What's Happening

April 7, 2022, New York, New York – The equality of women and the threat of global climate change are two vital issues confronting the world today. These issues were taken up together March 14-26, 2022, during the during the United Nations’ 66th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66). 

This year’s CSW was “especially timely” with the theme, “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programs,” said Adrian Dominican Sister Durstyne Farnan, OP, the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) representative of Dominicans in120 countries around the world.

In an article published in the National Catholic Reporter’s Global Sisters Report, Sister Durstyne writes of her experience of participating in CSW66 and the unique opportunity of witnessing the final two hours of deliberations by representatives of the member states on session outcomes. 

“In spite of being an important part of the priority theme, climate change received little coverage,” Sister Durstyne writes. Still, she adds, she is pleased with the number of items that were included in the session outcomes and feels a strong commitment to work toward those outcomes. 

“We women and nongovernmental organizations working at the U.N. will continue to push to advance the outcomes and implementations of the agreed conclusions,” Sister Durstyne concludes. “Women’s lives depend on the fulfillment of the agreed conclusions.”

March 30, 2022, Adrian, Michigan – In the midst of the wildly fluctuating Winter-to-Spring weather in southeastern Michigan, Adrian Dominican Sisters on the Motherhouse Campus were treated to visions of the upcoming Summer. They were listening to the March 16, 2022, quarterly Sustainability Update offered by Jared Aslakson, Permaculture Specialist; Joel Henricks, Director of Facilities and Grounds; and Sister Corinne Sanders, OP, Director of the Office of Sustainability.

Jared spoke of his late-winter work in the greenhouse, propagating about 50 species of native flowers. “So far, so good,” he said. “This year we’re getting serious about ways to extend our growing season both at this end and at the end of the season as it starts to cool down.”

Summer landscaping projects include planting wildflowers near the Weber Center parking lot to beautify it and turn it into a habitat that pollinators would enjoy, as well as giving a facelift to the circle around the statue of St. Dominic behind Weber Center and Madden Hall, Jared said. He also plans to build another pollinator garden and a raingarden.

Joel gave an update on the campus sustainability projects he has undertaken, noting that many are awaiting equipment. The carport in the parking lot of the Regina building is closest to completion, he said. The carport is equipped with solar panels on its roof and houses electric vehicle charging stations, which can charge up to six vehicles at a time. Upcoming projects on the grounds include stocking the newly renovated pond with fish; replacing 23 trees that were taken down from the field where the solar array was installed; and reopening the Cosmic Walk, which was redesigned to avoid areas that are often muddy, Joel said.

Sister Corinne Sanders, OP, Director of the Office of Sustainability, offers a “show and tell” of the various items that can be recycled at the Adrian Dominican Sisters Motherhouse Campus.

Sister Corinne updated the Sisters on campus composting efforts. “We’re looking at how we can expand the compost capacities” on campus and at ways to handle compostable products – such as plates and napkins – without overwhelming the system, she said.

Sister Corinne also reminded the Sisters to pay careful attention to the requirements of their local recycling centers. “Wishing that something is recyclable is not helpful, because it could contaminate the rest of the collection and force it to go into the landfill,” she cautioned. She added that, while recycling is a good practice, it is always best to repurpose an item – or not buy an unneeded product – rather than recycling it.

Finally, Sister Corinne addressed a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, suggesting that the time that we’re in might be more urgent than originally thought. “We’re really looking at the fact that the goal that we have had to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees may be out of reach,” she said. “We keep on doing what we are doing, but maybe with a little more urgency. But I don’t think urgency needs to go to panic.”

Sister Corinne ended on an encouraging note. “We are really engaged well in our goal of mitigating our [carbon] footprint,” she said. “But there’s more work we can do.”

Watch the entire update in the video below.