also an engine for growth and its natural resources are being harnessed non-stop to help boost economies. Thousands of fires sweep through states in Brazil and other countries along the Amazon each year. Some of the fires are intentionally set to prepare land for crops or pasture in the jungle. That’s because for many living in the Amazon, land-clearing fires mean survival and development. But they can cause massive destruction.

Many world leaders agree that the Amazon and the Arctic require a global response because of their critical role for humankind. In their nations, they’ve witnessed the devastating effects: rising seas threatening to swallow homes, citizens that die in floods, hurricanes and heat waves. All of it is exacerbated by climate change. But we’re also at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump calls climate change, “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.” The U.S. is one of the world’s largest carbon polluters, but Trump is critical of climate science and polices aimed at helping the world transition to green energies.

What about religious dynamics in these places? What do reporters need to know?

There’s a fascinating trend worldwide of faith leaders, members of indigenous communities and environmental activists increasingly joining the fight against climate change. From Hindu groups joining river cleanups and Sikh temples growing pesticide-free food, to Muslim imams and Buddhist monks organizing tree-planting campaigns, the movement knows no denominational boundaries. But it shares as a driving force a moral imperative to preserve what they see as a divinely given environment for future generations.

What tips or suggestions do you have for reporters looking to learn more or dive into reporting on religion in Arctic regions and/or in the Amazon? 

Prepare as much as possible: Immerse yourself in the culture, traditions and religions through news stories, documentaries and books. Look at the excellent Reporting Guide by ReligionLink. Talk to academics, anthropologists and faith leaders who have lived and worked in these regions.

Our reporting trip to Alaska began when I called the young pastors of one of the world’s northernmost Lutheran churches (we ended up staying in the basement of their home). I also contacted anthropologist Elizabeth Marino, who had lived in Shishmaref while doing research. I read her wonderful book called ‘Fierce Climate: Sacred Ground,’ and sent it to colleagues to help them prepare. This might be too obvious, but if you’re traveling, make sure you’re carrying the right clothes and gear: from the right parka and a gas mask to hiking boots to crampons – they can make or break your reporting trip. And as much as you can prepare, also be open-minded, ready to be surprised, and use your five senses to record the unexpected.

When I traveled to Antarctica a decade ago, my goal was to follow scientists tracking the effects of climate change and the melting of ice. But I never expected to find – and write – about the world’s southernmost Eastern Orthodox church.

When I traveled to Greenland, I knew I’d write a story about geopolitics because Trump had suggested the U.S. could take over the world’s largest island. I also wanted to write about faith and how most of the population is Indigenous Inuit and Lutheran. But I never imagined that on the first day of my reporting trip, I’d knock on the door of the cathedral in the capital of Nuuk and end up attending a traditional wedding. Or that on the last day (after many attempts), I’d finally get an exclusive interview with the bishop of Greenland’s Lutheran church. I also never imagined that I’d sit for hours on the pelt of a polar bear hunted by the family of shaman to learn and write about how she’s part of a movement of Greenlanders reclaiming their Inuit traditions and spirituality. These were suppressed by European Christian missionaries who in the 18thcentury colonized Greenland.

Any particular stories of yours you’d like to highlight in terms of process or product for other religion reporters to learn from?

I traveled to the Alaska village of Shishmaref to document how the warming world inexorably threatens their way of life. But I was also interested in documenting their daily life. I wrote about how this close-knit community that prides itself on being one of the best makers of arts and crafts in the region maintains its traditions and perseveres even when they’re watching climate change slowly shrink their small island home. I felt lucky to be welcomed and have witnessed how they celebrate birthdays, baptisms and graduations centered around their homes, their local school and one of the world’s northernmost Lutheran churches.

We followed hunters setting out in their boats at dawn, schoolchildren learning early words in their elders’ Inupiat language, and pastors who taught children at Sunday school and took breaks to bottle-feed their infant child.

This project was part of an ongoing AP series exploring the lives of people around the world who may be displaced by rising seas, drought, searing temperatures or other effects of climate change.

