Mollie Pierson ’25 stocks shelves at the ż's/CSJ Food Shelf. Pierson helped establish the University-wide Sustainability Committee.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of the CSJ Community Garden, Mollie Pierson '25 created a documentary on the gardens for her senior capstone project. The documentary is Pierson's gift back to the CSJ community for the opportunity to work as a community leader intern in the Food Access Hub all four years as a student.
By Lindsey Frey Palmquist, from the .
After the worst summer on record for wildfires, high temperatures, and other catastrophic events, there’s no question that wide-scale global initiatives are necessary for the improvement of our common home. With the world set to breach 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming within the next five years, our livelihoods depend on it. Beyond the obvious environmental impacts of higher temperatures, climate change is a social justice issue. Vulnerable populations, including women, low-income, and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities, are disproportionately affected by extreme weather, environmental degradation, and the growing scarcity of resources. Health risks also increase for these groups when exposed to natural disasters, environmental hazards, and barriers in disaster-recovery efforts, which can intensify and broaden existing inequities.
The intersection of environmental, economic, and social justice issues was a key component in Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter, “Laudato Si’: On the Care of Our Common Home.” Translated as “praise be to you,” Laudato Si’ calls for greater care for our planet and its people, providing a moral framework for individuals, governments, organizations, and the global community to take urgent ecological action and address climate change. Tools, guides, and support to develop actionable plans were made available under the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform a year after the encyclical was published.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJs) formally committed to a seven-year Laudato Si’ Action Plan during their 2019 Congregational Chapter. Sustainability and education actions outlined in the plan include practices such as conservation, ethical food sourcing, sustainable building and renovations, legislative advocacy, and partnership with educational institutions.
Even prior to the Laudato Si' commitment in 2019, the CSJs had long been stalwart pioneers for food justice and sustainability in the ż's community. For over 20 years, they have tended the , nurturing food justice work while centering student leadership in initiatives such as the ż's/CSJ Food Access Hub (FAH).
Activism leads to cross-campus collaboration
In a spring 2022 special edition of The Wheel, sociology and economics major Mollie Pierson ’25 published an open letter to President ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76 on behalf of the student body. Pierson called for a reevaluation of the University's commitments to sustainability and climate justice, which are areas of importance to her in her role as an intern for the FAH through Community Work and Learning's Community Leaders program.
Pierson cited t