Conserving the Congo River Basin

Science, Religion & Society: An Online Series 

Selling the Congo River Basin and Imperiling the World: Preventing Climate Change Disaster by Prioritizing Equity and Justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo and COP Climate Meetings with BioEarth Co-founders Frances Flannery and Rodrigue Makelele

Presentation Overview: 

This is the decade of choices that will determine whether billions will suffer or even survive climate change, yet a new development in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) threatens our ability to secure a livable future for the majority of humankind. The DRC is currently auctioning an area of the Congo River Basin  larger than the state of Pennsylvania for oil drilling to try to generate income, a project that will not only bring misery upon the people and ecosystems of DRC, but that could be a tipping point in the climate crisis. DRC’s decision fits a pattern of 500 years of systemic resource and wealth extraction, justified by religious and political paradigms, for the benefit of an elite class of Congolese and foreign powers. Sadly, COP26 provided the loophole that allowed the auction of the Congo River Basin, and COP meetings continue to ramp up demand for cobalt mined under unjust conditions. This talk examines these twin unfolding crises and suggests a way forward through in the One Billion for Peace movement, of which IRAS is a member.

About IRAS Webinar Series: 

For 65 years, The Institute on Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS) has held summer Conferences on Star Island, off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Due to the pandemic, we had to postpone our 2020 Star Island conference until the summer of 2021. In order to continue to engage with IRAS themes and the IRAS community, with Star Island’s generous support, we launched a live webinar series: Science, Religion, & Society.