Through advance, long-distance outreach, and tactful overtures after our arrival, we were able to earn the trust of residents and civic leaders who have sometimes been wary of visitors. The ultimate result was a tribute to the villagers’ resilience and community spirit.

When we traveled to Greenland this year, our reporting team faced big challenges. It was mid-winter in one of the most rugged places on Earth. On the first day, our videographer colleague slipped on ice and broke his leg. From the hospital, he provided us guidance on how to shoot video in his absence.

Greenlanders had also grown weary of outside attention by the time we arrived. But we spent time planning carefully and then earning their trust. We spoke with hunters, students, politicians, and one of Greenland’s most fervent Trump supporters. We traveled by boat to capture images of abandoned fishing villages, snow-covered mountains, and melting sea ice.

We also attended a baptism, and after a wedding ceremony, we were even invited to a “Kaffemik,” a traditional celebratory gathering where Greenlanders share coffee and baked goods. All of this allowed to provide an intimate look at faith in Greenland.

With an AP team, I traveled for days in the Amazon to document the fires and deforestation on a remote indigenous reserve, which can only be reached by river or on rough roads. Like their ancestors, the Tembe indigenous people hunt with bows and arrows, fish for piranhas and gather wild plants. They teach their children to plant trees, and they shoot photos and videos to document the cutting of trees in their land by loggers and share them on social media. But they say the fires and deforestation from often heavily armed illegal loggers are encroaching on their lands and way of life.

I’m also proud of the work that we did in Antarctica for a series of stories on climate change. For a dozen days in the middle of the chilly Antarctic summer, we followed scientists from different fields searching for alien-like creatures, hints of pollution trapped in pristine ancient ice, leftovers from the Big Bang, biological quirks that potentially could lead to better medical treatments, and perhaps most of all, signs of unstoppable melting. The almost two-week journey on a Chilean navy ship along the South Shetland islands and vulnerable Antarctic Peninsula allowed our AP team to get a firsthand look at part the coldest, driest and remotest continent on Earth.

Any stories you think reporters are missing in these areas? 

I respect and learn from the work of colleagues on the religion beat and beyond. I can’t think of specific stories missing and wouldn’t be able to comment on that. But we all benefit from more inclusive and nuanced storytelling that better represents the multiethnic and multicultural communities that we cover. That means more stories on the people who are most vulnerable to climate change, not just on the headline-grabbing dire situations in which they live but how they live. We can learn and be inspired by their resilience and ancestral wisdom to fight for their communities and protect them from the effects of climate change.

More story ideas and tips

Beyond the Arctic, what other kinds of stories are “out there” in the extremes?

  • Sacred geographies under threat. Melting glaciers, eroding coastlines and salinized fields are not only environmental losses but spiritual ones, disrupting the sites where communities hunt, bury their dead or hold ceremonies. Asking how these landscapes shape belief, and what it means when they disappear, can reveal the depth of the crisis.
  • Rituals of adaptation. Religious practice has begun to shift in response to climate realities: festivals relocated, prayers rewritten to acknowledge changing worlds or ceremonies developed to bless new ground.
  • Intergenerational tension and continuity. Young people, often at the forefront of climate activism, may reinterpret inherited rituals in ways that differ from their elders, while still finding ways to root action in faith. Attending to these dynamics can show how religious traditions evolve under pressure.
  • Source of resilience. For some, spiritual worldviews offer hope and solidarity in the face of loss, or provide practical wisdom about how to live with environmental change. For others, they may stand in the way. Rather than asking only what faith leaders say about climate change, reporters should explore how belief systems function on the ground — how rank-and-file members turn to faith to endure, adapt and move forward.
  • Global debates. Island nations or Arctic villages are often treated as peripheral, but their experiences speak directly to questions of climate justice. Reporters can highlight these communities not just as vulnerable voices but as crucial contributors to ongoing debates about climate change and environmental degradation.
  • Don’t forget the geopolitics. As with almost anything to do with resources (or religion, for that matter), geopolitics are lingering in the background of the stories you will be reporting in the extremes. Major world powers are busy at the margins and in nations that otherwise do not receive regular media attention. Keep the shifting balance of power, and the international race to secure resources, in mind whether you are reporting from Alaska or Greenland, Vanuatu or Vatican City.
  • Pilgrimages, rituals and displacement. How do rituals change when people are forced from their homelands? How are people using pilgrimage as a means of connecting with the environment and understanding nature as part and parcel to their faith? What other rituals are people of faith employing in extreme environments?

Relevant newswriting

2025

2024 and earlier

Experts and sources

  • Susana B. Adamo

    Susana B. Adamo is a research scientist at the Center for International Earth Science Information Network and an adjunct professor at Columbia university. Her areas of expertise include environmental migration. Adamo is one of the authors of the “Religious Affiliation and Environmental Challenges in the 21st Century” article that appeared in the Journal of Religion and Demography.

  • Evan Berry

    Evan Berry is an associate professor of environmental humanities in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University. His research examines the way religious ideas and organizations are mobilized in response to climate change and other global environmental challenges. He wrote the book Devoted to Nature: The Religious Roots of American Environmentalism.

  • California Interfaith Power & Light

    California Interfaith Power & Light, the originator of the Interfaith Power & Light movement that began in 2000, works to mobilize faith communities in response to global warming. The organization has affiliates in more than 40 states and is based in San Francisco. Susan Stephenson is executive director.

  • Dayenu

    Dayenu is a multigenerational Jewish movement that aims to confront the climate crisis with spiritual audacity and bold political action.

  • Julia Duin

    Julia Duin is a religion, travel, education and mental health journalist and author who has been on staff with five newspapers, including the Washington Times and the Houston Chronicle. Most recently, she was the contributing editor/religion for Newsweek. In recent years, she has helped pioneer reporting on “Arctic religion.”

  • GreenFaith

    GreenFaith is an interfaith coalition that works with houses of worship, religious schools and people of all faiths to help them become better environmental stewards. The Rev. Fletcher Harper is executive director.

  • Green Muslims

    The organization Green Muslims seeks to inspire Muslims to educate themselves about the environment and be stewards of the Earth. It works with mosques and Muslim student associations across the U.S.

  • Philip Jenkins

    Philip Jenkins is Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Humanities at Pennsylvania State University. He also is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion and serves as co-director for the institute’s Initiative on Historical Studies of Religion. He is the author of Climate, Catastrophe and Faith: How Changes in Climate Drive Religious Upheaval and The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, which includes extensive discussion of the global impact of Pentecostalism.

  • Willis Jenkins

    Willis Jenkins is a professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia. He works at the intersection of environmental and religious ethics.

  • Luke Beck Kreider

    Luke Beck Kreider is assistant professor of religion and sustainability at the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College in Indiana. His research expertise focuses on the moral, religious and cultural dimensions of environmental issues, and his teaching spans the fields of environmental studies, religion, ethics and peace studies.

  • Julian Kunnie

    Julian Kunnie is a religious studies professor at the University of Arizona. He launched the Nyakweri Ecological Restoration and Preservation Project, which looks at how climate change affects the Nyakweri forest. Kunnie teaches courses on Indigenous religions, globalization and the environment.

  • Brie Loskota

    Brie Loskota is executive director of the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. She researches religious change and facilitates partnerships between faith groups and the government. She is co-creator of the Disasters and Religions religious literacy and competency app, which helps disaster responders better serve America’s diverse religious communities and build partnerships with religious leaders.

  • One Earth Sangha

    One Earth Sangha’s mission is “to support humanity in a transformative response to ecological crises based on the insights and practices of the Buddhist tradition.” It offers a Virtual EcoDharma Center, with training, resources and courses to learn more about what people can do to address the ecological crisis. Kristin Barker is co-founder and director.

  • Timothy Stacey

    Timothy Stacey examines what he calls “spirited” elements in inspiring people to take political and ecological action: myth, ritual, drama, magic, tradition and play.

  • Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology

    The Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology wants to establish religion and ecology as an area of study and research in universities, colleges, seminaries and other religiously affiliated institutions. The forum arose out of a series of conferences on the world’s religions and ecology hosted by the Harvard University Center for the Study of World Religions.

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